AllyCAD 3.

5
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, AllyCAD,
on the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
3. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup
purposes, reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the
software, nor to communicate the software to any third party
other than the Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior
written consent.
4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any
subsidiary, agent or third party, sell, lease, license, sub-license
or otherwise deal with the software.
5. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the
software shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor
and it’s principals.
6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk, or security module the license must be re-
purchased in full.
8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
application of the software or it’s fitness for any particular
purpose. The verification of all results and output is entirely the
responsibility of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the
AllyCAD program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s
employees and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage
(including in particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and
penalties) suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause
whatsoever in connection with the AllyCAD program or the use
thereof whether such loss or damage results from breach of
contract (including a fundamental breach), negligence or any
other cause and whether or not this contract is at any time
cancelled by the Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in
connection with the AllyCAD program or the use thereof whether
or not this contract is at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
Typefaces in this manual i
How to get support ii
Online Help ii

FILE MENU
Clear All 1-2
New 1-2
Open 1-3
If the New Bitmap Path dialog box is displayed 1-4
Notes about loading DXF and DWG drawings 1-4
Load 1-9
Load Drawing 1-9
Load Layers 1-10
Load Geom 1-12
Load Bitmap 1-12
Batch Load Bitmaps 1-17
Load Menu 1-18
Load Title Block 1-19
Save 1-20
Save As 1-21
Saving an AutoCAD DWG file or a DXF file 1-21
Saving an AllyCAD DRG file 1-24
Drawing Office Manager 1-26
Save AllyCAD DOS 1-29
Save Options 1-30
Save Settings 1-30
Edit Description 1-32
Save Selected 1-33
Save Layer 1-33
Save Visible 1-34
Save Geometry 1-34
Load Symbol File 1-35
Import/Export 1-38
Import HPGL 1-38
Import ASCII 1-39
Import ShapeFile 1-40
Export Macro 1-40
Export Text 1-41
Export ShapeFile 1-42
Print 1-43
Printer Defaults 1-44

i
 Printing to a pen plotter 1-46
Creating an HPGL file 1-46
Zoom Print 1-47
Print Setup 1-49
Exec Macro 1-50
Encode Macro 1-50
Edit Macro 1-50
Repair DRG File 1-51
Purge Redundant Elements 1-52
Security 1-53
Hasp Dongle Overview 1-56
NetHasp 1-56
Exit 1-58

EDIT MENU
Undo 2-2
Redo 2-2
Cut 2-3
Copy 2-3
Paste 2-4
Delete 2-5
Select 2-6
Selecting 2-7
Handles 2-8
Stretching and Scaling 2-9
Rotating 2-11
Dragging 2-12
Copying 2-12
Double Click Editing 2-12
Select Nodes 2-14
Select by Polygon 2-16
Selection Filters 2-17
Objects 2-18
Properties 2-21
Text 2-21
Clear Selection 2-22
Move to Front 2-23
Move to Back 2-23

VIEW MENU
Zoom Window 3-2
Zoom Last 3-4
Zoom Next 3-5
Zoom All 3-5
Zoom Paper 3-6

ii
 Zoom Scaled 3-6
Zoom Selected 3-7
Zoom View 3-7
Define Zoom View 3-8
Toolbars 3-11
Magnify 3-12
Demagnify 3-12
Pan 3-13
Long Pan 3-14
Refresh 3-15

DRAW MENU
Line (Chained) 4-2
Lines (Pt to Pt) 4-3
Point 4-4
Rectangle 4-5
Arc 3 Point 4-6
Arc Radius 4-7
Circle 4-9
Circle Diameter 4-10
Circle 2 Point 4-11
Line Arc Line 4-12
Parallel Line 4-15
1 Parallel Element 4-17
Geometry Trace-Over 4-21
Fill Geom 4-21
Fill Geometry Cir 4-22
Fill Geom Arc 4-23
Ellipses 4-25
Ellipse 4-25
Part Ellipse 4-26
Splines 4-28
Circular Spline 4-28
Cubic Spline 4-29
Polyline 4-31
Bulged Polyline 4-33
Polygon 4-36
Symbol 4-38
Options on the control bar 4-39
Entering Symbols without AutoR checked 4-41
Entering Symbols when AutoR is Checked 4-42
Sketch 4-44

MODIFY MENU
Stretch 5-2

iii
 Move 5-4
Move Point 5-5
Mirror Image 5-6
Mirror Axis 5-7
Keep Original 5-8
Scale 5-9
Scaling by cursor 5-10
Scaling from the keyboard 5-12
Repeat 5-13
Rectangular Repeat 5-14
Polar Repeat 5-15
Drop 5-17
Rotate 5-18
Rotating by angle 5-18
Rotating by cursor 5-19
Trim 5-20
Update 5-20
Use 5-21
Trim Length 5-22
Multi Line Trim 5-23
Fillet 5-23
Update 5-24
Use 5-24
Radius 5-26
Chamfer 5-27
Chamfer by angle and one length 5-28
Chamfer by two lengths 5-28
Divide/Extend 5-29
Splitting a line or arc 5-29
Extending a line or arc 5-29
Divide/Edit 5-30
Join Lines 5-31
Cut and Rub 5-33
Cutting in one place 5-34
Cutting in two places 5-35
Snip 5-36
Snipping inside or outside a box. 5-37
Snipping inside or outside a circle 5-38
Polysnip 5-39
Move Selected->New Layer 5-40
Copy Selected->New Layer 5-41
Ellipse2Arcs 5-42
Transform 5-42
Indicate transformation points 5-43
Type in transformation points 5-44
Clarke->WGS84 (SA Only) 5-44
iv
GEOMETRY MENU
Cross 6-2
Slope Line 6-3
Point-Point Line 6-4
Parallel Line 6-5
Parallel line by distance 6-6
Parallel line through point 6-6
Circle 6-7
Circle Diameter 6-8
Circle Tan LL 6-9
Circle Tan LC 6-11
Circle Tan CC 6-14
Circle Tan 3L 6-19
Circle Tan LPtRad 6-21
Circle Tan CPtRad 6-23
Circle 3 Pt 6-27
Line Tan C 6-28
Tangent line at a fixed angle 6-29
Tangent line through point 6-29
Line Tan CC 6-30
Perp Bisector 6-32
Perpendicular Bisector between two points 6-33
Perpendicular to a line which passes through a point 6-33
Divide Line Equally 6-34
Divide Arc-Circle Equally 6-34
Make Geometry 6-36
Switch Geometry On/Off 6-37
Delete Geometry El 6-38
Delete All Geometry 6-39

ANNOTATE MENU
Add Text 7-2
Adding text around an arc 7-4
Edit Text 7-5
Edit Text 7-5
Move Text 7-5
Scale Text 7-6
Change Text Parameters 7-6
Set Alignment 7-7
Align To Each Other 7-7
Align To Grid 7-9
Alignment 7-9
Distribution 7-15
Align 7-18
Horizontal Dimension 7-20
Mechanical Style 7-21
v
 Architectural Style 7-27
Vertical Dimension 7-29
Slope Dimension 7-30
Parallel sloping dimensions 7-31
Dimensions at fixed angles 7-32
Isometric dimensions 7-34
Angular Dimension 7-36
Dimensioning angles between 2 existing lines 7-37
Dimensioning angles between three points 7-39
Dimensioning an existing arc length 7-41
Dimension an arc between three points 7-42
Radial Dimension 7-45
Ordinate Dimension 7-48
Survey Dimension 7-50
Edit Dimension 7-52
Edit Dimension Properties 7-52
Cut Dimension Line 7-54
Alter Dimension 7-55
Add Arrow 7-61
Add Balloon 7-63
Add/Rem Text Bubble 7-65
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill 7-66
Pattern hatching 7-66
Solid Fill 7-68
Tips for creating interesting hatched effects 7-70
Quick Hatch Polylines 7-72
Alter Existing Hatch 7-72
Draw All Hatch 7-73
Draw Selected Hatch 7-73
Pick Index from Hatch 7-75
Hatch -> Lines 7-76
Label Coord 7-77

TOOLS MENU
Lock Cursor 8-2
Lock to Line 8-3
Lock Geom Line 8-3
Lock Keyboard 8-3
Perpendicular 8-3
120 deg 8-4
Hold 8-4
Unlock 8-6
Jumps 8-7
Grab All 8-7
Geometry Intersection 8-8
Grid 8-8
vi
 Any Intersection 8-9
Point 8-9
Circle Centre 8-10
Near Element 8-10
Last Fixed 8-11
Mid Point 8-11
Ratio 8-12
Move to Coordinates 8-14
Polar Move 8-15
Show Nodes 8-16
Dump Data 8-17
Object Header 8-19
Object Details 8-20
Grid 8-26
Measure 8-28
Polygon Area 8-29
Add Data Item 8-31
Edit Data Item 8-33
Query Entity 8-34
Bill of Materials (BOM) 8-35
Creating a Template for the Bill of Materials 8-35
Creating a Bill of Materials 8-39
Creating objects with attributes (Symbols) 8-40
Tidy Polygons 8-45
Add Nodes 8-46
Tidy Up Boundaries 8-47
Drawingsnaptidy 8-49
DrawingCliptidy 8-51
Line to Polyline 8-52
Arc to Points 8-53
Expand 8-53
Detailed view in a box 8-54
Detailed view in a circle 8-57
General 8-58
Bitmap List 8-60
Locate Text 8-60

OBJECTS MENU
An introduction to objects and symbols 9-2
Properties of objects 9-2
Using an object as a symbol 9-5
Begin New Object 9-6
Group Into Object 9-7
Explode Object 9-8
Show Objects 9-9
List Objects 9-13
vii
 Make Symbol 9-15
Edit Object 9-19
Change Name 9-19
Change Parent 9-21
Change Hook Point 9-21
Update Objects 9-23
Count Named Objects 9-24
Select Current Object 9-25
Blink Current Object 9-25
Create Block 9-27
Insert Block 9-28

SETTINGS MENU
Drawing Settings 10-2
Paper Size 10-2
Scale 10-3
Coordinate System 10-9
Angular Format 10-12
View Settings 10-14
Re-Centre Paper 10-20
Sheet Size and Scale 10-21
Change Magnify Factor 10-22
Line Defaults 10-23
Polyline Defaults 10-25
Parallel Defaults 10-28
New Geometry Colour 10-34
Set Text Defaults 10-35
Set Dim Defaults 10-41
Witness Line and Arrow Style. 10-41
Number Decimals 10-44
Dimension Text 10-44
Set Survey Defaults 10-46
Set Arrow Defaults 10-49
Set Balloon Defaults 10-51
DXF/DWG Conversion Settings 10-54
From DXF/DWG Conversion Settings 10-54
To DXF/DWG Conversion Settings 10-55
AllyCAD DOS Conversion Settings 10-56
Virtual Memory Settings 10-57
Digitizer Settings 10-58
System Settings 10-63
System Settings 10-63
Tiled Bitmaps 10-66
Set Current Layer 10-68
Set Visible Layers 10-69
Layer Settings 10-70
viii
 To Edit a Layer 10-71
To Add a Layer 10-71
To Delete a Layer 10-71
To Set the Current Layer 10-72
Setting Visible Layers 10-72
Layer Highlight 10-72
Operate on 10-73
Pen and Line Type By Layer 10-73

TOOLKIT MENU
General Toolkit 11-2
Calculator 11-3
Batch Print 11-4
File Converter 11-5
Read Excel Table 11-6
Layer Info on Plot 11-7
Divide an Angle 11-8
Divide a Line 11-9
Total Line Length 11-12
Hide Layer 11-14
Line/Pen by Layer 11-15
Draw Centrelines 11-16
Draw Chamfered Rect 11-17
Draw Filleted Rect 11-18
Set Layer from Element 11-19
Architectural Toolkit 11-20
Architectural Toolkit Functions: 11-20
Architectural Setup Dialog 11-21
Draw Walls 11-22
Add Roof Line to Plan 11-28
Place Symbols 11-30
Draw Elevations 11-32
Add Roof to Elevation 11-34
Drawing Cross Sections 11-36
Drawing Stairs 11-44
Civils Toolkit 11-51
Cut and Fill Lines 11-52
Sewer Capture Toolkit 11-54
Mechanical Toolkit 11-57
Setup 11-58
Hex Head Bolts 11-60
Hex Nuts 11-62
Socket Screws 11-64
Rivets 11-67
Drilled Holes 11-70
Draw Slots 11-73
ix
 Concentric Circles with Centre Lines 11-74
Add CL to Circle 11-75
Shafts 11-76
Gears 11-78
Links 11-80
Flanges 11-82
Rect to Round Duct 11-84
Rect to Round Duct 11-84
Coordinate Table 11-86
Parts List Table 11-88
User Table 11-90
Annotate Welds 11-92
Annotate Tolerances 11-94
Annotate Surface Finishes 11-95
Structural Toolkit 11-97
Building Grid 11-98
Survey Toolkit 11-102
Street Numbers 11-103
Coordinate Constant 11-105
Draw North Sign 11-106
Draw Grid Crosses 11-107
Import Points 11-108
Add Points 11-109
Export Points 11-110
Jump to Point 11-111
Auto Join Points 11-112
Connect Points 11-113
Traverse 11-114
Tache Shot 11-115
SG Diagram 11-117
Default Settings 11-117
Trace Figure 11-119
Adjust Drawing 11-121
General Plan 11-122
Default Settings 11-122
Insert Titleblock 11-125
Insert Heading 11-125
Erf Numbering and Area Table 11-126
Dimension Erf 11-127
Point-Point Dimension 11-127
Multiple Dimension 11-128
Outside Figure Table 11-128
Block Corners Table 11-130
Reference Mark Table 11-131
Control Coordinates Table 11-132
Sectional Plan 11-133
x
 Default Settings 11-133
Section Manager 11-135
Trace Section 11-138
Generate Sheet 1 11-139
Generate Block Plan 11-140
Generate Floor Plan 11-141
Generate PQ Sheet 11-142

PERIMETER MENU
Accept Button 12-144
Cancel Button 12-144
Circle 12-144
Rectangle 12-145
Line (Chained) 12-145
Objects 12-146
Intersections 12-146
Auto 12-147

DEFAULTS
Multiple users 13-2
User Home directory 13-2
Adding new users 13-3
CAD.INI 13-5
Paths 13-8
Print 13-9
FromDXFFonts 13-9
ToDXFFonts 13-9
DXFFlags 13-9
Controlbar 13-9
Digitizer 13-10
Logfile 13-10
Drawings 13-10
Vmem 13-10
Colors 13-10
Textedit 13-10
Infowindow 13-11
Coordtable 13-11
BOM 13-11

CAD.MEN
Comments 14-1
Toolbars 14-2
Pull-Down Menus 14-4
Accelerators 14-6
Digitizer 14-6

xi
 Functions 14-7
Transparent Commands 14-7
Short Cuts 14-7
Macros 14-8

HATCH PATTERNS
Hatch Pattern Definitions 15-2
Example 1 - Line 15-5
Example 2 - Dash 15-6
Example 3 - Newbrick 15-7
Example 4 - Triang 15-11

LINE TYPES
Line Type Definitions 16-2
Merging Drawings containing blocks 16-5

MACROS
Writing my first macro 17-2
Some hints and tips 17-5
Description 17-9
Statements 17-9
Special Characters 17-10
Variables 17-11
Maths Functions 17-13
General Purpose Functions 17-16
Flow of Control Commands 17-18
Data Entry Functions 17-21
String Functions 17-23
Coordinate to String Conversion 17-27
Enquire Functions 17-30
ASCII Files 17-44
DDE Commands 17-48
AllyCAD Functions 17-51
File Functions 17-53
Edit Functions 17-59
View Functions 17-63
Draw Functions 17-65
Modify Functions 17-70
Geometry Functions 17-73
Annotate Functions 17-76
Tools Functions 17-84
Objects Functions 17-89
Settings Functions 17-92
Window Functions 17-109
Perimeter Functions 17-110

xii
COMPILED MACROS
Advantages of using compiled macro programs 18-1
The structure of a compiled macro program 18-2
An introductory sample compiled macro program 18-2
Converting old-style macro programs 18-3
Language elements 18-4
Character set 18-4
Special Characters 18-5
Tokens, separators and the use of blanks 18-6
Identifiers and reserved words 18-6
Numeric constants 18-7
Character constants 18-8
String constants 18-8
Coordinate pairs 18-9
Comments 18-10
Variables 18-11
Numeric variables 18-11
String variables 18-11
Arrays 18-12
Numeric expressions 18-13
Operands 18-13
Operators 18-13
Precedence of operators 18-15
Expressions in parentheses 18-15
Built-in numeric functions 18-16
String expressions 18-19
Statements 18-21
Assignment statements 18-21
String assignments 18-21
IF and ELSE statements 18-22
WHILE statement 18-23
BREAK statement 18-24
SWITCH statement 18-24
CALL and RETURN statements 18-25
EXIT statement 18-25
Procedures 18-26
Format of a procedure 18-26
Procedure parameters 18-26
Return value of a procedure 18-28
Ways of activating a procedure 18-28
Passing parameters by reference 18-28
Compiling a compiled macro program 18-30
Error and warning messages 18-30
How does a compiled macro program differ? 18-32
String constants enclosed in quotation marks 18-32
Unintentional combination of numeric arguments 18-32
xiii
 Commands/functions whose syntax has changed 18-32
List of compiled macro reserved words 18-33
Compiled macro limits 18-34

APPENDIX A - FUNCTIONS
Function by Menu Name 19-2
Functions A to Z 19-10

APPENDIX B - BITMAP NAMES

File Menu 20-2
Edit Menu 20-4
ViewMenu 20-5
Draw Menu 20-6
Modify Menu 20-7
Geometry Menu 20-8
Annotate Menu 20-9
Tools Menu 20-10
Objects Menu 20-11
Settings Menu 20-12
Windows Menu 20-15
Cursor Movement 20-16
General 20-18

xiv
Introduction
This manual will help you install AllyCAD and get started. It also
includes easy-to-follow tutorials for hands-on experience with the
program.

Typefaces in this manual

The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears in
prompts or output.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a
command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”

 This button on the control bar is used to accept a

setting or function.

 This button in the control bar is used to cancel a

setting or function.
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose
by opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing
the Ellipse option.

Introduction i
How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to
Fridays excluding public holidays.
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 (021) 701-1850
You can also email your support enquiries to our Customer Support
Centre at [email protected]

Online Help
While using the program you can press F1 for context sensitive help
at any time. The help items can be printed if required using the
Windows Help system.

ii AllyCAD Reference Manual

File Menu
The File Menu contains all the functions
to create, load, save, import, export and
print drawings. In addition it also includes
options to set up the security and to
correct faulty drawing files.

File Menu 1-1

Clear All
Clears the drawing in the current window

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File DelAll

If you have not saved the current drawing, a dialog box asking you
whether you want to save it will appear. To save your drawing, click
on the YES button. To abandon it without saving, click on the NO
button.

New
Creates a new empty window with a blank drawing in it

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + N FileNew

A new window will be displayed with the defaults stored in

STARTUP.DRG.

1-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Open
Load an AllyCAD or AutoCAD drawing or a DXF file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + O FileOpen
Ctrl + F12

Loads AllyCAD drawings (DRG files), AutoCAD drawings (DWG files)

and DXF files. DXF files are the normal method for transferring
drawings between different CAD systems.

Procedure
The standard File dialog box is displayed. To choose the type of
drawing file you want to load - DRG, DWG or DXF - set the Files of
Type list box at the bottom left of the dialog box. Select the drawing
you want and click on the Open button.

If you have checked the Open creates a new window option in the
System Settings dialog and you have a drawing on your screen,
AllyCAD will ask you whether you want to save it and will then close
it. The new drawing will be loaded. As it loads, a bar at the bottom of
the screen will show the progress of the load.
The names of the drawings you have worked on most recently are
listed at the bottom of the File menu. To load one of these drawings,
click on its name in the list.

You can also open DRG, DWG and DXF files by dragging them into
AllyCAD from Windows Explorer.

File Menu 1-3

If the New Bitmap Path dialog box is displayed
When you save a drawing that contains bitmaps, the bitmaps are not
stored with the drawing. Only a reference to them is stored. If you
delete a bitmap or move it to another directory, AllyCAD will not be
able to find the bitmap next time the drawing is loaded. A dialog
titled New Bitmap Path will be displayed.
If you have moved the bitmap to another directory, click on [Browse
File Directory] button in the dialog box to locate the bitmap so that
AllyCAD will be able to find it. Then click on the [Try Again] button.
If you click on the [Ignore Reference] button in the dialog box,
AllyCAD will load the drawing minus the bitmap that it cannot find.
If you click on the [Delete Reference] button in the dialog box,
AllyCAD will delete the reference to the bitmap stored in the drawing.

Notes about loading DXF and DWG drawings

DWG/DXF Versions
AllyCAD supports all AutoCAD 12, 13, 14, 2000, 2002 and 2004-
2006 DXF and DWG data except Shapes, 3D Faces. Loading of Model
Space or Paper Space is supported, but not simultaneously. If you
bring 3D information into AllyCAD, the z coordinates will most likely
be dropped.

DWG Import Wizard

AllyCAD If the “Enable DWG Wizard” is checked in the “Defaults” tab
of your “System Settings”.

You don’t have to load the drawing into a new drawing with specially
configured drawing defaults, just open the drawing and select either
the “AutoCAD DWG” or “AutoCAD DXF” and from file type combo box
in the open file dialog.

Click on OK and the DWG Import Wizard will appear as shown

below:

1-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 The first page of the
DWG Import Wizard
allows you to set the
paper size, scale, units,
coordinate system
(either Cartesian or
Surveyor, Northern or
Southern Hemisphere),
pen mappings of the
dwg/dxf drawing you
are importing.

The second page of the

DWG Import Wizard
allows you to set the
font mappings of the
dwg/dxf drawing you
are importing.

Click the “Next” button to access the next page of the wizard and the
“Back” button to retrieve the previous page and “Finish” once you
have completed the process.
If the drawing contains layouts (paper spaces) the following message
will appear:

Select “Yes” if you want to load a paperspace else “No” if you want to
load the model space.

File Menu 1-5

If you selected “Yes” and there is more that one paperspace available
the following Layout Selection dialog will appear:

Select the paper space you want by click on it in the list and pressing
OK. The drawing will then load.

Pen colours
AllyCAD pen numbers are identical to the DWG and DXF files. If the
colours are different to AutoCAD click on the [Pen] button in the
Control Bar and then check the AutoCAD colors option.

Fonts
Because AutoCAD does not always use a standard Windows font
system and AllyCAD does, you need to convert DXF and DWG fonts

1-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

to AllyCAD equivalents. You do this in the DXF/DWG Conversion
Settings dialog box in the Settings Menu.
• If you are using a pen plotter you should use DXF/DWG
Conversion Settings to translate DXF and DWG fonts into the
equivalent Windows pen plotter fonts. These are Modern, Roman,
and Script.
• If the DXF or DWG file you are converting contains an AutoCAD
font you don’t know the name of, use the UNKNOWNNAME
setting in the For DXF Font section of the DXF/DWG Conversion
Settings dialog box. Then select the AllyCAD font you want to
convert it to in the Use AllyCAD section.
• If the fonts you want to convert to or from do not appear in the
list of fonts in the DXF/DWG Conversion Settings dialog box, you
can add further fonts by reading the CAD.INI file in your User
Home directory into a word processor and adding the required
font names to the existing listing.

Line Types
By default, DXF and DWG line types should be displayed correctly in
AllyCAD. However, the LINETYPE.MAC file, which defines the line
styles, may have been changed.

Part of the drawing is missing

If you have loaded a DXF or a DWG file and part of your drawing
seems to be missing, go to Settings ► View Settings and change the
background colour of your drawing. It is likely that the missing parts
of the drawing are simply the same colour as the background.

Drawing Origin
As AutoCAD's origin point (0 0) is at bottom left and AllyCAD's is at
the centre of the paper, you may have to use the Settings ► Re-Centre
Paper function to centre a DXF or DWG drawing on the paper.

Scale
As AutoCAD works mainly at a scale of 1:1 you may want to change
the scale in AllyCAD to a more normal setting, e.g. 1:50, using
Settings ► Drawing Settings.

File Menu 1-7

Attributes
AutoCAD has two types of attributes, Attdef (attribute definition, only
found inside blocks) and Attribute (solidified Attdef, produced when
you insert a block). These are converted to AllyCAD as follows:
• An Attdef has three text strings: prompt, tag and default. These
are stored in a AllyCAD data item as prompt:tag=default.
• An Attribute has two text strings: tag and value. These are stored
in an AllyCAD data item as tag=value.
The AllyCAD data items are converted back to attributes when you
write the drawing out again.

Dimensions
AutoCAD has two ways of putting text into a dimension, either blank
or some text. If the AutoCAD dimension is blank, AllyCAD puts in its
own text based on the current dimension settings. If the AutoCAD
dimension has text in it, AllyCAD copies it across verbatim.

If your DXF or DWG drawing loads and redraws very slowly

DXF and DWG drawings often contain un-referenced blocks that can
slow them down drastically. You can purge these blocks using File ►
Purge Duplicates/ Redundant.
See Also
Defaults, Line Types

1-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Load
Merge drawings, load selected layers of a drawing, load geometry, or load a
bitmap.

Load Drawing
Inserts another drawing into the existing drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File ReadAnyFile

This function operates in the same way as File ► Open. However, if

there is already a drawing on the screen, the new drawing will be
merged into the existing drawing. This is useful if you need to add,
say, a pre-drawn detail to the drawing you are working on.

Procedure
When you load a DWG or DXF file into an existing drawing, the new
drawing will be positioned on the existing drawing according to its
coordinates, i.e. an entity positioned at coordinate "100,100" on the
new drawing will be positioned at coordinate "100,100" on the
existing drawing. This is also true if you load an AllyCAD drawing
into an existing drawing and you are working with Surveyor
coordinates.
However, if you load an AllyCAD drawing into an existing drawing
and you are using Cartesian coordinates, AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new Reference Point

Position the cursor at that position in the existing drawing where you
want the new drawing to be loaded and press [Enter] or click. The
origin point of the new drawing (coordinate "0 0") will be positioned
at the point you specify and will take on the coordinates of the
existing drawing.

If you saved the drawing you are loading using the File ► Save
Options ► Save Visible option the reference point you specified when
you saved the drawing will be positioned at the point you specify
here.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Drawing scale and rotation

File Menu 1-9

Type a scale and rotation for the drawing you are loading separated
by a space. For example, if you type “1 0” the new drawing will be
loaded at the same scale as the existing drawing and will not be
rotated.
When you have typed the scale and rotation you want, click on OK or
press [Enter].

If you enter a scale of “1” the drawing you are loading will be loaded
at the size at which you drew it, i.e. a dimension that measured
“10” on the drawing will still measure “10”.
If you type another scale, for example “2”, the drawing you are
loading will be twice as big as it was drawn, i.e. a dimension that
measured 10 will now measure 20.

If the New Bitmap Path dialog box is displayed

Refer to the Open section for more details.

Notes about loading DWG and DXF drawings

Refer to the Open section for more details.

Load Layers
Load selected layers of a drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LoadLay

This function loads a subset of layers from another drawing into the
existing drawing.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter layer names to be loaded, separated by commas.

Type in the names of the layers you want to load, for example WALLS
or CONTOURS. Typing "@" will load all layers. Click on OK or press
[Enter].
The rest of this function operates in exactly the same way as File ►
Load ► Load Drawing.

1-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If there is already a drawing on the screen, the layers you have
selected will be merged into it and you will be asked for a reference
point, scale and rotation.

File Menu 1-11

Load Geom
Load geometry lines that have previously been saved

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LoadGeom

This function loads geometry lines that have previously been saved
using File ► Save Options ► Save Geometry or via an option in the File ►
Save Options ► Save Settings dialog.

Procedure
The standard file dialog box is displayed. Select the geometry file you
want to load.
If the geometry file was stored at a different scale from that currently
set, the message
Warning: geometry file was stored at scale x on paper size y

will be displayed. Click on OK.

Load Bitmap
Load a bitmap as a backdrop to the drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LoadBitmap

The bitmap could be of a map or aerial photograph; a scanned-in

picture of a component, finished product or building; a manually
produced drawing or simply your company logo. Once in AllyCAD
you can annotate the bitmap, trace over it to build up a drawing or
superimpose your project on top of it.
For example, the illustration below was created by placing solid fills
on top of the bitmap.

1-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Procedure
When you choose Load Bitmap, the standard file dialog is displayed. Select
the bitmap you want to load and click on OK. The Set Bitmap Parameters
dialog box is displayed:

Once you have finished editing the Set Bitmap Parameters dialog box, click
on OK. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter coordinates for upper left corner of bitmap

Position the cursor where you want the upper left corner of the bitmap to
be positioned and press [Enter] or click. The bitmap will be displayed.
Once you have loaded the bitmap, you can select it using Select, drag it,
move it, stretch it, scale it, copy it, rub it out etc. However, you cannot edit
the pixels within it. You can print bitmaps to raster devices such as
printers or inkjet plotters.
• If you need to move the bitmap so it is behind other elements on
the drawing, use Edit ► Move to Back.
• When you save a drawing that contains a bitmap, the bitmap is
not stored in the drawing. Only a reference to the bitmap is stored. It is
therefore important that you do not delete the bitmap. If you delete the
bitmap or move it to another directory, an error message will appear next
time you try to load any drawings containing the bitmap.

Bitmap Tiling
Each Tiling is an indexing system for large bitmaps. Bitmaps larger than
the threshold value set in the edit box labeled “Bitmap threshold size for
tiling (kb)” on the “Tiled Bitmaps” tab of the “System Settings” dialog. If
tiling occurs a <filename>.bbf file is created in the same directory as the
bitmap.

Real World Pixel Size

Each bitmap is made up of little squares called pixels. You need to
type the width and height each pixel should be into the dialog box.
File Menu 1-13
Width and height are measured in the units you have set up in the
Settings ► Drawing Settings dialog box.
For example, if you have scanned in a map that represents an area
measuring 1200m x 1200m on the ground, and in its bitmap form
this map now measures 600 x 600 pixels, then the real world pixel
size is 2m in both width and height. If you need to change the Real
World Pixel Size of a bitmap once you have loaded it into your
drawing, double click on the bitmap. This brings up the Set Bitmap
Parameters dialog box again, which can then be edited.

Placeholder for Bitmap

If you check the Placeholder for bitmap box,
the bitmap will appear on the screen and
print as a placeholder. This is a purple
LOGO cross-hatched rectangle with the name of
the bitmap written across it. Displaying
bitmaps as placeholders speeds up
redraws.

If you do not check the Placeholder for

bitmap box, the bitmap will be displayed in
full detail.

You can change a bitmap from a placeholder to full detail or vice

versa at any stage after loading by double clicking on it, which brings
up the Set Bitmap Parameters dialog box for editing. You can also
view all the bitmaps on your drawing as placeholders, or all of them
in full detail.

Resample Mode
This option affects the way your bitmap appears on the screen, but
not the way it is printed.
The resample mode dictates how your bitmap will be displayed on
the screen when you demagnify the screen or scale the bitmap to
make it smaller. When you do either of these things, AllyCAD needs
to change the way it displays your bitmap.

1-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 If you select Preserve Black, AllyCAD will
display fewer pixels than previously. The
black pixels will be displayed at the
expense of other pixels.

If you select Preserve White, AllyCAD will

display fewer pixels than previously. The
white pixels will be displayed at the
expense of other pixels.

If you select Thin Pixels, alternate pixels in

your bitmap will be ignored when you zoom
out.

The default setting, Preserve Black, seems to work best for most
images. However, for scanned maps and photographs you might
want to try the Thin Pixels setting. You should experiment with the
settings to see how they affect your bitmaps as you zoom in and out.
To change the settings double click on the bitmap. This will bring up
the Set Bitmap Parameters dialog box so you can edit it.

Bitmap Angle
The bitmap can be rotated about its top left hand corner by any angle from
0o to 360o (measure in degrees). Double click near one of the edges of the
bitmap to invoke the bitmap dialog and type the angle into the edit box
marked “Angle” and click OK.

File Menu 1-15

Set Clip Region
Double click near one of the edges of the bitmap to invoke the bitmap
dialog. If no clip region has previously been defined, a button
marked “Set Clip Region” can be seen, click on this. The following
prompt will appear:
Enter first point of clip region

Click somewhere on the bitmap where you want the bitmap clipping
to start. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter next point of clip region

Continue clicking to add vertices to the bitmap region. Snap to the

first point to close the bitmap region for the last vertex to close the
clip region. Type “s” to refresh the drawing and view the changes
made.

Clear Clip Region

Double click near one of the edges of the bitmap to invoke the bitmap
dialog. If a clip region has previously been defined a button marked
“Clear Clip Region” can be seen, click on this. This will clear the
existing clip region. Type “s” to refresh the drawing and view the
changes made.

1-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

A clipped bitmap rotated at 35o

Note: Bitmaps saved in version 3.5 of AllyCAD are not backward

compatible with previous versions of the software. A 3.5 drawing
containing a bitmap which is loaded in a previous version will not
display the bitmap.

Batch Load Bitmaps

Load a batch of bitmaps as a backdrop to the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

BitmapBatch
This is an extension of the normal Load Bitmap function.
This function will load all bitmaps of supported types from a selected
directory. The supported types are JPEG, TIFF, BMP, ECW and
MrSID. However, in order to facilitate the automatic placement of
these bitmaps, a world file of the same name as the bitmap must
exist in the same folder. The standard world files (log, tfw, sdw and

File Menu 1-17

hgr) are supported. For Southern Hemisphere drawings the sign of
the coordinates in the world file are automatically reversed.
See Also: Load Bitmap, Tiled Bitmaps

Procedure
A folder selection dialog is displayed. Select the folder that contains
the bitmaps (and world files) to be loaded and click the OK button.
The procedure is entirely automated from here on and will load (and
tile if required) all supported bitmaps from the selected folder. At the
end of the import a message will display telling you the number of
bitmaps successfully loaded.

Load Menu
Load new menus, toolbars and hot-keys

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LoadMenu

By default, AllyCAD's menus, icons and accelerator keys are defined

in a file called CAD.MEN. While you can customize CAD.MEN, you
can also create completely separate menu systems. These should
have exactly the same format as CAD.MEN, and be saved as files
with .men extensions.
Load Menu allows you to swap between alternative menu systems.

Procedure
A standard Windows file dialog box headed Menu to load is displayed.
The file list contains the default AllyCAD menu file, CAD.MEN, and
any other menu files you may have created or installed.
Once you have selected the menu to load the menu bar is updated to
display it. This does not affect any drawing you may have on the
screen at the time.
See Also
Menu

1-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Load Title Block
Insert a title block or border into your drawing at the correct scale.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

exec ".\macro\loadtitl"

You should create a title block drawing for each paper size you are
likely to use in Cartesian coordinates at a scale of 1:1. You can
include bitmaps of company logos, etc. When you have drawn the
title block, select it by dragging a rectangle around it and group it
into an object. Then save your title block drawing.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Select the title
block drawing you want to use and click on Open.
The title block is placed on your drawing at the correct scale.

File Menu 1-19

Save
Save your drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + S FileSave
Shift + F12

If you have never saved the drawing you are working on before, Save
will operate in exactly the same way as File ► Save As.
If you have saved the drawing before, this function will save your
drawing under the filename you saved it under previously. In this
case, you will not see anything happening other than that the hard
drive light on your PC will come on while the drawing is being saved.

1-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Save As
Save drawing as an AllyCAD DRG file, an AutoCAD DWG or DXF file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File F12 FileSaveAs

This function saves drawings as AllyCAD files (DRG files), AutoCAD

release 12, 13, 14, 2000, 2002 or 2004-2006 files (DWG files), or
DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) files.

DXF is the AutoCAD Drawing Exchange File format and AutoCAD's

DXF is the standard. AllyCAD's DXF is designed to read and write
this standard. Success of transfer between AllyCAD and other CAD
programs depends on whether those programs can read and write
standard DXF files correctly.

If you are saving a drawing as a DWG or DXF file, you can control
which version of AutoCAD the DWG or DXF file should be compatible
with in the To DXF/DWG Conversion Settings dialog box. You can
also specify which fonts to use in AutoCAD or in the DXF file in the
same dialog. The line styles are defined in the LINETYPE.MAC file.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Choose the type
of file you want to save (DRG, DWG or DXF) in the Save as type list
and choose the drive and directory that you want to save your
drawing to. Then type a name for the drawing and click on Save.

If a drawing with the file name you have chosen already exists, you
will be warned and will have the option of canceling the save.

Saving an AutoCAD DWG file or a DXF file

If you are saving an AutoCAD DWG file or a DXF file, the following
prompt will be displayed:
Write everything (else just selected)

To save the whole drawing as a DWG or DXF file, click on the YES
button. To just save those items on the drawing that are selected,
click on the NO button.

File Menu 1-21

DWG Export Wizard
AllyCAD If the “Enable DWG Wizard” is checked in the “Defaults” tab
of your “System Settings”.

Go to the File menu select “Save As” and when the Save File Dialog
appears select either the “AutoCAD DWG” or “AutoCAD DXF” from
file type combo box.

Type in a new file name in the “File name:” edit box or leave the
default name which should be <AllyCAD file name>.dwg.

For a Southern Hemisphere you don’t have to negate your drawing

origin coordinates and change your coordinate system setting to
Northern Hemisphere in the drawing defaults as the export wizard
does this automatically for you.

Click on “Save” and the DWG Export Wizard appears:

The first page of the
DWG Export Wizard
allows you to set the
DXF/DWG target
version, and pen
mappings of the
dwg/dxf drawing you
are exporting.

1-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 The second page of the
DWG Export Wizard
allows you to set the
font mappings of the
dwg/dxf drawing you
are exporting.

Click the “Next” button to access the next page of the wizard and the
“Back” button to retrieve the previous page and “Finish” once you
have completed the process. The drawing will be written as a dxf/
dwg and when the process is complete the following message will
appear:

Pen colours
AllyCAD pen numbers are identical to AutoCAD pen numbers. If the
colours are different click on the [Pen] button on the Control Bar and
set the AutoCAD Colors option.

Fonts
As AllyCAD uses a standard Windows font system and earlier
versions of AutoCAD do not, you need to convert AllyCAD's fonts to
AutoCAD equivalents. You do this in the DXF/DWG Conversion
Settings dialog box.
If the fonts you want to convert to or from do not appear in the list of
fonts in DXF/DWG Conversion Settings, you can add further fonts
by reading the CAD.INI file in your User Home directory into a word
processor and adding the required font names to the existing listing.

File Menu 1-23

Line Types
By default, AllyCAD line types should appear correctly in DWG and
DXF files. The AllyCAD line types are defined in the LINETYPE.MAC
file.

Bitmaps
Older versions of AutoCAD do not support bitmaps. AllyCAD 3.5
supports clipped and rotated bitmap export to AutoCAD.

Scales
If you have layers at different magnifications on your drawing,
AutoCAD may crash when the DXF or DWG file is loaded into it.

Saving an AllyCAD DRG file

When you save an AllyCAD drawing, a backup copy of the drawing,
with the extension .BAK is automatically made. This copy is stored in
the same directory that the drawing is saved in.
When you save a drawing that contains a bitmap, the bitmap is not
stored in the drawing. Only a reference to the bitmap is stored. It is
therefore important that you do not delete the bitmap. If you delete
the bitmap or move it to another directory, an error message will
appear next time you try to load any drawings containing the bitmap.

Save As does not automatically save geometry unless you have

specified that it should do so in File ► Save Options ► Save Settings.
You can also save your geometry lines using File ► Save Options ►
Save Geometry.

1-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The Drawing Description dialog box is only displayed if you have
checked Use Drawing Office Manager in File ► Save Options ► Save
Settings. It only appears the first time you save a drawing.
The information that you type into the box will be added to the
Drawing Office Manager, allowing you to keep track of the number of
hours you work on the drawing, the date you last plotted it etc.
You can type a Drawing Description, and the name and Department
of the Draftsperson.

If you need to change the Drawing Description, Draftsperson or

Department assigned to an existing drawing, use the function File ►
Save Options ► Edit Description.

The date the drawing was started is automatically entered into the
Date Started box in the order year, month, and day. It cannot be
edited. In the dialog box shown, the drawing was started in 1998
(1998), in June (06), on the fifteenth (15).
Similarly, you cannot edit the Last Plotted box. This box will
automatically be updated with the date each time you plot.

File Menu 1-25

Drawing Office Manager
The Drawing Office Manager (DOM for short) is active if you have
checked the Use Drawing Office Manager box in File  Save Options 
Save Settings.
It allows you to keep track of each drawing: its description; the
draftsperson drawing it; the department it is being drawn in; the
paper size, scale and units used; the number of hours spent on it;
the date it was last updated; the date it was last plotted; etc.
All this information is stored in an ASCII file called DOM.TXT every
time you save your drawing. DOM.TXT resides in your AllyCAD
directory and is updated each time you save a drawing. It can be
loaded into any database that reads a comma delimited ASCII file,
and can also be edited in any text editor such as Notepad or the DOS
Editor.
Each record in the file refers to a particular drawing and is stored on
a single line, with fields separated by commas. It looks something
like this (but all on one line):
“CONC2”,“\CHOICE\”,“C:”,“PAULUS”,“CONCRETE
RESERVOIR”,“”,“A1”,100,1000.0,“SOUTH”,2538.093,17971.3
96,“”,“200”,19880929,19880929,,,“”,“”,“”,“”,“”,“”,“EKKE”,,0.12,,,,,,,,,0
.033,,,,

All the fields that are included in the DOM are listed in the table
below, together with:
• The type of field (Type): Text (C); Numbers (N); Date (D).
• The number of characters allocated to the field (Len.).
• The number of decimals allocated to the field (Dec.).
• Whether the field is automatically filled in by AllyCAD.
Fields that are automatically filled in by AllyCAD are marked
with a *. You can fill in the non-automatic fields yourself using
any text editor, provided that each field is separated by commas
and that text character fields are enclosed in double quotes.

1-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Field Name Type Len Dec Auto Comments
FILE_NAME C 256 0 * Drawing name.
DIRECTORY C 256 0 * Directory drawing is stored in, e.g.
\Ally\.
DRIVE C 4 0 * Drive directory is on, e.g. C:.
DISK_VOL C 12 0 * Disk volume label.
DESCRIPTN C 40 0 * Drawing description entered
automatically from AllyCAD, e.g.
CONCRETE RESERVOIR.
MORE_DESCR C 40 0 You can type extra descriptive
information into this field if you wish.
PAPER_SIZE C 30 0 * Paper size, e.g. A1.
SCALE N 8 1 * Scale, e.g. 100. This would mean that
the scale was 1:100.
UNITS N 9 2 * Units, represented in mm. If the
drawing units are mm, this figure is 1; if
they are inches, this figure is 25.4; if
they are metres, this figure is 1000 etc.
COORD_SYS C 10 0 * Coordinate system. SOUTH for
Southern Hemisphere; NORTH for
Northern Hemisphere.
DRG_ORIG_Y N 12 3 * Y coordinate of drawing origin.
DRG_ORIG_X N 12 3 * X coordinate of drawing origin. If you
are using Cartesian coordinates, this is
0. If you are using Surveyor coordinates
it is the Surveyor Origin you enter into
the Drawing Settings dialog box in the
Settings Menu.
DEPARTMENT C 10 0 * Department responsible for the
drawing.
CHOI_VERSN C 6 0 * Version of AllyCAD used.
DATE_START D 8 0 * Date the drawing was started.
LASTUPDATE D 8 0 * Date the drawing was last updated.
LASTPLOT D 8 0 * Date the drawing was last plotted.
DATE_DUE D 8 0 Date the drawing is due to be finished.
CUSTOMER C 20 0 Customer.
JOB_NO C 20 0 Job Number.
CATEGORY C 10 0 Drawing category.
DRAWING_NO C 15 0 Drawing number.
DRG_NO_B C 15 0 Another drawing number.
STATUS C 5 0 Drawing Status
DRAUGHTSM1 C 10 0 Another Draughtsman
COST_HOUR N 7 2 Cost charged per hour of drawing.
TOT_TIME N 7 2 * Total time spent on drawing in decimal
hours, e.g. 0.5 is half an hour.
JAN N 6 2 * Time spent on drawing per month.
FEB N 6 2 *

File Menu 1-27

Field Name Type Len Dec Auto Comments
MAR N 6 2 *
APR N 6 2 *
MAY N 6 2 *
JUN N 6 2 *
JUL N 6 2 *
AUG N 6 2 *
SEP N 6 2 *
OCT N 6 2 *
NOV N 6 2 *
DEC N 6 2 *

See Also
Defaults, Line Types, DXF/DWG Conversion Settings, Open

1-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Save AllyCAD DOS
Saves a drawing in AllyCAD DOS format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

WriteDosAlly

This function is included for compatibility with the DOS version of

AllyCAD. The current version includes entities that are not supported
in the DOS version, so not all the primitives may be saved.
For example, you should explode all blocks and polylines before
saving an AllyCAD DOS file.

Procedure
The standard Windows dialog box named Save Drawing As pops up.
Type in a file name and click on the [Save] button.

File Menu 1-29

Save Options
Set the save options, change a drawing description, save selection
set, a specific layer, visible layers only, geometry.

Save Settings
Set options to schedule auto backups as well as what will be saved

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

AutoSaveDlg

The following dialog box is displayed:

Backup drawing every x minutes

If you check this box the drawing will be backed up automatically
after every x minutes. The backup will be stored in a file called
ABACKUP1.DRG after the previous backup has been copied to
ABACKUP2.DRG. This means that you will always have two backups
of your work - an older backup called ABACKUP2.DRG and a newer
backup called ABACKUP1.DRG.

Ask User Before Backing Up

If you check this box AllyCAD will warn you when it is about to
backup. When the warning appears, click on [OK] to backup, or on
[Cancel] to abort the backup.

Backup Path
Allows you to specify where AllyCAD will store the backup files. This
is particularly useful for network users, who may not be allowed to
store files in some parts of the system. When you enter Save Settings

1-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

for the first time, you MUST enter a backup path otherwise the
message "Invalid Backup Path" will be displayed when you click on
OK.
In the example below the backups will be saved to your drawing
directory:
c:\AllyCAD\drawing

Note there is no backslash at the end of the path.

Get Drawing Reference Point

If you check the "Get Drawing Reference Point" box, you will be
asked for a Drawing Reference Point if you save a drawing with
Cartesian coordinates.
The Drawing Reference Point is used to position the drawing if it is
later loaded into another drawing using Load Drawing in Load in the
File Menu.

Save Geometry with Each Drawing

Geometry lines are not automatically stored when you save a
drawing unless you have checked the "Save Geometry with each
drawing" box. If you check this box a file with the same name as the
drawing but with a .geo extension will be created every time you
save. This file will contain the geometry you have put on the drawing.

If you do not check this box you can save geometry when you want
to, using the File ► Save Options ► Save Geometry function. Also if this
option is not checked the .geo file (if one exists) will not
automatically load with the drawing.

Use Drawing Office Manager

If you check this option, the Drawing Office Manager file will be
updated each time you save.
See Also
Drawing Office Manager

File Menu 1-31

Edit Description
Edit the drawing description, draftsman or department or view the statistics
of the drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Descrip

This description will originally have been determined when you first
saved the drawing as described in Save As. The corresponding fields
in the Drawing Office Manager file will be updated automatically.

Procedure
The Drawing Description dialog box is displayed. Edit the entries you
want to change. You can also view drawing statistics by clicking on
the following buttons:

Entity Statistics
Entity Statistics displays the number of primitives, objects and
layers on your drawing. It also shows the number of blocks
(including unreferenced blocks) and the number of block inserts.
Blocks and block inserts are only relevant to drawings that have
been imported from AutoCAD.

Block Statistics
This button is only relevant to drawings that have been imported
from AutoCAD. It displays statistics about AutoCAD blocks hidden
within the drawing structure. The numbers of different primitives
shown are not the numbers of primitives on the drawing but the
number of primitives contained within the AutoCAD blocks, some or
all of which may be un-referenced. The insert figure shows the
number of blocks inserts. The reason why there may seem to be a lot
of AllyCAD objects among the blocks is that AllyCAD automatically
gives each block an object name.
If you use File ► Purge Redundant Elements the number of blocks shown
will probably decrease dramatically, as will the file size of your
drawing. If you use Objects ► Explode Objects to explode all the block
inserts on the drawing, all the blocks will become de-referenced and
can be removed using Purge Redundant Elements.

1-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Save Selected
Saves the selection set to a separate drawing file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StoreWS

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives you want to save.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Type a name for
the selection set and click on Save.

Save Layer
This function is used to save an individual layer of a drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StoreLay

Here you can save a specific layer as a separate drawing.

Procedure

File Menu 1-33

Select the layer you want to save by clicking on its name with your
mouse. Then click on OK. The standard Windows file dialog box is
displayed. A default file name will have been assigned to the file. This
name (which can be overtyped) will be a combination of drawing
name - layer - layername.

Save Visible
Saves all the visible layers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StoreVis

The visible layers are set in Settings ► Set Visible Layers or Settings ►
Layer Control.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Type a name for
the drawing containing the visible layers then click on the [Save]
button.

Save Geometry
Saves your geometry lines

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StoreGeom

Unless you have checked the Save Geometry with each drawing box
in the Save Settings dialog box (see earlier in this section), your
geometry lines will not automatically be saved when you save your
drawing.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Type a name for
the geometry file then click on Save. Geometry files are saved with a
".geo" extension.

1-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Load Symbol File
Load a symbol file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main NewSymFl

Before you can use a symbol, you must use File ► Load Symbol File to
load the symbol file containing the symbol. A symbol file is just a
drawing - any drawing - that contains a symbol or object that you
want to use again. A symbol library is the same as a symbol file.
The terms symbol file and symbol library are usually used to mean a
drawing that contains only standard parts like doors or nuts or
electrical components.

A symbol is the same as an object, but the term symbol is usually

used to mean a standard part in a symbol library.
See Drawing Structure in the User Guide for full details about
objects, symbols and symbol files.

Procedure
Method1:
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Select the symbol
file containing the symbol you need and click on Open.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Do you want symbols to be absolute (else to scale)

Suppose that the symbol file you are loading was drawn at a scale of
1:1. The symbol you want to use is a square with sides 10mm long. If
you dimension the square in the symbol file, the dimension will read
"10". If you print the square out on paper and measure its sides, they
will measure 10mm long.
Symbol drawn at a scale of 1:1

10

Dimensions read 10mm

Measures 10mm on paper

File Menu 1-35

Suppose that you are now working on a drawing at a scale of 1:10
and you choose Absolute. You load the square into the drawing as a
symbol. If you dimension the square, the dimension will read "100".
However if you print the square out on paper and measure its sides,
they will still measure 10mm long. The absolute size of the square
has not changed.
Symbol loaded into a drawing of scale
1:10 using Absolute
100

Dimensions read 100mm

Measures 10mm on paper

Suppose that you are now working on a drawing at a scale of 1:10

and you choose To Scale. You load the square into the drawing as a
symbol. If you dimension the square, the dimension will read 10.
However if you print the square out on paper and measure its sides,
they will now measure 1mm long. The square has been scaled so
that what measured 10mm when it was drawn at 1:1 in the symbol
library still measures 10mm at 1:10.
Symbol loaded into a drawing of scale
1:10, using To Scale

10

Dimensions read 10mm

Measures 1mm on paper

Click on the YES button to choose absolute or on the NO button to

choose to scale.
Convert attributes to text during load?

If you click on the YES button, any attributes attached to the

symbols you want to insert will be written as text next to the
symbols. If you click on the NO button, the attributes will remain
invisible. If you are going to produce a bill of materials you MUST
answer NO to this question.
Although you will not see anything happening, the symbol file will be
loaded and is now in memory ready for use. Place a symbol on the
drawing using Draw ► Symbol. This provides further scaling options.

1-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Method2:

To invoke the symbol tree go to the menu Toolkit ► Architectural ► Setup

as shown below:

In the edit box labeled “Symbol file path” click on the browse button
and browse to the symbol directory (this usually lies in the
AllyCAD root directory).
c:\AllyCAD\Symbols

Then go to the Windows menu and click on the option Toggle Legend
Window if the legend window has not already appeared. The symbol
tree will appear in the legend window (as shown below). To load the
symbol files follow the instructions given below:
Click on the + sign to expand the
directory branch of the symbol
tree otherwise click on the – sign
to contract the directory branch.
To load a symbol file click on the
symbol file in the symbol tree
and the symbol control bar will
appear. Click on the “View”
button to view and select a
symbol. For more information
see the notes in Draw ► Symbol…
section of this document.

The symbol file will always be loaded with the to scale option using
the symbol tree, there is no option to load the symbol absolute
using this method.

File Menu 1-37

Import/Export
Import or export an ASCII file, import an HPGL file, export a drawing
as a macro.

Import HPGL
Convert a HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language or plot) file into an
AllyCAD drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ImportExp “H”

Before you import an HPGL file, your drawing must be empty. If

there is already a drawing on your screen, save it and then delete it
using the File ► Clear All function. If your drawing memory is not
empty, the warning message
You are only allowed to import DXF and HPGL into an empty
drawing!

will be displayed on the screen.

HPGL files do not contain scale information so you must set the scale
and paper size before you import the file using the Settings ► Drawing
Settings option.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Select the HPGL
file you want to convert and click on Open. The progress bar is
updated to display progress as the HPGL commands are translated
and the drawing will be displayed on the screen.

Troubleshooting
If you cannot see the drawing after the conversion try the following:
• Use View ► Zoom All to locate the drawing. Change the scale of the
drawing using Settings ► Drawing Settings. If the text and
dimension sizes are now unacceptably large, reconvert the HPGL
file using the new scale.
• Check the All Visible option in Settings ► Layer Control to ensure
that all the layers on the drawing are displayed.
The file comes in at the top right of the screen. This is normal and
occurs on HPGL files written for large (A0 and A1) plotters. Use the

1-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Settings ► Re-Centre Paper function to reposition the paper around the
drawing.
The coordinates in an HPGL file are only accurate to plotter units
(0.025mm on the final plot). A drawing at a scale of 1:1000 would
therefore contain inaccuracies in the order of 25mm after being
imported as an HPGL file. If you need accurate coordinate transfers,
you should import drawings as DWG or DXF files.
Before importing the HPGL file, copy it onto your hard disk. You
should also ensure that there is enough space on your hard disk for
the converted file

Import ASCII
Import text from an ASCII file into the current drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ImportExp “A”

The appearance of the text once it has been imported is determined

by the settings in the Settings ► Set Text Defaults dialog box.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Select the ASCII
file you want to convert, then click on Open. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter position textblock should start

Position the cursor on the drawing at the position where the text
should appear and press [Enter] or click. The ASCII file will be
imported and the text will appear.
The text label origin will determine where the text will be placed in
relation to the cursor position you specify. For example, if you are
using label origin 1, the text will appear above and to the right of the
cursor position. If you are using label origin 3, the text will appear
below and to the right of the cursor position. If you are using label
origin 7, the text will be displayed above and to the left of the label
origin, etc.

You can also import text by pasting it in from another Windows

application using the Edit ► Paste function.

File Menu 1-39

Import ShapeFile
Import data from an ArcView SHP file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ReadShapeFile

This option imports points, lines and polylines from an

ArcInfo/ArcView SHP file.
Each entity type will be in a separate file. The imported entities will
be drawn in the current pen, line type and layer. By changing these
settings before importing the data you can separate the different GIS
themes into layers. Long polylines or polygons will be broken up into
segments of 2100 vertices or less due to memory constraints.

Export Macro
Creates a macro file from a drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ImportExp “M”

The macro file can be edited, and read back into AllyCAD using
File ► Exec Macro.

Procedure
AllyCAD prompts:
Write all layers? (else just visible layers)

If you want the contents of all the layers of your drawing to be

written to the macro, click on the [Yes] button. If you just want the
contents of the visible layers to be written to the macro, click on the
[No] button.
AllyCAD then prompts:
Names of objects to write to macro file (‘* *’ for all
objects)

If you want your entire drawing to be exported, type "* *". Click on
the [OK] button or press [Enter]. Alternatively, you can select which
objects you want to have written to the macro by typing an object
name into the Control Bar.
You can type the full object name, e.g. BUILDING WINDOW, in which
case all objects with the name BUILDING WINDOW will be written to

1-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

the macro file. You can also use wildcards. For example, if you type
‘BUILDING *’ all objects with the parent name BUILDING will be
written to the macro, irrespective of their object names. If you type ‘*
WINDOW’ all objects with the name WINDOW will be written to the
macro, irrespective of their parent names. Once you have selected
which objects you want written to the macro file, click on the [OK]
button or press [Enter].
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Enter a name for
the macro file and click on the [OK] button. The message "Writing
Macro File" will appear in the Prompt Area. When the macro file has
been written, an information box telling you that the macro file has
been written appears. Click on [OK].

Export Text
Exports text from the current drawing as an ASCII file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ImportExp “T”

If text is not horizontal it will not transfer properly.

You can also export text by using the Edit ► Cut or Edit ► Copy
functions to copy text onto the Clipboard, from where it can be
pasted into other Windows applications.

Procedure
The standard Windows file dialog box is displayed. Type a name for
your ASCII file, then click on OK.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enclose text that should go to file

Draw a polygon around the text you want to export into the ASCII
file. Once you have enclosed the text, AllyCAD will write the ASCII
file. When it has written it, the message
Text File Written

will appear in the prompt area. All text items at the same horizontal
position will be combined in the same line of the ASCII file with
spaces separating the items.
If you have enclosed several pieces of text in the polygon, the order in
which these will appear in the ASCII file is dependent on their
position in the drawing. The topmost text item will be transferred to
the file first, followed by the second top-most item, etc.

File Menu 1-41

Export ShapeFile
Export drawing data in the ArcView SHP file format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

WriteShapeFile
This function exports the point, line and polyline entities in a
drawing into three SHP files, one for each entity type.

Procedure
The standard Windows File Save dialog is displayed. Specify a file
ame and click on the [OK] button.

The CAD will now prompt:

Transform all, visible or selected (A/V/S)

Type your selection into the edit box and click on the  button. The
drawing entities will be exported as three SHP files:
• ****_Point.SHP
• ****_Lines.SHP
• ****_Poly.SHP
where **** is the specified export file name.

1-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Print
Print or plot a drawing, or create an HPGL file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + P HardCopy
Ctrl + Shift + F12

Both printers and inkjet plotters are referred to as printers, and

printing refers to both printing and plotting.
If you are outputting to a pen plotter, you should use one of the
plotter fonts, Modern, Roman or Script for your text and dimensions.
If you use any other font on your drawing it will be converted for the
plotter but all your text will be plotted horizontally, regardless of its
orientation on the drawing.
You can only output bitmaps to raster devices such as printers and
inkjet plotters.
The standard Print dialog is displayed. Select the destination printer
and click on OK. The Printer Defaults dialog box is displayed. Set up
the printer profile and click on OK.
The message
Busy printing

is displayed while your drawing is printed or plotted. If you are

printing to a pen plotter and you specified a maximum pen greater
than the number of pens your pen plotter driver provides for, you will
get the message
Change Pens in Plotter

Change the pens and click on OK.

File Menu 1-43

Printer Defaults

X Offset and Y Offset

The X and Y offset boxes allow you to offset the drawing on the
paper. The offset is measured in mm. The X offset box displaces the
drawing to the right if a positive value is input, and to the left if a
negative value is input. The Y offset box displaces the drawing
downwards if a positive value is input and upwards if a negative
value is input.

Minimum and Maximum Pen

This option is only available if you are printing to a pen plotter.
The minimum and maximum pen boxes allow you to specify the
range of colours that will be used when you are outputting to a
plotter. The minimum pen is 1 and the maximum pen is 15.
If you are using a plotter with less than 15 pens, for example if your
plotter has six pens, but you have used more than the first six
colours in the Colour toolbar, you should specify minimum and
maximum pens 1 and 15. If you do not, the parts of your drawing
drawn with other colours will not be plotted.

Use Plotter Arcs / Print Arcs as Lines

If the Use Plotter Arcs option is selected, AllyCAD will use the printer
driver to print arcs.

1-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If the Print Arcs as Lines option is selected, AllyCAD will plot arcs
made out of very small lines. This option must be used if no arcs
appear when you try to print, or if arcs are printed as a series of
chords.

All Colours to Black

If your printer prints colours as different shades of gray, or if some
colours are printed very faintly, check this option. All colours will
then be printed as black.

Pen Mappings
This function allows you to map the first 15 colours on the screen to
a different line width and colour on the printer. For example you
could make red lines print at 0.13 mm, green lines print at 0.18 mm
etc.

The pens are listed on the left hand side of the box and are
numbered from 1 to 255. Click on a pen you want to assign a width
to. The pen's number appears in the Edit part of the dialog box. Type
a width into the white part of the dialog box. Widths are measured in
mm.
Click on the [Color] button on the right of the list to map the pen to
another colour
Then click on another pen you want to assign a width to. The width
associated with the first pen you edited appears next to that pen's
number in the dialog box, and the second pen's number appears in
the Edit area. Assign a width to the second pen and repeat until you
have assigned a width to each pen. Then click on OK.

File Menu 1-45

Pen mappings only affect those lines with a width of 0. For example,
if you map the red pen to print at 0.3 mm, and there is a red line on
the drawing that you have given a width of 0.7 mm using the Line
Defaults dialog box, then that red line will print at 0.7 mm even
though you have mapped the red pen to print at 0.3 mm.
This function is very useful for thickening dimension witness lines
that often print very faintly on modern high-resolution inkjet
printers. To thicken witness lines, set aside one colour and draw all
your witness lines in that colour. Then map that colour to the
desired thickness.

Printing to a pen plotter

If you are using a pen plotter and the pen colours have been set in
the plotter driver, the plotter driver tries to map the AllyCAD colours
to the closest pen colour.
We recommend that you draw a line on the screen in each AllyCAD
pen and print it. The way that the screen colours are output on
paper depends on the way that these colours are set up in your
printer driver.

Creating an HPGL file

To create a plotfile or a HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language)
file do the following:
1. Install a HP plotter driver
2. Connect the plotter to the FILE port
3. Print to the plotter. You will be given the opportunity to specify
the name of the plotfile.

1-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Zoom Print
Print a selected part of your drawing at a selected scale.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File ZoomPlot

Procedure
The standard Print dialog box is displayed. Select the printer, set up
the paper size and click on OK.
The program reads the paper size and orientation of your output
device. This may be different from the paper size and orientation of
your drawing.
For example, you may be doing a rough print of all or part of an A1
drawing on an A4 printer, prior to producing a final plot. A pink
dotted rectangle representing the paper size and orientation of your
output device appears on the screen.
AllyCAD will lead you through the sequence of events illustrated on
the following page. Thereafter you will be able to set the Print
Defaults as described in the previous section.
If you have rotated your print the message
Transforming plot back again

will be displayed. Click on OK.

Your drawing will return to the orientation it was at prior to rotation.

File Menu 1-47

 Plot to fit (else at exact scale)

YES NO

Enter border in mm Enter scale to plot at

Typ e th e wid th of th e b or d er Th e cu r r en t d r awin g scale is
you wa n t ar ou n d you r d isp layed . T yp e a n oth er
d r awin g an d p r ess [E n ter ]. scale if r equ ir ed .

Enter centre of zoom box

A gr ay b ox wh ich r ep r esen t s
th e ar ea of th e d r awin g th at
will b e p r in ted is d isp la yed .
Move th e b ox to th e ar ea you
wan t to p r in t a n d click or
p r ess [E n ter ].

NO Would you like to rotate

plot?

YES

Enter angle from keyboard

(else drag with cursor)

NO YES

Drag till rotate satisfactory Enter rotation angle

Move th e cu r sor to r otate th e Typ e th e exa ct a n gle of
b ox an d th en click or p r ess r otation a n d [E n ter ].
[E n ter ]. Rem em b er th at th e a n gle is
m easu r ed an ti-clockwise.

NO
Satisfied with zoom?

YES

Enter point for compass insertion

[Space bar for no compass]
P r ess th e [S p ace B ar ] if you d o n ot
wan t a n or th p oin tin g com p ass. If you
d o wan t a com p ass click at th e
d esir ed p osition .

Start Printing

1-48 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Print Setup
Change output device or orientation.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

PrintSetup

The standard Windows Print Setup dialog box is displayed.

Select the destination printer and use the Properties button to adjust
the paper orientation and other printer settings.

File Menu 1-49

Exec Macro
Execute an AllyCAD macro.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Exec

Selected a macro and click on Open. The macro is executed. You can
abort a macro at any time by pressing [Esc].

Encode Macro
Encode a macro so the code cannot be seen, edited or copied

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Encode

Select the macro you want to encode and click on OK. AllyCAD then
prompts:
Enter serial number to encode macro for

Macros encoded for "0" will run on any copy of AllyCAD. Macros
encoded for a particular serial number will only run on a copy of
AllyCAD with that serial number. Type in a serial number and press
[Enter] or click on [OK].
You must now save the encoded macro to another file name. The
macro will be encoded and the message "Encoded macro written" will
appear.

Take care not to overwrite the un-encoded version of your macro!

Edit Macro
Open and edit a macro

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EdMacro

AllyCAD will open the editor that you have selected in

Settings ► System Settings. (The default editor is Notepad).
Edit the macro, then save it. Alternatively, save it to a new file name
if you are unsure that the changes you have made are correct.

1-50 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Repair DRG File
Fix a corrupted drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Repair

Examples of corrupted drawings are those on which you get

messages like:
FP Error
Application Error
This Program has performed an Illegal Operation
Object too long
Object extends off the edge of the world
MainCAD caused a General Protection Fault

or drawings that simply won't load at all. Sometimes AllyCAD will

warn you that it has detected a corrupted drawing.
Before you run Repair, save the drawing if you can and if you have
not already done so. Try to save it under a different name from the
name it was previously saved under.

Procedure
Select File ► Clear All. Then use the File ► Repair DRG File function to
select the drawing that is faulty and click on OK. If the drawing can
be fixed it is eventually displayed on the screen and AllyCAD
prompts:
Repair Successful! Delete temp macro file?

Repair works by taking the corrupted drawing file and converting it

into an AllyCAD macro. During this conversion it detects and
removes any errors. It then executes the macro, causing the drawing
to appear on the screen. If the drawing has been repaired, click on
the YES button.
If Repair was unable to fix the drawing, copy it onto a floppy disk
and send it to:
Knowledge Base
P O Box 610
Constantia 7848
South Africa
or E-mail it to:
[email protected]
with a brief explanation of what has happened.

File Menu 1-51

Purge Redundant Elements
Delete duplicate entities, unreferenced blocks and unused layers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Purge

Drawings that load and redraw very slowly almost always have one of
the following problems:
• Large numbers of invisible unreferenced AutoCAD blocks
This will only be the case if all or part of a drawing has been
imported as a DXF or DWG file.
• Entities that have been duplicated
Sometimes entities have been duplicated hundreds of times. In
this case you may find other problems with the drawing, for
example deleted entities may seem to reappear!
This function can solve both these problems by removing duplicate
entities, unreferenced blocks and unused layers.

Procedure
AllyCAD prompts:
Remove duplicate entities?

If you want to delete duplicate entities, click on the YES button.

AllyCAD will prompt:
Remove unreferenced blocks?

If you want to delete unreferenced blocks, click on the YES button.

This has the same effect as the Purge command in AutoCAD.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Remove unreferenced layers?

If you want to delete layers with nothing on them, click on the YES
button.
AllyCAD will go through the drawing. It will tell you what it has
removed. Large drawings may take quite a while to purge.

AllyCAD will only remove entities that have been duplicated on the
same layer.

1-52 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Security
Set up the security for AllyCAD.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

cyAuthorize

When you first install your copy of AllyCAD, it will allocate a 7 day
trial license, allowing you to run the full program for 7 days. During
this time you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent
authorization code.
Your program can be protected in the following ways:

1) Hardware Lock (Dongles)

Two types of hardware lock are supported.
a) Hasp key (white)
b) Net Hasp key (red)

2) Crypkey software protection

(Includes 30 day trial licence issued automatically at install time)

Terminology
Driver A software component required to communicate between the
dongle and AllyCAD
Server A central computer with a Net Hasp dongle attached. The server
is attached to the client’s by a network.
Client A computer that does not need a dongle itself, but must be
networked to a server.
Crypkey driver A software component needed to communicate between the
Crypkey security system and AllyCAD.

How do I tell what type of protection I have

If your dealer supplied you with a dongle (hardware lock about the
size of a box of matches), then you can identify the type from its
colour and the writing on it. The dongles all have a 5-letter code in
the bottom left corner of their label. Hasp dongles will have one of the
codes
OYEEX
AQXWY
OZCCZ
WQEGC

File Menu 1-53

While Net Hasp dongles will have one of these codes
GATWT
AREMB
CYOOO
EMOEC
MGXAD

If your dongle does not have one of these codes then it is NOT an
AllyCAD dongle.

Old Black Dongles

AllyCAD no longer supports these older types of dongles (Unikey and
Activator). If you currently have one of these dongles you will need to
upgrade to a Hasp dongle.

Single user and Network (floating) licensing

Knowledge Base can supply you with either single user licenses (one
per machine) or floating licenses (issued from a central network
server).
Normal Hasp keys (white) are for single user licensing, Net Hasp keys
(red) are for floating licenses.
By default our security system does not check for Network dongles
(as this can take time when the program first starts up). Thus if you
are using a network dongle you need to tell AllyCAD to check it by
selecting File ► Security ► Check Network Dongles, and then giving “1” as
the answer to the question
Enable Network Security?

Do I need to do anything to enable security

We try to automate as much as possible during AllyCAD installation.
However, if you are running on NT, or running a network license (Net
HASP), then you might need to install the network dongle on a
machine on the network, and/or run a network security server
program.

Obtaining Permanent Authorization

After AllyCAD has issued you your 7-day trial license, you must
obtain permanent authorization from Knowledge Base. You must do
this for the Hasp security. Select File ► Security ► Authorize and
AllyCAD will show a dialog box with a site key. Phone, fax or email us
with the site key, and we will reply with an authorization code that
will permanently enable AllyCAD.

1-54 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If you phone us you must keep the dialog box open till we respond
with your site key, as the codes change every time you pop up the
authorize dialog box.
Alternatively you can press the Save Button on the authorize dialog
box which will save a file called AUTHORIZE.TXT into your
\$KBSEC$ directory. Email or fax this file to us and we will then
reply with your site key. Pressing Save allows you to close the dialog
box, and will ensure that authorize keeps the same codes the next
time (and only the next time) it is opened.
Our contact numbers are:
Tel + 27 (21) 701-1850
(between 8h00 and 17h00 CAT GMT + 2h00)
Fax + 27 (21) 701-1822
email [email protected]

Files and Registry settings used by Security

All Knowledge Base products keep encrypted information about
security in a directory called \$KBSEC$, which is usually on your
root drive, or the same drive that you installed AllyCAD on, or on
your windows drive. Do not delete or move these files as this will
destroy your security, and disable AllyCAD and other Knowledge
Base products.
AllyCAD uses the following registry settings for security.
Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Knowledge Base\Security

Values
CheckNetworkDongles 0 or 1 depending on whether to check the network
dongles or not
SecurityHome c:\$kbsec$ (location of security files)
Program7 110 (last type of security found)

File Menu 1-55

Hasp Dongle Overview
A dongle is a device approximately the size of a box of matches, and
plugs into your parallel (or printer) port at the back of your
computer. The dongle must be plugged in whenever you run
AllyCAD. Without it, the program will refuse to operate. It is
suggested that you plug the dongle into your machine before
beginning the installation process.
As well as the physical hardware dongle, a software driver is required
to communicate with the dongle. The driver is installed automatically
during the AllyCAD installation process.
There are two types of Hasp dongles:
• MemoHasp
Single-user dongle. The colour is white.
• NetHasp
Network dongle enabling multiple users on one dongle. The
colour is red.

NetHasp
The NetHasp dongle need only be plugged into your server when you
run AllyCAD. The server will be licensed to allow a limited number of
copies of AllyCAD to run on different client computers
simultaneously. The server can be a computer running Windows 95,
Windows NT, or Novell NetWare.

Hasp Driver
As well as the physical hardware dongle, a software driver is required
to communicate with the dongle. The driver should be installed
automatically during the AllyCAD installation process.
During installation, you may get the error:
HASP Hardware lock Installation failed.

This indicates that there was a problem installing the driver. You
must then install it manually.

Installing the Hasp Driver Manually

Click on the Windows Start button.
In the group where you installed AllyCAD (by default ALLYCAD32) ,
there is a “Security Tools” section. Click on “Hasp Install”

1-56 AllyCAD Reference Manual

A message should appear indicating that the HASP driver installation
has succeeded. If it reports that the installation failed, then you
should contact your dealer or technical support number. If you are
running Windows 95, then you will need to restart your computer. If
you are running Windows NT, then a restart is not necessary.

Client Installation
From your workstation use Windows Explorer to access the network
server. Find the directory where AllyCAD is installed (by default
ALLYCAD32) and the program NETSET.EXE. Run NetSet.exe. This
will adjust the “program home” setting for AllyCAD in the registry on
your client machine to point to the location of AllyCAD on the server,
and will add a new group to your Start menu called AllyCADNet.

Server Installation
AllyCAD must first be fully installed on the server. Before any clients
can run AllyCAD, the Hasp Security Server must be run on the
server. Go to Start ► ALLYCAD32 ► Security Tools. The Hasp Security
Server contains online help.

File Menu 1-57

Exit
Quit AllyCAD.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Quit

This function quits AllyCAD.

1-58 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Notes:

File Menu 1-59

Edit Menu
The Edit Menu contains functions to select,
delete, cut, paste and move objects from the
back to the front and vice versa.

Edit Menu 2-1

Undo
Undo previous commands.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + Z Undo
Alt + Backspace

Undo undoes the last thing you did, whether rubbing out, moving
something, or drawing a line etc. For example, suppose you:
1. Draw a line.
2. Draw a circle.
3. Move the line and circle from point a to point b.
4. Rub out the line and circle.
When you click on Undo, the rubbed out line and circle will re-
appear. If you click on Undo again, the line and circle will be moved
back from point b to point a. If you click on Undo a third time, the
circle will disappear. If you click on Undo a fourth time, the line will
disappear.
Undo will undo the last 1000 objects that have been changed. This is
not the same as the last 1000 operations. For example, if you moved
100 objects at once and then undid the move, you would have used
up 100 of the 1000 undoes even though you had only undone one
move.
If you Undo something by accident, you can replace it using the Redo
function.

Undo will not undo geometry or changes made by the

Objects ► Update Objects function. It will partially undo detailed views
created by the Tools ► Expand function.

Redo
Re-instate things that have been undone

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Redo

Redo redoes what has been undone using Undo.

2-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Cut
Delete selected items and place them on the Clipboard

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + X Cut
Shift + Delete

Cut deletes selected items, which are placed on the Clipboard in

three formats: AllyCAD, Windows BMP and Windows Metafile. These
items can then be pasted back into AllyCAD or into another Windows
application using that application's Paste command.
Before you use Cut, you must select the items you want to cut using
Select or the Selection Filters. If you have not selected anything, the
Cut command will appear grayed out on the Edit Menu and you will
not be able to use it.

The difference between Cut and Delete is that Cut sends deleted
items to the Clipboard, and Delete does not.

Copy
Copy selected items to the Clipboard

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + C Copy
Ctrl + Insert

The Copy command is exactly the same as the Cut command, except
that selected items are not deleted. Rather, a copy of them is made
and this copy is placed on the Clipboard, from where it can be pasted
into AllyCAD or into other applications.

Edit Menu 2-3

Paste
Paste text and graphics into the drawing from the Clipboard.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Ctrl + V Paste
Shift + Insert

Before you can paste, you must have cut or copied something to the
Clipboard from AllyCAD or another program. If there is nothing in
the Clipboard to be pasted, the Paste command will inactive and be
grayed out on the Edit menu.

Procedure
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter paste position

Position the cursor where you want the contents of the Clipboard to
appear on the screen. If you are pasting graphics, or a mixture of text
and graphics, the top left hand corner of the contents of the
Clipboard will be placed at the cursor position you specify.
If you are pasting text only, where the text appears relative to the
cursor position will depend on the text label origin that is set at the
time of pasting. For example, if the text label origin is 1, the text will
be placed above and to the right of the cursor position.
Once you have positioned the cursor, click or press [Enter]. The
contents of the Clipboard will be pasted into AllyCAD.
• The colour, font, size etc. of text that is pasted into AllyCAD is
determined by the text defaults at the time of pasting. See Set
Text Defaults.
• When pasting in drawings on several layers that have been Cut
or Copied from another AllyCAD drawing, the layers will appear
as follows. If the layers that the items were cut or copied from
exist in the drawing the items are being pasted into, they are
pasted to the correct layers. If the layers that the items were cut
or copied from do not exist in the drawing the items are being
pasted into, they are pasted to the current layer.

Bitmaps cannot be pasted into AllyCAD. To load a bitmap, use

File ► Load Options ► Load Bitmap.

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Delete
Delete selected items but do not place them on the Clipboard.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File Del DelSelect

Unlike the Cut function, deleted entities are not placed on the
Clipboard. Before you use the Delete command, you must select the
primitives you want to delete using the Select or Selection Filters
commands.
If nothing is selected you will automatically enter the Select function.
Select the primitives you want to delete.
Press the [Space Bar] or click on Done. The selected primitives will be
deleted.

If you delete something by accident, you can replace it using the

Undo function.

Edit Menu 2-5

Select
Select items for editing or modification

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File SelectNodes 0

The Select function is active whenever the cursor is arrow-shaped.

Selected items are termed the selection set, and may be edited,
moved, mirrored, scaled, copied, rotated, deleted etc, using functions
in the Modify menu and the Edit menu. They can also be nudged by
precise increments using the arrow keys. See Accurate Drawing in
the User Guide.
Once selected using the Select cursor, eight handles and a Rotate
icon appear around the selection set.
Rotate Icon

Handle

This cursor is called the Select cursor and it can be used for the
following.
• To select items.
• To scale or stretch the selection set with the handles.
• To rotate the selection set with the rotate icon.
• To drag and to copy the selection set.
• To edit line style, text, dimensions, arrows and bitmap
parameters.

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Selecting
The Selection Filters and Select Nodes functions offer additional
methods of selection.

Selecting single primitives

Select a single primitive (line, arc, piece of text, dimension, arrow
etc.) by clicking on it with the Select cursor. The primitive will
become highlighted and handles will appear around it.
To add a single primitive to a group of items that have already been
selected, press [SHIFT] and click on the primitive at the same time.

If you are having difficulty selecting a dimension, check that the

selection filters do not exclude dimensions.

Sometimes primitives have been grouped so that when you click on

one primitive, the whole group is selected. To ungroup such
primitives, click on them to select the group, then use Objects ►
Explode Objects. You will then be able to select a single primitive
within the group.

Selecting single objects

Whenever you create an object manually using Objects ► Begin New
Object, Objects ► Group Into Object or Objects ► Make Symbol, the
primitives in the object are grouped. This means that when you click
on the object with the Select cursor all the primitives within it are
selected at once, making selection quicker and easier.
Some AllyCAD functions that automatically create objects also group
the primitives within these objects. For example, when you draw a
rectangle using Draw ► Rectangle, the four lines making up the
rectangle are grouped. Similarly, symbols entered using Draw ►
Symbol are grouped, and sketches produced using Draw ► Sketch are
grouped.
Select a single object by clicking on it with the Select cursor. The
object will become highlighted and handles will appear around it.
To add a single object to a group of items that have already been
selected, press [SHIFT] and click on the object at the same time.

To ungroup an object so that you can select single primitives within

it use Objects ► Explode Object.

Edit Menu 2-7

If you do not know what an object is, see Drawing Structure in the
User Guide.

Selecting everything within a rectangle

To select everything within a rectangle, position the Select cursor at
one corner of the rectangle. Press the left mouse button and hold it
down. Drag your cursor to the diagonally opposite corner of the
rectangle. The outline of the rectangle appears as the cursor is
dragged.
Release the left mouse button. Everything within the rectangle is
selected. If what is selected is not what you expected, check the
filters you have selected. See Filters.

Deselecting
If you have selected a single primitive or object by mistake and want
to deselect it without deselecting anything else, press the [SHIFT] key
and click on the offending primitive or object. This is useful if you
have selected something by accident, especially using a function
such as Edit ► Select by Polygon.
To deselect everything, use Edit ► Clear Selection or simply click on a
blank portion of the drawing.

Handles
When you have selected some primitives eight handles and a Rotate
icon appear around it. The handles can be used to scale or stretch
the selection set. The Rotate icon can be used to rotate the selection
set.
Some users do not like working with the handles. If you do not want
the handles to appear when you select things, you can turn them off
temporarily or as default.

Turning off the handles temporarily

To turn the handles off temporarily, right click on the Eraser icon in
the Files toolbar to deselect everything. Then click in the Command
box on the Control Bar and type:
USEHANDLES 0

Click on Done or press [Enter].

2-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

To turn the handles on again, right click on the Eraser icon to
deselect everything. Then click in the Command box on the Control
Bar and type:
USEHANDLES 1

Click on Done or press [Enter].

Stretching and Scaling

When you have selected items, eight handles appear around them.
When you pass the Select Cursor over one of the handles the cursor
changes shape:
if it is a left or right handle

if it is a top or bottom handle

or if it is a corner handle.
The arrows show the directions in which you will be able to scale the
selection set if you click on that handle. If you click on the left or
right handles, you can only stretch the selection set horizontally. If
you click on the top or bottom handles, you can only stretch the
selection set vertically.
Pass the Select cursor over the handle you want to use so that the
cursor changes shape, then click.
The cursor changes to one of the Snap mode cursors, e.g. Freehand,
Grab All etc. (see Snap Modes) and the Control Bar changes to look
like this:

Move the cursor around. As you move it, the selection set is scaled
and the contents of the X= and Y= boxes on the Control Bar change.
To scale evenly in the X and Y directions if you have selected one of
the corner handles, hold down the [SHIFT] key while you move the
cursor.
Click when you are satisfied with the scale, or use the Control Bar or
cursor to scale accurately.

Edit Menu 2-9

Scaling accurately
To scale accurately move the cursor into the X= box on the Control
Bar and click. Use your [Delete] or [Backspace] keys to delete the
contents of the box. Type a scale factor. Press the [TAB] key to move
the cursor into the Y= box. Type a scale factor. Then press [Enter].
The selection set will be accurately scaled by the factors you have
typed.

If you have clicked on the left or right handle, only the X scale
factor will have an effect. If you have clicked on the top or bottom
handle, only the Y scale factor will have an effect.

Alternatively, you can stretch the selection set to an accurate

position on the screen using the cursor in conjunction with jumps,
snaps, arrow keys etc.

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Rotating
When you have selected items, eight handles will appear around
them, together with a rotate icon just to the left of the top right
handle.

When you pass the Select cursor over the rotate icon, the cursor
changes to a circular arrow. While the cursor is in the shape of a
circular arrow, click with your left mouse button.
The cursor changes to one of the Snap mode cursors, e.g. Freehand,
Grab All etc. (see Snap Modes) and the Control Bar changes to look
like this:

Move the cursor around. As you move it, the selection set rotates
about its centre, and the Rotate Angle in the Control Bar changes.
Click when you are satisfied with the rotation, or use the Control Bar
or cursor to rotate accurately.

Rotating accurately
To rotate accurately, move the cursor into the Rotate Angle box on
the Control Bar and click. Use your Delete or Backspace keys to
delete the contents of the box. Type a rotation angle. Then press
[Enter]. The selection set will be accurately rotated by the angle you
have typed.

Rotation takes place in an anti-clockwise direction regardless of the

way you have set up the Angular Format in the Drawing Settings.

Alternatively, you can rotate the selection set to an accurate position

on the screen using the cursor in conjunction with jumps, snaps etc.
See Accurate Drawing in the User Guide.

Edit Menu 2-11

Dragging
You can use the Select cursor to drag the selection set from one
place to another. To do this, move the cursor onto the selection set
and press your left mouse button, holding it down. Move your
mouse. The selection set moves with your mouse.
If you hold down the [SHIFT] key while you are dragging, you will
only be able to drag the selection set horizontally or vertically.

Accurate Dragging (Drag and Snap)

To drag accurately, the Select cursor must have a box around the
tip. This box is in fact the Grab All Cursor (see Grab All Mode). This
means that the cursor will accurately snap to any point within the
box.
Place the cursor box around a point on the selection set, such as the
end of a line. The cursor will snap exactly onto this point. Drag the
selection set as described above, but before releasing your left mouse
button place the cursor box around another point that the dragged
selection set must snap to. The cursor will snap exactly onto this
point.
• To change the cursor from the simple arrow to the arrow with
the box, click on the Grab All icon in the Snaps toolbar.
• To change the cursor from the arrow with the box to the simple
arrow, click on the Freehand icon in the Snaps toolbar.

Copying
If you press the [CTRL] key while you drag, the selection set will not
be moved. Instead, a copy of the selection set will be made and the
copy will be dragged.
If the Select cursor has a box around the tip, you will be able to place
the copy accurately, because the cursor will snap exactly onto any
point within the box (see Accurate Dragging).

Double Click Editing

• If you double click on a line or arc with the Select cursor, the
Line Style dialog box is displayed. See Set Line Defaults.
• If you double click on a piece of text, the Text Entry dialog box
appears. See Set Text Defaults.

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• If you double click on a horizontal, vertical, ordinate, angular,
radial or slope dimension, you enter the Annotate ► Edit Dimension
► Edit Dimension Properties function. See Edit Dimension.
• If you double click on an arrow, the Arrow Defaults dialog box
appears. See Set Arrow Defaults.
• If you double click on a polyline or bezier curve, the Polyline
Defaults dialog box appears. See Polyline Defaults.
• If you double click on the edge of a bitmap with the Select cursor,
the Set Bitmap Parameters dialog box appears. See Load Bitmap.

Edit Menu 2-13

Select Nodes
Select items to reshape

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File SelectNodes 1

The Nodes cursor can be used to select items. Selecting with the
Nodes cursor is exactly the same as selecting with the Select cursor.
See Selecting and Deselecting.

Node

Once selected using the Nodes cursor, all the nodes in the selection
set (points, ends of lines and arcs, arc and circle centres, text and
dimension origins etc.) are marked by a small square. These nodes
can be used to reshape the selection set.
If you click on the Select icon in the Files toolbar while the nodes are
displayed the nodes will be replaced by handles. To return to the
nodes, click on Edit ► Select Nodes.
Like the Select cursor, the Nodes cursor can also be used to drag and
copy the selection set (although it cannot be used for accurate
dragging) and for double click editing.

Nodes
When you have selected items using the Nodes cursor, all the nodes
in the selection set (points, ends of lines and arcs, arc and circle
centres, text and dimension origins etc.) are marked by a small
square.

Highlighted node

2-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If you click on one of the small squares marking a node, it will
become solid black. To highlight more than one node, click on the
nodes you want to select while pressing down the [SHIFT] key.
While the cursor is in the shape of four arrows, press your left mouse
button and hold it down. The cursor reverts to the cross shape.

Move the cursor around. As you move it, all the nodes you have
highlighted, together with any lines, arcs etc. attached to them,
move. When you have finished moving the node or nodes, release
your left mouse button.

Moving nodes accurately

To move nodes you can also use the Grab All cursor (a cross with a
box around its centre). See Grab All Mode. This means that the
cursor will accurately snap to any point within the box. If you use
the Nodes cursor with the box around its centre to move a
highlighted node, you can snap the node onto another point such as
the end of a line, an intersection etc.
To change the cursor from the cross with the box to the simple cross,
click on the Freehand icon in the Snaps toolbar.
You can also move a highlighted node or nodes accurately using
Nudge. To do this, press the [Left-Arrow], [Right-Arrow], [Up-Arrow]
or [Down-Arrow] keys to move the node or nodes left, right, up or
down. AllyCAD will prompt how far you want to move left, right, up
or down.
Type the distance(s), click on the Done button or press [Enter]. The
highlighted node or nodes will move.
Similarly you can move up and to the right using the [PgUp] key,
down and to the right using the [PgDn] key, down and to the left
using the [End] key and up and to the left using the [Home] key.
For more details on Nudge, see Accurate Drawing in the User Guide.

Edit Menu 2-15

Select by Polygon
Select everything within a box or irregular polygon

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SelectPoly

AllyCAD prompts:
Enter polygon around elements to be selected

Draw a polygon around the elements to be selected. If what is

selected is not what you expected, check the filters you have
selected. See the Filters section in Selection Filters.

2-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Selection Filters
Select a specific group of primitives, select hatches or clear all selections

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File SelectDef

Selection filters are a very powerful means of selecting certain

portions of your drawing. You can select by entity type (line, arc text
etc.) or by properties (layer, colour, text font) and even by text string.
The dialog box will remain open until you click on the [Close] button.
You can keep it open for instant access to the Selection Filters
functions while you are doing other things.
The filters control all selection functions. For example, if you have set
up the filters to select only arcs and you [Select All], only arcs and
circles will be selected. If you select everything within a polygon, only
arcs and circles within the polygon will be selected, etc.
Once selected, the group of primitives is called the selection set, and
can be edited, moved, mirrored, scaled, copied, rotated, deleted, etc.
It is highlighted and surrounded by handles.
To change from handles to nodes right click on the Select icon in the
Files toolbar or use Edit ► Select Nodes.
To change from nodes to handles left click on the Select icon in the
Files toolbar or use Edit ► Select Normal.

If what is selected is not what you expected, check the filters you
have selected. If you include part of an object within a selection box
or polygon, the whole object may be selected despite the filter
settings. If you only want to select part of the object, you must first
explode the object, using Objects ► Explode Objects.

The Select Dialog box is divided into three tabbed sections, Objects,
Properties and Text.

Edit Menu 2-17

Objects
This page contains filters for entity types. For example to just select
lines, uncheck the Allow All box and check the Lines box.

The following options are also available:

Clear
This option deselects everything that has been selected.
To deselect just one or a few primitives use the Select function. See
Select.

Close
Closes the dialog box.

Select All
This option selects everything in the drawing as specified by the
Filters. See Filters.

Polygon
This allows you to draw a box or irregular polygon around the things
you want to select. Everything inside this box or polygon that has
been specified by the filters will be selected.
It is often useful to close the dialog box before drawing the polygon to
avoid the dialog box getting in the way.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter polygon around elements to be selected

2-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Draw a polygon around the elements to be selected. You can also
access Polygon using Edit ► Select by Polygon.

Object
This option allows objects, including exploded objects, to be selected
by clicking on them with the cursor.
When you click on the Object button, AllyCAD prompts:
Select whole object (Shift for multiple selection)

Click on an object to select it. To select more than one object, click
on the objects you want to select while holding down the [SHIFT] key.
To cancel object selection, choose another function, press the
[Space Bar] or click on Done.

Name
This option allows objects to be selected by name.

If you do not know the parent or object names of an object, you can
find out using the Tools ► Query Entity option.

AllyCAD prompts:
Enter name of objects to be selected

You must type both the parent name and the object name of the
object you want to select. All names must be in upper case. All
objects with the name you type will be selected.
For example, typing
BATHROOM CLOSET

will select all the objects named CLOSET with the parent name
BATHROOM.
Wildcards may be used. For example, typing
BATHROOM *

will select all objects with the parent name BATHROOM, such as
BATHROOM CLOSET, BATHROOM TOILET, BATHROOM SINK etc.
Typing
* CLOSET

Edit Menu 2-19

will select all objects called CLOSET, whether their parent names
are, for example KITCHEN CLOSET, BATHROOM CLOSET etc.
Typing
* *

will select everything in the drawing as specified by the Filters.

Hatch
This option allows hatches to be selected by clicking on them with
the cursor.
AllyCAD prompts:
Select a hatch perimeter

A cross (#) appears on each hatch perimeter and the hatched objects
are flashing. Click on the cross marking the perimeter of the hatch
you want to select. The perimeter is highlighted.
Select a hatch perimeter

Select another hatch perimeter or cancel hatch selection by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

Layer
This option selects everything that has been specified using the
Filters and that is on a given layer.
The layer selection box is displayed. Click on the desired layer, then
click on OK. To select items on, for example, a second layer, choose
Layer again.

If you have selected a filter or filters, and elements that should not
be selected are being selected, this may be because all the elements
are linked together as objects.
For example, if you have set the filters so that only arcs should be
selected, and you find that some lines are being selected too, this is
because the lines that are being selected are included in objects
with arcs. To select arcs only, you need to use Objects ► Explode
Object to explode the objects first.

2-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Properties
This page allows you to further restrict what entities will be selected.
You can restrict to current layer, current colour, current line type, as
well as attributes like line width, symbol style and polyline fill colour.

Some restrictions obviously apply only to certain entities. For

example if you check Current Polyline Fill the restriction will have no
effect on text items as it will only be applied to polylines.

Hatch/Solid fill
This section determines what objects will be selected based on their
hatch flag.
Hatch and Non Hatch If this is checked then all hatch and non hatch objects
will be selected. If this is unchecked, then the following
checkbox Hatch/Solid Fill only becomes enabled.
Hatch/Solid Fill only If this is checked, then only hatch perimeters will be
selected. If it is unchecked, then only non-hatch objects
will be selected.
Current hatch If this is checked, then only hatch perimeters that match
the current default hatch will be selected. (You can
change the current default hatch, either by selecting
Annotate ► Enter Hatch, and changing the hatch type,
then pressing cancel, or by using Annotate ► Pick
Index from Hatch and taking the index from an existing
hatch perimeter.)

Text
This allows you to restrict what text items will be selected based on
things like font, text size and even a string of text.

Edit Menu 2-21

The text string is not case sensitive and matches if any part of the
text on the drawing contains the match string.

Clear Selection
Clear all selections.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File ClearSel

This function de-selects everything that has been selected.

2-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Move to Front
Move elements to the front of other elements on your drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

MoveToFront

This is especially useful if there is a solid fill or bitmap on your

drawing and you need lines or text to appear on top of the solid fill or
bitmap.
AllyCAD moves all the selected elements to the front. If nothing is
selected AllyCAD will switch into selection mode.

The elements you have moved to the front may not appear to have
been moved to the front until you redraw the screen.
If you can't see the element you want to move to the front because
it's behind something else, select the area containing the element
by dragging a rectangle over it or using Edit ► Select by Polygon.
When it is selected, the hidden element will be visible.

Move to Back
Move elements behind other elements on your drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

MoveToBack

It is especially useful if there is a bitmap on your drawing that you

need to position behind lines or text.
AllyCAD moves all the selected elements to the back. If nothing is
selected AllyCAD will switch into selection mode.

The elements you have moved to the back may not appear to have
been moved to the back until you redraw the screen.

Edit Menu 2-23

Notes:

2-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

View Menu
The View menu allows you to change what
is displayed on the screen.

View Menu 3-1

Zoom Window
Define area to zoom into by drawing a box around it

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View Zoom “W”

You will be prompted:

Enter a corner of zoom box

A large cross hair appears on the screen with the cursor at the cross
centre. Position the cursor at one corner of the area you want to
zoom into and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

3-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

As you move the cursor, you will see that it is attached to a box.
Position the cursor so that the box surrounds the area you want to
zoom into and press [Enter] or click.

The area within the box will now be enlarged to occupy the whole
drawing area.

To return your drawing to the previous view, use View ► Zoom Last.
To return your drawing to a normal view, use View ► Zoom Paper.

View Menu 3-3

Zoom Last
Move backward through sequence of zooms.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View Minus “-“ Zoom “L”

Suppose you perform the following sequence of zooms.

Original view

Zoomed View

If you select Zoom Last while you are zoomed in, you will return to
the previous view. You can move backwards through the last ten
zooms or magnifies you have performed in this way.
Your last ten zooms are saved with the drawing, so the next time you
load your drawing the zoom last function will immediately be
available. You can also move forwards through zooms as described in
the next section.

3-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Zoom Next
Move forward through sequence of zooms.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View Divide “/” Zoom “N”

Zoom Next reverses the action of Zoom Last, similar to redoing

actions that have been undone.
You can move forwards through all the zooms that have been
reversed using the Zoom Last function.

Zoom All
Show the whole drawing at the maximum possible size to fit on the screen.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View ZA Zoom “A”

If your drawing is larger than the paper size, you will be able to see
the paper extents as a pink dotted rectangle.
This function is therefore particularly useful if you have, for example,
changed scale or paper size and your drawing no longer fits onto the
paper, or if you have inadvertently worked off the edge of the sheet.
It will enable you to locate work that is off the edge of the paper. You
can then bring it back into the paper limits using Modify ► Move, or
by changing scale or paper size in the Settings ► Drawing Settings.

To return the drawing to the previous view, use View ► Zoom Last. To
return the drawing to an un-zoomed view, use View ► Zoom Paper.

View Menu 3-5

Zoom Paper
Show the entire sheet of paper and its contents.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View R Redraw

When you select this function, only that part of the drawing within
the paper extents represented by the pink dotted rectangle is shown.
If part of your drawing is outside the paper extents you can see it
using the Zoom All function.

Zoom Scaled
Show drawing at a specific scale.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File ZS Zoom “S”
Screen

Click on the Zoom icon in the Files or the Screen toolbar. Select
Zoom Scaled from the popup menu.
You will be prompted:
Enter zoom scale

Type in the scale at which you want to see your drawing. For
example, if you type “25”, your drawing will appear on the screen at
the size it would be at if its scale was 1:25. Click on Done or press
[Enter].
Enter zoom box

A box representing the amount of the drawing that will fit on the
screen after scaling appears.
Fit this box around the part of your drawing you want to zoom into
and press [Enter] or click on Done.

If you specified a scale greater than the scale at which you are
currently viewing your drawing, you will not be able to see the box
as the box will be larger that the screen. The cursor (which you will
be able to see) represents the centre of the box.

3-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Zoom Selected
Zoom everything that has been selected to the maximum possible size to fit
on the screen.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View ZE Zoom “E”

Before using this zoom you must select everything that you want
zoomed using the Edit ► Select or Edit ► Selection Filters functions.

Zoom View
Zoom into a pre-defined view.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View 1,2,3..9 Zoom “V”

When you choose this option, a sub-menu of numbers

appears. Click on the number corresponding to the view
you want to zoom into, as defined using the Define Zoom
View function.
The program will immediately zoom into the chosen
window.
If you have not defined any views using the Define Zoom
View function, the program will zoom to a default view.

View Menu 3-7

Define Zoom View
Define zoom views.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View Zoom “V”

This option allows you to define zooms. For example, suppose you
frequently needed to zoom into the two areas on this drawing that
have been enclosed by rectangles:
Edge of Drawing Area

Zoom 0 Zoom 1

You could define one area as Zoom 0 …

3-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

and the other as Zoom 1.

It is possible to define up to 10 such views.

When you select Define Zoom View, the screen is divided into nine
boxes with numbers inside and a menu with numbers on it appears.
Click on the number in the menu that will correspond to the zoom
you are about to define. This is the number you will use to
implement the zoom later, using the Zoom View option.
A large cross hair appears on the screen with the cursor at the cross
centre. AllyCAD prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom window

Position the cursor at one corner of the area you want to zoom into
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

View Menu 3-9

As you move the cursor, you will see that it is attached to a box.
Position the cursor so that the box surrounds the area you want to
define and press [Enter] or click.
The box you enter will be marked by green lines and will be
numbered. Its shape will be updated slightly to reflect the shape of
the screen.
The menu of numbers will re-appear. You can click on another
number to define another zoom, or exit the function by clicking on
the screen somewhere outside the number menu.
Implement the zooms you have defined using the Zoom View
function. The defined zooms are stored with the drawing.

3-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Toolbars
Show or hide toolbars

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File ToolbarPopup

Click on View ► Toolbars to display or hide the different toolbars. A

menu box with available toolbars pops up.
If the specific toolbar is currently displayed it will have a  next to it.
Move the mouse and click on the toolbar that you want to display or
hide. The box will disappear and the chosen toolbar will either be
hidden or displayed.
Repeat the process to display or hide further toolbars.

View Menu 3-11

Magnify
Magnify your drawing at the cursor position

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View M Magnify
Screen

If you use the shortcut key magnification will take place about the
position of the cursor.
If you use the toolbar button you will be asked:
Enter Screen Point

Position your cursor at the point to be magnified and press [Enter] or

click. Your drawing is magnified by a factor of 3. To change this
magnification factor, use Settings ► Change Magnify Factor.

To return your drawing to the previous view, use View ► Zoom Last.

Demagnify
De-magnify your drawing at the cursor position

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View D Demag
Screen

If you use the shortcut key de-magnification will take place about the
position of the cursor.
If you use the toolbar button you will be asked:
Enter Screen Point

Position your cursor at the point to be de-magnified and press

[Enter] or click. Your drawing is de-magnified by a factor of 3. To
change this magnification factor, use Settings ► Change Magnify Factor.

3-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Pan
Redraw about the cursor position

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View W Pan

If you use the shortcut key the pan will take place about the position
of the cursor.
If you use the toolbar button you will be asked:
Enter screen point

Position the cursor at the point on your drawing that you want
positioned in the middle of the screen and press [Enter] or click. The
screen is redrawn with the cursor position at the centre.

View Menu 3-13

Long Pan
Place pan box about part of drawing to zoom into.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View Semi-colon (;) LongPan
Screen

When you select Long Pan, a small dotted square representing your
sheet of paper appears, with your drawing inside it. AllyCAD
prompts:
Enter pan box (Space Bar for expanded view)

Pan view limits

Existing view limits

If you move your mouse, you will see that the cursor is attached to a
box. Place this box around the part of your drawing you want to
zoom into and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively, press the
[Space Bar].
You will be returned to the view you were working in when you
selected Long Pan. The cursor will still be attached to the box,
although you may not be able to see the box. Move the cursor to the
area of the drawing you want to pan to and press [Enter] or click.

3-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Refresh
Refresh your screen after editing or deleting.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View S Refresh

It is sometimes necessary to refresh your screen after changes or

deletions have taken place. For example, if you delete a line that was
very close to or on top of another line, it will look as if both lines have
disappeared. Redraw will redraw the screen so that the remaining
line reappears.

View Menu 3-15

Notes:

3-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Draw Menu
The Draw menu allows you to
access the entity creation
functions. Many of these
functions can also be accessed
from the Main toolbar.

Draw Menu 4-1

Line (Chained)
Draw chained lines (the end of one line automatically marks the start of the
next).

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Ctrl + L Line

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point of line

Position the cursor where you want the start point of a line to be and
press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point of line

As you move the cursor, the line follows it. Position the cursor where
you want the end point of the line to be and press [Enter] or click.
This point will also mark the position of the start of the next line.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next point of line

Enter the end point of another line, or cancel line drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on
Done.

To draw a line of an exact length or at a given angle see Accurate

Drawing in the User Guide.
To change the line colour or the line type while drawing, use the
Settings ► Line Defaults function.

4-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Lines (Pt to Pt)
Draw separate lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main PtLine

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point of line

Position the cursor where you want the start point of a line to be and
press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter next point of line

As you move the cursor, the line follows it. Position the cursor where
you want the end point of the line to be and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will again prompt:
Enter first point of line

Enter the first point of another line, or cancel line drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on
Done.

To draw a line of an exact length or at a given angle see Accurate

Drawing in the User Guide.
To change line colour or type while drawing, use the Settings ► Line
Defaults function.

Draw Menu 4-3

Point
Draw a point.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Point

Access this function from the Draw menu. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter position of point

Position the cursor where you want a point to be and press [Enter] or
click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter position of point

Enter another point, or cancel point drawing by choosing another

function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

The size of points and how they are displayed, e.g. as crosses, dots
or circles is controlled by the Point Style button in Settings ► View
Settings.

4-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rectangle
Draw a rectangle by two diagonally opposite corners.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Rectangle

Original corner

New corner

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first rectangle corner

Position the cursor where you want one corner of a rectangle to be

and press [Enter] or click.
Enter second corner of rectangle

Move the cursor to a diagonally opposite corner. You can move it

up and to the right;
down and to the right;
up and to the left;
down and to the left.
The cursor is rubber-banded, so you can see the rectangle as you
draw it. When you have positioned the cursor, press [Enter] or click.
Enter first rectangle corner

Enter a corner of another rectangle, or cancel rectangle drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on
Done.

The four lines making up the rectangle are automatically grouped

so that you can select the whole rectangle by clicking on it once
with the Select cursor. To select a single line in the rectangle you
must first explode it using Objects ► Explode Object.

Draw Menu 4-5

Arc 3 Point
Draw an arc by three points.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Arc

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point of arc

Position the cursor where you want one end of the arc to be (position
a on the diagram above) and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter point on arc

As you move the cursor, you can see the arc being drawn. Position
the cursor at any point on the arc between its two ends (position b
on the diagram above) and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter last point of arc

Position the cursor where you want the other end of the arc to be
(position c on the diagram) and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter first point of arc

Enter one end of another arc, or cancel arc drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

4-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Arc Radius
Draw an arc by end points and radius.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main ArcR

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter start point of arc

Position the cursor where you want one end of an arc to be and press
[Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter end point of arc

Position the cursor where you want the other end of the arc to be
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter radius (negative for clockwise arc)

Type the radius of the arc and click on  or press [Enter].

Start point
If you enter a positive radius, the arc will be
drawn in an anti-clockwise direction between
the start and end points you have defined.
End point

Start point

If you enter a negative radius, the arc will be

drawn in a clockwise direction between the
start and end points you have defined.

End point

The radius that you enter must be at least as long as half the
distance between the start and end points of the arc. If you do not
know the radius and need to calculate it, you can type the
necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead of the
radius.

Draw Menu 4-7

If the radius you enter is too short, the message
Radius too small .. setting it to L/2

will be displayed. AllyCAD will automatically set the radius to L/2

(half the distance between the two points) and draw the arc. If you
want to measure the distance between the two points, use the Tools
► Measure command.
Enter start point of arc

Enter one end of another arc, or cancel arc drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

4-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle
Draw a circle by centre point and point on circumference.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Cir

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter centre point of circle

Position the cursor where you want the centre point of a circle to be
and press [Enter] or click.
Enter point on circle

As you move the cursor away from the circle centre, the circle will
appear. When it is the correct size, press [Enter] or click.
Enter centre point of circle

Enter the centre point of another circle, or cancel circle drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on
Done.

Regardless of which point on the circle circumference was initially

specified, only the centre point and the point that lies on the
circumference at the 3 o'clock position are stored.
If you need circles for isometric drawings, see Ellipses and
Isometrics.

Draw Menu 4-9

Circle Diameter
Draw up to five concentric circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main CirDia

20

70
80

You will be prompted:

Circle centre point

Position the cursor where you want the centre point of the circle or
circles to be and press [Enter] or click.
Enter up to 5 diameters separated by spaces

Type in up to five diameters separated by spaces and click on Done

or press [Enter].
For example, to produce these three circles, you would type: “20 70
80”
Circle centre point

Enter the centre point of another circle or circles, or cancel

concentric circle drawing by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

4-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle 2 Point
Draw circles by two points on circumference.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main Cir2P

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point on circle

Position the cursor where you want one point on the circle's
circumference to be and press [Enter] or click.
Enter point on circle

As you move the cursor AllyCAD will

display a rubber-banded circle. Position the
cursor where you want the other point on
the circumference to be and press [Enter]
or click.

The prompts are repeated until you cancel the function by pressing
the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

To position the cursor accurately, see Accurate Drawing in the User

Guide. If you want the circle to be tangent to another entity (line,
arc or circle) at the first point, change to Tan Snap mode before
entering the point. See Tan Snap mode.

Draw Menu 4-11

Line Arc Line
Draw a line arc line sequence.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

BentLine

R2
d

R1
a

This function inserts an arc with a specified radius at corners while

you are drawing to create a smooth sequence of lines and arcs.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first point

Position the cursor where you want the first point of the first line in
the line arc line sequence to be (position a). Press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter corner point

Position the cursor at a corner where the arc will be inserted

(position b) and press [Enter] or click. Nothing is drawn yet.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter corner radius

Type the radius for the corner (R1) and click on OK or press [Enter].
Ensure the radius value that you type is reasonable, given the lengths
of the lines between positions a, b and c and the angle formed by the
lines a-b and b-c.
Nothing will be drawn until you have entered the first three points.

If you do not know the radius and need to calculate it, you can type
the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead of the
radius.

4-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next corner point (enter two points the same to end
with a line)

You can either enter another radiused corner at c on the diagram or

you can end the line arc line sequence d on the diagram.

How to enter another radiused corner (c on the diagram) or end the line arc
line sequence with an arc.
Position the cursor at the corner to be radiused (position c) and press
[Enter] or click. A line and an arc are drawn.

If what is drawn is not what you expected, it is probable that the

radius value you entered was too large.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter corner radius

Type the radius for the new corner (R2) and click on  or press
[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next corner point (enter two points the same to end
with a line)

You can either enter another radiused corner or you can end the line
arc line sequence.
To end the line arc line sequence with an arc, press the [Space Bar]
or click on Done.

How to end the Line Arc Line sequence with a line (d on the diagram)
Position the cursor where you want the line arc line sequence to end
(position d) and press [Enter] or click.
A line and an arc are drawn.
Do not move your cursor from point d until you have input a corner
radius and the same point again, otherwise another arc will be added
to the line arc line sequence.

If what is drawn is not what you expected, it is probable that the

radius value you entered was too large.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Draw Menu 4-13

 Enter corner radius

When you are ending the line arc line sequence, the radius value is
irrelevant. Press [Enter] to accept the default, but do not move your
cursor from point d.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next corner point (enter two points the same to end
with a line)

Press [Enter] to accept position d again. You have now selected

position d twice and the line arc line sequence will be terminated.

To produce a sequence of parallel lines and arcs, see Parallel Line.

For an alternative method of producing a line arc line sequence, see
Circular Spline.
It is sometimes helpful to determine the corner points you will be
using (b and c on the diagram below) before you start by using
Geometry.

4-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Parallel Line
Draw parallel lines

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main ParlLine

The parallel line parameters are set using Settings ► Parallel Defaults.

• If you specify the Draw Fresh option the prompts that you get
will be exactly the same as for Line (Chained).
• If you specify the Around Existing Perimeter option you will enter
the Perimeter Menu.
• If you specify the Line Arc Line option the prompts that you get
will be exactly the same as for Line Arc Line.

Draw Menu 4-15

When specifying radii in a line arc line sequence, ensure that these
are larger than the inside offset defined in the Parallel Defaults. If the
corner points in a line arc line sequence are too close together and
the radii are too large, your parallel lines will cross over and change
sides.
While only one line will appear as you are drawing, all the parallel
lines you specified will appear once you finish line drawing, finish
defining the perimeter, or finish drawing the line arc line sequence. If
your parallel lines are unexpectedly drawn on the wrong side of the
line, perimeter, or line arc line sequence, use Undo to delete them
and check your offsets.

4-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

1 Parallel Element
Draw a single line, arc or circle parallel to an existing line, arc or circle, or
draw multiple lines parallel to an existing line

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main ParlL1

You can draw a parallel line at a fixed distance from an existing line
or through a specified point parallel to an existing line.
AllyCAD prompts:
Use a Fixed Distance or a Specified Point

A number of options must be specified on the Control Bar.

Use

Parallel line If you want to place the parallel

Fixed element by specifying a distance
Distance between the existing element and the
parallel one, select Fixed Distance.
Existing line

If you want to place the parallel

Parallel line
element by specifying a point
Point
through which the parallel element
must pass, select the Specified Point
Existing line option.

Spacing
If you have chosen to use a Specified Point, this control will be
disabled and grayed out.

Parallel line If you have chosen to use a Fixed

Distance, type the distance you want
10 between the existing element and the
parallel element, for example "10".
Existing line

Draw Menu 4-17

No. Lines

Five parallel lines

The number you type here
determines the number of parallel
10 lines that will be drawn at once. For
example, if you type "5", AllyCAD will
draw five lines parallel to the existing
10 line. These lines will be evenly
spaced at the distance you type here.
10

Arcs and circles are only copied once

10 regardless of how many lines you
have specified in the Control Bar. To
obtain the required number of arcs,
keep selecting the most recent
parallel arc or circle until you have
the desired number.
Existing line

Trim
If you check the Trim box, each
succeeding line will be trimmed to fit
the previous one. The beginning of
the first line and the end of the last
line selected will not be trimmed. If
you require a closed perimeter, use
the Modify ► Trim command to join
the first and last lines together.

If you leave the Trim box empty,

consecutive lines will not be
trimmed.

Trim only works if you are drawing one parallel line.

4-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Parallel Lines by a Fixed Distance
If you have selected the Fixed Distance option AllyCAD will prompt:
Select element to be parallel copied

Parallel element will appear this side

Position the cursor next to the
of the existing line existing line, arc or circle and on that
side of it where you want the parallel
element to appear. Press [Enter] or
click.

The parallel element or elements are drawn. The number of lines,

spacing and trim are determined by the Control Bar settings.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select element to be parallel copied

Select another element to copy and press [Enter] or click.

Alternatively cancel element copying by choosing another function,
pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

Parallel Lines by a Specific Point

If you have selected the Specified Point option AllyCAD will prompt:
Select element to be parallel copied

Parallel element will appear this side

Position the cursor next to the
of the existing line existing line, arc or circle and on that
side of it where you want the parallel
element to appear. Press [Enter] or
click.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter point parallel line should pass through

You need to specify a point through which the parallel line will pass.
Position the cursor and press [Enter] or click.
The position that you choose defines the distance between all the
parallel lines.

Draw Menu 4-19

 Five parallel lines

Existing line Point

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select element to be parallel copied

Select another element to copy and press [Enter] or click.

Alternatively cancel element copying by choosing another function,
pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

4-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Geometry Trace-Over
You must already have drawn some geometry before you can use
these functions.

Fill Geom
Trace over geometry lines and circles

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry FillGeom

You specify an intersection of geometry elements, followed by the

element you want to trace over, followed by the next intersection.
The cursor will switch to Geometry Intersection snap mode and
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first geometry intersection point

Position the cursor next to the intersection of geometry lines at one

end of a geometry element you want to trace over and press [Enter]
or click. The cursor snaps exactly onto the intersection.

The cursor will switch to Freehand mode

and AllyCAD will prompt:
Identify next geometry element

Position the cursor on the element you

want to trace and press [Enter] or click.

The cursor will switch back to Geometry

Intersection snap and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next intersection point

Position the cursor next to the intersection

of geometry lines at the other end of a
geometry element you want to trace over
and press [Enter] or click.

Draw Menu 4-21

The cursor snaps exactly onto the intersection. AllyCAD will continue
to prompt:
Identify next geometry element

Select another geometry element to turn into a solid line or arc or

cancel the function by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

To change colour or line type while you are drawing use Settings 
Line Defaults.

Fill Geometry Cir

Traces over geometry circles

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry FillGcir

Geometry circle Solid Circle

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select geometry circle to be filled

Position the cursor close to a circle you want to trace over and press
[Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select geometry circle to be filled

Select another geometry circle to trace over. Alternatively cancel

geometry circle tracing by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

4-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Fill Geom Arc
Traces over a portion of a geometry circle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry FillGarc

AllyCAD will prompt:

Fill Geom Arc: Enter first point of arc

First point of arc

will be here

Last point of arc

will be here

Position the cursor where you want one end of the arc to be and
press [Enter] or click. You do not have to position the cursor on the
geometry circle.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter point on arc

Draw Menu 4-23

 First point of arc
will be here

Last point of arc

will be here

Position the cursor at any point on the arc between its two ends and
press [Enter] or click. You do not have to position the cursor on the
circle, just close enough to indicate which portion of the circle you
want to trace over.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter last point of arc

Last point of arc

will be here

Position the cursor where you want the other end of the arc to be
and press [Enter] or click. You do not have to position the cursor on
the geometry circle, as illustrated here.
Fill Geom Arc: Enter first point of arc

Enter one end of another arc, or cancel arc drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

4-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Ellipses
This option allows you to draw full or partial ellipses.

Ellipse
Draw ellipses or circles in Isometric drawings.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Ell

Minor axis

Major axis

Angle

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter ellipse centre point

Position the cursor where you want the centre point of an ellipse to
be and press [Enter] or click.
Enter major axis

Type in the length of the major axis and click on Done or press
[Enter].

If you do not know the length of the major axis and need to
calculate it, you can type an arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3
instead of the major axis.

Enter aspect ratio and angle

The aspect ratio is the length of the major axis divided by the length
of the minor axis. Thus, to get an ellipse that is twice as long as it is
wide, give an aspect ratio of 2. To get an ellipse three times longer
than it is wide, give an aspect ratio of 3, etc.
The angle is measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock position.

Draw Menu 4-25

If you have checked Isometric Grid in Settings ► Drawing Settings you
will not be asked this question as the aspect ratio will be fixed at
the square root of 3/2 and the angle will be perpendicular to the
angle at which the cursor is locked.

Type the aspect ratio and the angle of the ellipse, separated by a
space. Then click on  or press [Enter].
Enter ellipse centre point

Enter the centre point of another ellipse, or cancel ellipse drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on
Done.

In order to snip, hatch or snap to an ellipse, you must first change

it to a sequence of 12 arcs. To do this, use the Modify ► Ellipse2Arcs
function.

Part Ellipse
This function draws parts of ellipses.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EllBit

The first three questions that are asked are exactly the same as
those asked by the Ellipse function above.
Thereafter AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first snip point on ellipse (ellipse goes round
counter clockwise)

Position the cursor at a point on the ellipse boundary where you

want one end of the ellipse part to be and press [Enter] or click.
First snip point

Second snip point

Ellipse before Ellipse after

snipping snipping

4-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The ellipse is drawn in an anti-clockwise direction. If you want to
achieve the result illustrated above, you must choose the first snip
point as indicated.
Second snip point

First snip point

Ellipse before Ellipse after

snipping snipping

If you want to achieve the result illustrated above, you must choose
the first snip point as indicated.
Enter 2nd snip point

Position the cursor at a point on the ellipse boundary where you

want the other end of the ellipse part to be and press [Enter] or click.
The unwanted parts of the ellipse are cut away.
AllyCAD continues to prompt:
Enter ellipse centre point

Enter the centre point of another part ellipse, or cancel ellipse

drawing by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or
clicking on Done.

Part ellipses created using this function cannot be hatched or

snapped to. To do so first change the part ellipse to a series of arcs
using the Modify ► Ellipse2Arcs function.

Draw Menu 4-27

Splines
This option allows you to draw circular and cubic splines.

Circular Spline
Draw a spline composed of arcs.
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Spline

Each new point enters another arc tangent to the previous one and
through the point. This function also allows a line arc line sequence
to be entered. The spline is rubber-banded to enable you to see
exactly what will be drawn.
The first three points that you enter define an arc similar to that in
the Arc 3 Point function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Circular spline ... enter first point

Position the cursor where you want the first point in the circular
spline to be and press [Enter] or click. This represents the first point
of an arc.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second point of spline

Position the cursor at another point on the spline and press [Enter]
or click. This represents a point on an arc between its two ends.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point of spline

The arc that you are drawing appears, and is rubber-banded so that
you can see exactly what you are drawing.

4-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Position the cursor at another point on the spline and press [Enter]
or click. This represents the end point of an arc. The arc is drawn.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point of spline - or [Ctrl End] to change arc to
line

From now on each new point will enter an arc tangent to the
previous arc and through the point. Lines may also be entered.
To draw another arc, position your cursor at another point along the
spline. Press [Enter] or click.
To draw a line, press the [Ctrl] and [End] keys together. Then
position your cursor and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD continues to prompt:
Enter next point of spline - or [Ctrl End] to change arc to
line

Add another line or arc to your spline or terminate spline drawing by

pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

To close a perimeter created using this function the first and second
points of the spline must be entered again as the penultimate and
last points of the spline.

Cubic Spline
Draw a cubic spline composed of small line segments through points.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Curve

Three points are required before a spline can be drawn between the
first two points.
AllyCAD will prompt:

Draw Menu 4-29

 Enter number of divisions per spline segment

The spline is reduced to straight line segments. This number dictates

how many segments are produced between entered points. Numbers
between 5 and 10 are useful. However, while greater numbers will
result in smoother curves, they will consume more memory. Type a
number then click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Cubic spline curve ... enter first point

Position the cursor where you want the first point in the cubic spline
to be and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second point

Position the cursor at another point on the spline and press [Enter]
or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Next spline point

Position the cursor at another point on the spline and press [Enter]
or click. A cubic spline is fitted between the first and second points.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Next spline point

Add another point to the spline or cancel spline drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

No spline will be drawn to the last point you enter. The spline is
always drawn between the third last and second last points you
entered.

4-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Polyline
Draw a polyline or Bezier curve

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main PLine

Polylines look exactly the same as lines drawn using Draw ► Line
(Chained). The difference is that when you click on a polyline to select
it with the Select cursor, the whole polyline is selected, not just one
line segment.
To select just one line segment in a polyline, you must first explode
the polyline using Objects ► Explode Object.

A polyline is defined by its vertices, i.e. the beginnings and ends of

the line segments within it (marked by squares in the polylines on
the left).
You can also use the Polyline function to draw 3 point and 4 point
Bezier curves.

3 point Bezier curves are drawn

between every three polyline vertices.

Draw Menu 4-31

 4 point Bezier curves are drawn through
every four polyline vertices.

Polylines can also be closed and

hatched or solid filled.

Whether a polyline, 3 point Bezier or 4 point Bezier curve is drawn

by the Polyline function, and whether or not it is closed and hatched
depends on the options you have selected in Settings ► Polyline
Defaults.
Once drawn, a polyline can be converted to a Bezier curve or a Bezier
curve can be converted to a polyline simply by double clicking on it
with the Select cursor. You can also change the hatch status of a
polyline by double clicking on it.
When you select the Polyline function, AllyCAD prompts:
Enter first point of polyline

Position the cursor where you want the first polyline vertex to be and
press [Enter] or click.
Enter next point of polyline

As you move the cursor, a line follows it. Position the cursor where
you want the second polyline vertex to be and press [Enter] or click.
If you are drawing a polyline, the first line segment will be drawn. If
you are drawing a Bezier curve, nothing will be drawn until you have
entered the fourth vertex.
Enter next point of polyline

Enter another polyline vertex, or cancel polyline drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Once you have drawn a polyline or Bezier curve, you can use the
Edit ► Select Nodes function to stretch the line or curve by its
vertices.

4-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Bulged Polyline
Draw a polyline that includes bulges (arc portions).

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

PolyBulge

This function is identical to the Line Arc Line function except that a
polyline with bulges is created instead of a connected sequence of
lines and arcs.

Procedure
The CAD will prompt:
Enter first point

Position the cursor where you want the first point of the first line in
the line arc line sequence to be (position a). Press [Enter] or click.
The CAD will now prompt:
Enter corner point

Draw Menu 4-33

Position the cursor at a corner where the arc will be inserted
(position b) and press [Enter] or click. Nothing is drawn yet.
The CAD will continue to prompt:
Enter corner radius (0 for bend)

Type the radius for the corner (R1) and click on OK or press [Enter].
Ensure the radius value that you type is reasonable, given the
lengths of the lines between positions a, b and c and the angle
formed by the lines a-b and b-c. Nothing is drawn until you have
entered the first three points.

If you do not know the radius and need to calculate it, you can type
the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead of the
radius (see Making Calculations ). Using a radius value of 0 will
cause a sharp bend to be created at the indicated position rather
than an arc.

The CAD will prompt:

Enter next corner point (enter two points the same to end
with a line)

4-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

You can either enter another radiused corner at c on the diagram or
you can end the line arc line sequence d on the diagram.

How to enter another radiused corner (c on the diagram) or end the line arc
line sequence with an arc.
Position the cursor at the corner to be radiused (position c) and press
[Enter] or click. A line and an arc are drawn. If what is drawn is not
what you expected, it is probable that the radius value you entered
was too large.
The CAD will prompt:
Enter corner radius

Type the radius for the new corner (R2) and click on or press
[Enter].
The CAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next corner point (enter two points the same to end
with a line)

You can either enter another radiused corner or you can end the line
arc line sequence. To end the line arc line sequence with an arc,
press the [Space Bar] or click on Done.

Draw Menu 4-35

How to end the Line Arc Line sequence with a line (d on the diagram)

Position the cursor where you want the line arc line sequence to end
(position d) and press [Enter] or click . A line and an arc are
drawn.
Do not move your cursor from point d until you have input a corner
radius and the same point again, otherwise another arc will be added
to the line arc line sequence.

It is sometimes helpful to determine the corner points you will be

using (b and c on the diagram below) before you start, using, for
example, Geometry. To position the cursor accurately, see Accurate
Drawing.

Polygon
Draw polygons.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main, exec ".\macro\polygon"
Screen

4-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD will prompt:
Number of sides for polygon

Type the number of sides you want the polygon to have, then click on
 or press [Enter].
Enter centre point of polygon

Position the cursor where you want the centre point of the polygon to
be and press [Enter] or click.
Enter polygon enclosing circle

Position the cursor on the circumference of a circle enclosing the

polygon and press [Enter] or click.

When you create a polygon, the lines in it are automatically

grouped so that you can select the whole polygon by clicking on it
once with the Select cursor. To select a single line in the polygon,
you must first explode it using Objects ► Explode Object.

Draw Menu 4-37

Symbol
Enter symbols from a symbol file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Symbol

Before you can use this function you must load the drawing
containing the symbols you want to use (the symbol file) using File ►
Load Symbol File. If you have not loaded a symbol file, AllyCAD will
automatically allow you to do so. Once you have loaded a symbol file,
the Symbol function will begin.
When a symbol is inserted into a drawing, the primitives making up
the symbol are automatically grouped so that you can select the
whole symbol by clicking on it once with the Select cursor. To select
a single primitive in the symbol, you must first explode it using
Objects ► Explode Object.

Selecting the symbol you want to use

Click here to view the symbols in the symbol file

Currently selected
symbol

Click here to see a list of symbols in the symbol file

After you have selected the Symbol function, you will see the grey
outline of a symbol moving with the cursor as you move the cursor
around the screen. This symbol is the currently selected symbol,
whose name is displayed in the left control of the Control Bar.
To select another symbol, click on the arrow to the right of the
currently selected symbol in the Control Bar. A list of the symbols in
the symbol file you have loaded appears on the screen. Click on the
name of the symbol you want to use, then click on OK.
Alternatively, click on the View button. Thumbnail sketches of the
symbols will be displayed on the screen. Click on the symbol you
want.

4-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

When you move the cursor and the symbol moves with it, the
symbol is attached to the cursor at its hook point. For details on
symbols and how to create them see Drawing Structure in the User
Guide.

Options on the control bar

Snip

Before symbol insertion If you check the snip option, lines

beneath the symbol when it is
entered are snipped away.

After symbol insertion with snip

If you do not check the snip option,
lines beneath the symbol are not
snipped away.

After symbol insertion without snip

The symbol's snip box determines what is snipped away. Refer to

Drawing Structure in the User Guide.

AutoR
If you check this option (autorotate), the symbol will automatically be
rotated onto a line.

Rotate
The symbol will be rotated by the angle measured anti-clockwise
from the 3 o'clock position.

Scale
The symbol will be scaled horizontally by the figure you type into the
first scale box, and vertically by the figure you type into the second
scale box. For example, if you type "2" and "2", the symbol will be
twice as big.

Draw Menu 4-39

For more information on symbols and scale, see Load Symbol File.

4-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Mirror vertically

The symbol will be mirrored around a vertical axis.

Mirror horizontally

The symbol will be mirrored around a horizontal

axis.

Entering Symbols without AutoR checked

The symbol will be added to the drawing without rotating to the
nearest line.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter position for symbol

Position the cursor where you want the symbol to appear and press
[Enter] or click.

The symbol's hook point is positioned at the cursor position. If you

do not know what a hook point is, see Drawing Structure.

Attributes
If you are entering a symbol that has had attributes attached to it,
you will be prompted for the value of attribute once you have
specified the position of the symbol. For example, suppose the
symbol you are entering has an attribute called COLOUR attached to
it.
AllyCAD will prompt
COLOUR

and the default value of the attribute COLOUR will appear in the
command line, where you can edit it.
If you want to create a Bill of Materials, the text in the command line
must be in the format attribute=value, e.g. COLOUR=BLUE.
Draw Menu 4-41
Otherwise, the attribute value can be anything you want. When you
are satisfied with the value, press [Enter] or click on .
If you answered YES to the Convert attributes to text during load?
prompt when you loaded the symbol library using File ► Load Symbol
Library the value that you type into the command line will be written
as text next to the symbol. It will be written using the currently
selected text defaults.
If you need to edit this text once it is on the drawing, double click on
it. If you need to move the text, you must first explode the object it is
attached to using Objects ► Explode Objects.
If you answered NO to the Convert attributes to text during load?
prompt when you loaded the symbol library, a diamond will appear
at the attribute position. This diamond will disappear when you
redraw the screen. For details on viewing and editing attributes, see
Bill of Materials.
Once AllyCAD has prompted for the value of each attribute attached
to the symbol, the symbol will be drawn on the screen.
Enter position for symbol

Enter another symbol, or cancel the Symbol function by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or clicking on Done.

Entering Symbols when AutoR is Checked

The symbol will be added to the drawing and rotated to align with the
nearest line.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter position for symbol

Position the cursor on or close to the line

you want the symbol to be rotated onto.
Press [Enter] or click.

4-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate symbol direction and line
to rotate to

Position the cursor further along the line.

This position need not be accurate. Its
purpose is to indicate in which direction
along the line the symbol should be
attached. Press [Enter] or click.

The symbol is automatically rotated to fit

the line

The remainder of this function operates exactly as described in the

previous section.
In order for a symbol to rotate onto a line as described here, the
symbol must have been drawn horizontally and its hook point must
be on the left. If the symbol is not inserted into the line as expected,
you should save your drawing and select File ► New. Load the
drawing containing the errant symbol using File ► Open.
Once the symbol drawing has been loaded, select the errant symbol
and rotate it so that it is oriented horizontally using Modify ► Rotate.
Then move its hook point to the left side of the symbol, using Objects
► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point.
Save the symbol drawing and select the File ► New function. Load the
drawing you were working on before and try loading the symbol
again. The symbol should now be inserted into the line as expected.

Draw Menu 4-43

Sketch
Draw freehand

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

FreeHand

The freehand sketch is composed of many small line segments and

finer intervals will result in smoother lines but consume more
memory. It is advisable not to use many sketches on your drawing as
these can seriously slow down AllyCAD's operation.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter minimum distance (in mm) between freehand drawn points

Type an appropriate interval and click on  or press [Enter].

Enter start of freehand drawing

Position the cursor where you want the sketch to begin and press
[Enter] or click. Now as you move the mouse, a continuous line will
be drawn on the screen until you press [Enter] or click.

Because it is difficult to move the mouse smoothly, the usual result

of using Sketch is a wobbly squiggle. Practical use may be to
indicate, for example, the outline of a hedge, but even this is not
easy without some trial and error.

Enter start of freehand drawing

Position the cursor to start another sketch. Alternatively cancel

sketching by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .

When you create a sketch, the small lines making up the sketch are
automatically grouped so that you can select the whole sketch by
clicking on it once with the Select cursor. To select a single line in
the sketch, you must first explode it using Objects ► Explode Object.
Large sketches may contain too many lines to be grouped into one
object. Such sketches will be grouped into several objects.

4-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Modify Menu
The Modify menu allows you to
change existing entities. These
changes include stretch, mirror,
scale, move, rotate and repeat.

Modify Menu 5-1

Stretch
Move part of a drawing enclosed within a polygon

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Stretch

In this function you move only that part of a drawing that you
enclose within a polygon. The rest of the drawing remains
unchanged.
Any lines crossing the polygon boundary act like rubber bands. They
enlarge, shrink or rotate depending on the amount and direction of
movement.

21 16 51 16

Before stretching After stretching

If previously dimensioned, linear dimensions will adjust

automatically when Stretch is used, although tolerances will be lost.
Hatching will also be updated automatically.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Stretch everything? (else just selected)

If you want to stretch everything within the user-defined polygon,

click on the YES button. If you click on NO only selected elements
will be moved.

5-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter polygon about points to be
moved

Draw a polygon around the elements to be

stretched.
Do not put the polygon around the whole
21 16
shape or it will be moved, not stretched.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter point that must move

The polygon that you drew will disappear.

Position the cursor on a point and press
[Enter] or click. This point is a reference
point that you will use to define the
21 16 movement of the part of the drawing that
you enclosed in the polygon.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point it must move to

Move the cursor to indicate the position the

point will be stretched to. A square
representing the part of the drawing to be
21 16
stretched is displayed.

Press [Enter] or click to accept the position.

The drawing is stretched.

51 16

It is best to be in Freehand mode. If you are in a snap mode, the

cursor sometimes jumps from the point you select to move to back
to the point you selected as the reference point to move. The result
is no stretch.

Modify Menu 5-3

Move
Move the selection set.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Move

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives you want to move.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point that must move

Position the cursor on a point on the selection set. Press [Enter] or

click. This point is the reference point that you will use to define the
movement.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter point it should move to

Move the cursor to indicate the position the reference point must
move to. You will be able to see the selection set move as you move
the cursor. Press [Enter] or click when you are satisfied. The
selection set is drawn at the new position.

It is best to be in Freehand mode when you use Move.

5-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Move Point
Move a point and everything attached to it.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify exec ".\macro\movept"

You will be prompted:

Select point to move

The cursor will switch to Point snap mode. Position it close to the
point you want to move and press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps
exactly onto the point.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter point it should move to

The cursor will switch to Grab All mode. Move the cursor to where
the point should move to and press [Enter] or click.

The point is moved.

Select another point to move or cancel point moving by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Modify Menu 5-5

Mirror Image
Mirror the selection set.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Mirror

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives you want to mirror.
The mirror options will be displayed on the Control Bar:

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point about which to mirror

Position the cursor at a point about which to

mirror. The horizontal or vertical axis will pass
through this point.

If you have checked the User Defined option this will be one of two
points defining the mirror axis.
You will then be asked for the second point:
Enter other point on mirror axis

Now position the cursor at the second point defining the axis. Press
[Enter] or click. The selection set is mirrored. Note the following
points:
• When text is mirrored it remains readable. This is because only
the label origin is mirrored (see Set Text Defaults. The label origin
of text that is not centred is changed. For example, if the *
denotes the label origin of the text and the word TEXT denotes a
piece of text, *TEXT mirrors to TEXT* during a vertical mirror.
• When you mirror objects, the mirrored half is a new object with
the same name and parent name as the original. This means that
if you have drawn, for example, half of a bearing and have
mirrored it to get the other half, you will have to combine the two
halves into a single object using Objects ► Group Into Object.

5-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Mirror Axis
The mirror axis determines how the selection set will be mirrored.

If you check the Horizontal option,

mirroring will take place about a
horizontal axis.

If you check the Vertical option,

mirroring will take place about a vertical
axis.

Point

If you check the User Defined option,

mirroring will take place about an axis
defined by two points along it. It is
useful to define these two points before
entering the Mirror Image function.

Point

Modify Menu 5-7

Keep Original

If you check the Keep original option,

the original half of the mirrored items
will be retained after mirroring.

Original Mirror
Image

Otherwise, only the new half will be

kept.

Original Mirror
Image

5-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Scale
Resize or scale the selection set.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Scale

The reference point remains stationary

Before scaling
After scaling

Different scales can be applied to the selection set in the horizontal

and vertical directions. If you haven't selected anything you will
automatically enter the Select function. Select the primitives you
want to scale.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point about which to scale

Position the cursor at the point around

which the increase or decrease in scale is
to take place. This point will remain
stationary while the rest of the selection set
is scaled. Press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter scale from cursor (else from
keyboard)

You can use the cursor to indicate where

the selection set must be scaled to. For
example, if you indicate that this point ...

must be scaled to here...

Modify Menu 5-9

 ... the selection set will be scaled like this.
If you want to indicate the scaling by
cursor, click on the YES button and follow
the instructions in "Scaling by cursor".

Alternatively you can type specific horizontal and vertical scaling

factors from the keyboard. For example, typing "2 0.5" will scale the
selection set by a factor of 2 in the horizontal direction and by a
factor of 0.5 in the vertical direction. To type the scaling factors, click
on the NO button and follow the instructions in "Scaling from the
Keyboard".

Scaling by cursor
This option allows you to indicate the scaling factors with the cursor
position.

Point about
which to scale AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point to be scaled

Position the cursor on a point to be moved

during the scale.
If the point to be scaled is vertically in line
Point to scale with the point about which to scale…
(vertically in line)

... you will only be able to scale the selection

set vertically

5-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Point about
which to scale

If the point to be scaled is horizontally in line

with the point about which to scale...

Point to scale
(horizontally in line)

... you will only be able to scale the selection

set horizontally

Point about which

to scale

If the point to be scaled is anywhere else...

Point to scale,
neither horizontally
nor vertically in line

... you will be able to scale the selection set in

any direction you want.

Press [Enter] or click to accept the point to be scaled.

Enter point it must scale to

Move your cursor to the position that the point must scale to. As you
move your cursor, you can see the selection set being scaled. To
retain the horizontal and vertical proportions of the selection set as
you scale it, press the [SHIFT] key as you move the cursor.
Press [Enter] or click. The selection set is scaled.

Modify Menu 5-11

Scaling from the keyboard
This option allows you to type in exact scaling factors.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter x and y scale factors

Type in the horizontal and vertical scaling factors separated by a

space. Click on  or press [Enter]. The selection set is scaled.

5-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Repeat
Copy selection set in linear or circular fashion.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Repeat

Linear or Circular or
rectangular repeat polar repeat

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives you want to repeat.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Repeat how many times

Type in the number of additional copies required and click on  or

press [Enter].
For example, if you type 4 you will end up with five copies of the
selection set: the original and four copies.
Rectangular repeat? (else polar)

To repeat along a line click on the YES button, else click on the NO
button for polar repeat.

Modify Menu 5-13

Rectangular Repeat

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point on original set

Position the cursor at a point on the selection

set and press [Enter] or click. This point acts
as a reference point.

Original
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter point on repeated set

Position the cursor at the place where the first

copy should be positioned. This position
defines the distance between copies.
For example, if you position the cursor here ..

Original

... the first copy will be positioned like this. All

subsequent copies will be positioned at equal
distances from each other as on the diagram
on the previous page.
First Copy
Press [Enter] or click. The selection set is
repeated.

5-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Polar Repeat
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point about which to rotate

Position the cursor at the centre of the circle around which the
copies will be placed and press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will now
prompt:
Enter rotation angle

The default angle required to copy the selection set evenly around a
circle will appear. Accept this default by clicking on  or pressing
[Enter]. Alternatively, type an angle of your choice and click on  or
press [Enter]. The selection set is repeated.

Centre point

For example, to produce a drawing of a filter (above) from one

element using the polar repeat you would repeat 39 copies (there are
40 in all - one original and 39 copies) around the centre point at a
rotation angle of 9 degrees (40 copies multiplied by 9 degrees is 360
degrees - a complete circle).
Note the following points:
• The angle you type is measured in an anti-clockwise direction. If
you do not know the angle and need to calculate it, you can type
the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. 360/4 instead of the
angle.
• Each copy produced by Repeat is a new object, with the same
name and parent name as the original (if you are not sure what
an object is, see Drawing Structure in the User Guide). For
example, if you started off with one switch, which you repeated
four times, you would end up with five switches. If you drew one
part of an object and then used Repeat to complete the object,
you would have to unite the repeated copies of the object and the

Modify Menu 5-15

 original into one object using the Objects ► Group Into Object
function.
• Only the last copy remains in the selection set.

5-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Drop
Place a copy of the selection set on the drawing at a random position.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Drop

Unlike Repeat, Drop does not assume a regular interval between

copies of the selection set. Copies are positioned individually.
If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the
Select function. Select the primitives to copy.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter a point on selection set

Position the cursor on a point and press [Enter] or click. This point is
a reference point that you will use to define where the copy will be
placed.
Enter point where you would like to copy selection set

As you move the cursor, you will see an image of the selection set
moving with it. Position this image and press [Enter] or click.
Continue to place copies or cancel copying by choosing another
function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Each copy is a new object, with the same parent and object names
as the original. For example, if you started off with one tree, and
you made two copies, you would end up with three trees. If you
drew one part of an object and then used Drop to complete the
object, you would have to unite the copied parts of the object and
the original into one object using the Objects ► Group Into Object
function.

Modify Menu 5-17

Rotate
Rotate the selection set.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Rotate

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives to rotate.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point about which to rotate

Position the cursor at the pivot point about which the selection set
will be rotated and press [Enter] or click.
Enter angle from keyboard (else from cursor)

If you know the angle of rotation, click on YES or else if you want to
rotate the selection set by dragging it with your cursor, click on NO.

Rotating by angle
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter angle

Type the angle through which the selection set must rotate. Click on
 or press [Enter]. The selection set is rotated.
The rotation angle is measured anti-clockwise from the three o’clock
position regardless of how you have set up the Angular Format in
Settings ► Drawing Settings. If you do not know the angle and need to
calculate it, you can type the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g.
360/4 instead of the angle.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter point that must move

You are now given the option to move the rotated selection set. If you
do not want to do so choose another function, press the [Space Bar],
click on Done or .

5-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rotating by cursor
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point that must rotate

Position the cursor at the point you want to use to drag the selection
set around with and press [Enter] or click.
Enter point it must rotate to

Position the cursor at a point to indicate the new inclination of the

selection set. You will see the selection set rotating as you move the
cursor. Press [Enter] or click.
Enter point that must move

You are now given the option to move the rotated selection set. If you
do not want to move the rotated set choose another function, press
the [Space Bar], click on Done or .

Modify Menu 5-19

Trim
Trim or extend a line or arc to join another one exactly.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left, Modify Trim
Right

Left-clicking will result in trimming two lines/arcs onto one another.

Right-clicking will result in trimming one line or arc onto another.
The Update and Use options are displayed on the Control Bar and
the cursor switches to Freehand mode.

Update

If you choose First Line, one line or arc will be

trimmed or extended to meet another line or
arc.

Before Trim After Trim

If you choose Both Lines, two lines or arcs will

be trimmed or extended to meet each other.

Before Trim After Trim

The Neither Line option is irrelevant in this function.

5-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Use
If you choose One Point, you will be able to select the lines or arcs to
trim with one mouse click.

If you have chosen to update the First Line,

you must click on the element you want to
trim or extend. If you are trimming an element
Click here rather than extending it, ensure that you click
on that part of the element to be retained after
Before Trim After Trim
the trim.

If you have chosen to update Both Lines, you

must click inside the corner made by the two
elements.
Click here If you choose Two Points, you must select the
Before Trim After Trim lines or arcs to trim with two mouse clicks.

If you have chosen to update the First Line,

you must click on the element you want to
trim or extend first.
If you are trimming an element rather than
Click on this
extending it, ensure that you click on that part
line first
of the element to be retained after the trim.

Once you have clicked on the element to trim

or extend, click on the element that it must be
trimmed or extended to.
Then click
on this line

Modify Menu 5-21

 If you have chosen to update Both Lines, you
must click on one of the elements you want to
trim or extend, then on the other.
Click here…

If you are trimming an element rather than

extending it, ensure that you click on that part
of the element to be retained after the trim.
And here…

When you have finished trimming, select another element to trim or

extend or cancel the function by choosing another function, pressing
the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Trim Length
Modify the length of a line entity.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TrimLineLen
This function allows you to change the length of a line by typing in a
fixed quantity. A line can be lengthened or shortened in this way.

Procedure
Select line to modify near fixed end

Indicate the line to be changed, and do so near the end that must
not change. ie. The opposite end of the line will get lengthened or
shortened.
Enter new line length

The input bar is initialized with the current length giving you the
opportunity to change it. Type in the new value and press [Enter] or
click the tick mark.
The line entity is modified, and the process repeats for subsequent
lines.
5-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual
Multi Line Trim
Perform many trim operations using the same line as the trim line

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TrimMultiLine

This function allows you to indicate a line to be used as the trim line
(cutting edge) and thereafter indicate any number of subsequent
lines to be trimmed onto the trim line.

Procedure
Select line to be trimmed to

Indicate the line to be used as the trimming line. This line will not get
modified.
Select line to trim (on side to keep)

Indicate the line that will get modified on the side that will remain
after the trimming. This line does not have to intersect with the trim
line as the extended intersection will be calculated. The trim might
actually be an extension in this case.
The program repeats allowing you to trim many lines in turn without
having to indicate the trim line each time.

Fillet
Insert radiused corners between elements or edit elements to join exactly.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Fillet

Before After

Modify Menu 5-23

The elements to be filleted may be arcs or lines. It does not matter
whether they join, cross or do not intersect at all.
The Control Bar will display the Update, Use and Radius options.
The cursor will also switch to Freehand mode.

Update

If you choose Neither Line, a fillet will be

inserted between two elements, but the
Before After elements will not be updated.
Fillet Fillet

If you choose First Line, a fillet will be inserted

between two elements and one of the elements
Before After will be updated.
Fillet Fillet

If you choose Both Lines, a fillet will be

inserted between two elements and both of the
Before After elements will be updated.
Fillet Fillet

Use
If you choose One Point, you will be able to select the elements to
fillet with one mouse click.

If you have chosen to update the First Line,

you must click near the element you want to
Click here update but inside the corner made by the two
Before After elements.
Fillet Fillet

5-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 If you have chosen to update Neither Line you
must click inside the corner made by the two
Click here
elements.
Before After
Fillet Fillet

If you have chosen to update Both Lines, you

must click inside the corner made by the two
Click here
elements.
Before After
Fillet Fillet

If you choose Two Points, you must select the elements to fillet with
two mouse clicks.

If you have chosen to update the First Line,

you must click near the element you want to
update first. You must click inside the corner
made by the two elements.
Click here
first

Once you have clicked near the element to

update, click near the other element. Again,
you must click on the inside of the corner
made by the two elements.
Then click here

If you have chosen to update Neither Line or

Both Lines, you must click near to one of the
elements to fillet between, then click near the
other.
Click here…

Modify Menu 5-25

 You must click on the inside of the corner
made by the two elements.
And here…

Radius

Fillet Radius Type the fillet radius. If you type "0", the Fillet
function will operate in exactly the same way
as the Trim function.

If your fillet is “inside out”, you probably clicked outside the corner
made by the elements being filleted, not inside. Undo the fillet and
try again, ensuring that you click on the inside of the corner.

5-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Chamfer
Draw a third, sloping line between two existing lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Chamfer

It does not matter whether the lines to be chamfered join, cross or do

not intersect at all.
The Control Bar will display the options and the cursor switches to
Freehand mode.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select first line to be chamfered

Position the cursor on or near the first line to

be chamfered and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD prompts:
Second line

Position the cursor on or near the second line

to be chamfered and press [Enter] or click.

The lines are chamfered.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select first line to be chamfered

Modify Menu 5-27

Position the cursor on or near another line to be chamfered and
press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel chamfering by choosing
another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Lengths are measured from the intersection point of the two lines
even if they do not meet, and are applied to the lines in the order in
which they are selected.

Chamfer by angle and one length

Length Angle

Angle

Length
Second line Select the Angle option and type the length
selected
and angle as shown above.
First line
selected

Chamfer by two lengths

First Length Second Length

Second
Length

First
Select "Length 2" and type the first and
Length Second line second lengths.
selected

First line
selected

5-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Divide/Extend
Split or extend a line or arc

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Divide

When a line or arc is split, the two split ends form a point that can
be snapped to exactly. Also, once a line or arc has been split, one
part of it can be rubbed out or edited.
A line or arc can also be extended to meet another line.

Splitting a line or arc

AllyCAD will prompt:
Select line or arc to be divided or extended

Position the cursor on the line or arc to be divided or extended and

press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter point where you want to divide element (or point to
extend it to)

Position the cursor at the point where the split must take place.
Press [Enter] or click. If the point is not exactly on the line or arc, the
split will take place at the nearest position on the line or arc.

Extending a line or arc

AllyCAD will prompt:
Select line or arc to be divided or extended

Position the cursor on the line or arc to be divided or extended and

press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter point where you want to divide element (or point to
extend it to)

Position the cursor at the point you want to extend it to and press
[Enter] or click. If the point does not lie exactly on the extended line
or arc, the line or arc will be extended to the nearest position.

Modify Menu 5-29

Divide/Edit
Divide and edit part of a line.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify exec ".\macro\divedln"

This function divides a line and then allows you to edit the part
between the points of division.
AllyCAD prompts:
Select line to edit (Between divide points)

Click on the line you want to edit.

AllyCAD prompts:
Select first divide point.

Move your mouse and click on the spot that will be the first point of
division.
AllyCAD prompts:
Select second divide point.

Move your mouse and click on the spot that will be the second point
of division.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter linestyle to change to.

In the Control Bar, type in the number of the linestyle you would
like. Click on .
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter pen to change to.

In the Control Bar, type in the number of the pen you would like.
Click on . The divided and newly edited line will appear.
Cancel the function by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

5-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Join Lines
Join the ends of two lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Modify JoinLine

Some lines may be deleted when you use this function as the
following example will illustrate.

Example 1 Example 2

Line 1 Line 2 Line 1 Line 2

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select first line to be joined

Position your cursor at the end of one of the lines and press [Enter]
or click. The end of the line that you position your cursor close to will
be deleted.

Example 1 Example 2

Line 1 Line 2 Line 1 Line 2

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select second line to be joined

Position your cursor at the end of the other line and press [Enter] or
click. The end of the line that you position your cursor close to will
be deleted.

Example 1 Example 2

Line 1 Line 1

Line 2 Line 2

The two lines are joined. The original lines in Example 1 are deleted.

Modify Menu 5-31

 Example 1 Example 2
These ends have
been deleted

... to give this line Lines 1 and 2 have been joined

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select first line to be joined

Position the cursor near the end of another line and press [Enter] or
click. Alternatively, cancel Join Lines by choosing another function,
pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

If the two original lines disappear and no new line is produced, click
on Undo and try again. Ensure that you are in Freehand mode, and
that you click at the ends of the lines that are to be deleted.

5-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Cut and Rub
Rub out part of a line.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify exec ".\macro\cut&rub”
Right

A Left click on the icon will start a single place Cut & Rub described
in “Cutting in one place”.
A Right click on the icon will start a two place Cut & Rub described
in “Cutting in two places”
If you started this function from the menu, you will be asked if you
want to cut in one or two places with the following prompt:
Do you want to cut one place (else two places

You want to
delete this part of Click on the YES button if you want to rub
the line out the end of a line, and therefore only
have to cut the line in one place.

Click on the NO button if the part of the

You want to
delete this part of
line that you want to rub out means that
the line you must cut the line in two places.

Modify Menu 5-33

Cutting in one place

AllyCAD will prompt

Select line to cut (between cut point and
end)

The cursor switches to Freehand mode.

Position your cursor between the cut point and the
end of the line. Press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select cut point

Position the cursor so that the intersection is within

the cursor box and press [Enter] or click.

The unwanted section of line disappears.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Cut another line (else exit)

If you want to cut another line, click on the YES button. To stop
cutting lines, click on the NO button.

5-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Cutting in two places
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select line to cut (between cut points)

The cursor switches to Freehand mode.

Position your cursor between the two intersections.
Press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter first cut point

Position the cursor so that one of the intersections

bounding the piece of line you want to rub out is
within the cursor box and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter second cut point

Position the cursor so that the other intersection

bounding the piece of line you want to rub out is
within the cursor box and press [Enter] or click.

The unwanted section of line disappears.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Cut another line (else exit)

If you want to cut another line, click on the YES button. To stop
cutting lines, click on the NO button.

Modify Menu 5-35

Snip
Cut and rub out everything inside or outside a box or circle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify Snip

Snip cuts all lines, arcs and circles passing through the perimeter of
a box or circle drawn around them. It can be used to create openings
in walls before doors are placed, to create a space for text that would
otherwise pass over previously drawn lines or to delete all but a
small part of a drawing etc.
Annotations (text, arrows, dimensions) whose origins do not lie
wholly within the snip box or circle will not be deleted.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Snip out box? (else circle)

If you want to snip everything inside or outside a box, click on the

YES button. If you want to snip everything inside or outside a circle,
click on the NO button.
Remove elements on inside? (else outside)

Everything inside
this box will be
snipped out

Before snip After snip

If you want to delete everything on the inside of a box or circle, click

on YES.

Everything
outside this box
will be deleted

Before snip After snip

If you want to delete everything on the outside, click on NO.

5-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD will prompt:
Would you like to enter box/circle after snip

If you would like the snip box or circle to be

drawn after the snip, click on the YES button.

Else click on the NO button.

Snipping inside or outside a box.

If you elected to snip inside or outside a box the following prompt is
displayed:
Enter corner of snip box

Position the cursor at one corner of the snip box and press [Enter] or
click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Move the cursor diagonally away from the first corner you entered
and press [Enter] or click. The elements inside or outside the box will
be deleted.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter new corner of snip box

When you move the cursor the snip box you have just defined moves
with it. Place the snip box at another position and press [Enter] or
click. The elements inside or outside the box will be deleted.
Alternatively, cancel Snip by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or right clicking then clicking on .

Modify Menu 5-37

Snipping inside or outside a circle
If you have elected to snip inside or outside a circle the following
prompt is displayed:
Enter centre point of snip circle

Position the cursor at the centre of the snip circle and press [Enter]
or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter point on radius

Position the cursor at a point on the snip circle's circumference and

press [Enter] or click. The elements inside or outside the circle will be
deleted.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter new centre point of snip circle

When you move the cursor the snip circle you have just defined
moves with it. Place the snip circle at another position and press
[Enter] or click. The elements inside or outside the circle will be
deleted.
Alternatively, cancel Snip by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

5-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Polysnip
Cut and rub out everything inside or outside a polygon.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Modify PolySnip

Polysnip is similar to the snip function. It cuts all lines, arcs and
circles passing through the perimeter of the polygon drawn around
them. It can be used to create openings in walls before doors are
placed, to create a space for text that would otherwise pass over
previously drawn lines or to delete all but a small part of a drawing.
Annotations (text, arrows, dimensions) whose origins do not lie
wholly within the snip polygon will not be deleted.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Remove elements on inside? (else outside)

If you want to delete everything on the inside of the polygon, click on

YES. If you want to delete everything on the outside, click on NO.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Would you like to enter clip polygon after snip?

If you would like the snip polygon to be drawn after the snip, click on
the YES button, else click on the NO button. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter clip polygon

Position the cursor at one corner of the snip polygon and press
[Enter] or click.
Enter next point of polygon (Hit Space Bar for a box)

Move the cursor to the next point of the polygon you want and click.
If you hit [Space Bar] you will of course have a box rather than a
polygon area to be snipped. Otherwise AllyCAD will continue to
prompt:
Next point of polygon (Space Bar to close)

Continue moving the cursor to the next point of the polygon you
want and click until you have the enclosed polygon shape. Hit either
the [Space Bar] or Done to finish the function. The elements inside or
outside the polygon will be deleted, and elements crossing the
polygon will be snipped.

Modify Menu 5-39

Move Selected->New Layer
Move the selection set to a specified layer.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify WSNewLay

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives you want to move to another
layer.
AllyCAD will display the following dialog:

Click on the layer that the selection set must be moved to. The
destination layer will be highlighted.

Before using this function, ensure you have created the layer to
move the selection set to. See Layer Control.

5-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Copy Selected->New Layer
Copy the selection set to a specified layer.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify CopyToLayer

If you haven't selected anything you will automatically enter the

Select function. Select the primitives you want to copy to another
layer.
AllyCAD will display the following dialog:

Click on the layer that the selection set must be copied to. The
destination layer will be highlighted.

Before using this function, ensure you have created the layer to
copy the selection set to. See Layer Control.

Modify Menu 5-41

Ellipse2Arcs
Convert an ellipse into 12 arcs.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

El2Arc

This function converts ellipses into 12 arcs so that they can be

snipped, hatched or snapped to.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter polygon about ellipses to be converted to arcs

Draw a polygon around the ellipses to be converted. Use the

[Space Bar] to close the polygon.
The enclosed ellipses will be converted.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter polygon about ellipses to be converted to arcs

Either draw a polygon around more ellipses to be converted to arcs,

or cancel ellipse conversion by choosing another function, pressing
the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Transform
Applies a Helmert transformation on all or part of the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Transform

The Helmert transform requires at least common three points

between the old and the new coordinate systems. You may input up
to 100 common coordinates.
All All the points, lines and polylines/polygons in the drawing will be exported.

Only the visible points, lines and polylines/polygons in the drawing will be
Visible
exported.

Only the selected points, lines and polylines/polygons in the drawing will be
Selected
exported.

Procedure
The CAD will prompt:

5-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Transform all, visible or selected (A/V/S)

Select which option you require and click on .

The CAD will prompt:
Indicate transformation points (else supply transform
parameters)

Click on the YES button if you want to indentify the transformation

points graphically. If you would rather type in a list of the
transformation points click on the NO button.

Indicate transformation points

The CAD will prompt:
Indicate point 1 on old system (Spacebar to cancel)

Indicate a known point on the old coordinate system. The CAD will
prompt:
Indicate the same point on the new system

Indicate the position of the point in the new coordinate system.

The CAD will then continue prompting for sets of coordinates until
the spacebar is pressed.

A minimum of three points must be entered for the transformation

to be processed.

The Transform Settings dialog will be displayed.

Click on the YES button to continue or the NO button to terminate

the function. If you have decided to accept the settings the
Transform Parameters will be displayed.

Modify Menu 5-43

These are the actual parameters which will be applied during the
transformation. Click on OK to continue and the drawing will be
transformed.

Type in transformation points

This option allows you to type in a list of old and new coordinates.
The Transform Parameters table will be displayed. Input the
coordinate sets as shown below.

You must input a minimum of 3 sets of coordinates. Click on OK to

complete the transform or on Cancel to terminate the function.

Clarke->WGS84 (SA Only)

Transform CAD entities from the Modified Clarke 1880 datum to the WGS84
datum

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

5-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 KNBTransform

Procedure
The CAD prompts:
Transform all, visible or selected (A/V/S)
Enter the letter corresponding to which entities are to be
transformed.
Central LO for drawing (must be positive and odd)
Enter the central longitude (prime meridian) that this survey drawing
references. This is very important as the required KNB file for this
area of South Africa depends on the central longitude.
The Browse Folder dialog is display.

Select the directory in which your KNB files are stored and click the
OK button to continue, or click the Cancel button to cancel the
function.
If the correct KNB files are not found in the selected directory then
the following message is displayed:

Modify Menu 5-45

Contact the KNB file suppliers (see the Note section below for contact
details) and order the correct degree square files.
If the correct degree square files are found then the calculation
continues and the entities are transformed.

Note
This transformation is based on degree squares for which the
required transformation parameters have been pre-calculated. These
parameters are applied to all points within their containing degree
square in order to calculate corrected coordinates.
The transformation is dependant on degree square files (KNB files)
which can be obtained from the following (sole) supplier:
Mark Newling
Tritan Survey cc
PO Box 18597
Wynberg
7824
Tel: 021 797-2081
Fax: 021 797-8195
Email: [email protected]

The supply and use of the KNB files supplied by Mark Newling and Tritan
Survey is a matter between yourself and their company and Knowledge
Base will, other than to the extent of verifying that the internal calculation
used is correct, bear no responsibility for the outcome of any
transformation using these supplied files.

5-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Modify Menu 5-47
Geometry Menu
The Geometry Menu options
allow you to define construction
lines that can be used to draw
complex shapes in conjunction
with the Draw ► FillGeom
functions.
Tangent geometry only works on
geometry elements. If you need
to draw tangents to solid
elements, project these to
geometry first using the Geometry
► Make Geometry function, or use
the tangent snap function.

Geometry Menu 6-1

Cross
Draw a geometry cross.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry gcross

This function creates a horizontal and a vertical geometry line

simultaneously. The two lines intersect at the current cursor
position.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point for geometry cross

Position the cursor where you want the two lines to intersect and
press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter point for geometry cross

Position the cursor where you want another two lines to intersect
and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel cross drawing by
choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

6-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Slope Line
Draw a geometry line through a specified point and at an angle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry glineslp

Geometry line will pass through this point.

Type in
angle

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point on geometry line

Position the cursor at a point through which you want a geometry

line to pass and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter slope of line (in degrees)

Type in the angle of the line and click on  or press [Enter].

The angle is measured anti-clockwise from 3 o'clock.

AllyCAD will prompt again:

Enter point on geometry line

Position the cursor at a point through which you want another

geometry line and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively, cancel line
drawing by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar] or
clicking on Done.

Geometry Menu 6-3

Point-Point Line
Draw a geometry line passing through two specified points.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry glinepp

First point Second point

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point

Position the cursor at one point through which a geometry line

should pass and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter second point

Position the cursor at the other point through which the geometry
line should pass and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt again:
Enter first point

Position the cursor at one point through which another geometry line
should pass and press [Enter] or click, or cancel geometry line
drawing by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .

6-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Parallel Line
Draw a geometry line or circle parallel to an existing line, arc or circle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry glineprl

AllyCAD will prompt:

Parallel geometry element by distance? (else through point)

Parallel line If you want to place the parallel element by

specifying a distance between the existing
Distance
element and the parallel one, click on the
Existing line
YES button.

Parallel line Point If you want to place the parallel element by

specifying a point through which the
parallel element must pass, click on the NO
button.
Existing line

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Select original line or circle
Parallel line will appear on
(geometry or solid) on correct side
this side of the existing line
Position the cursor next to the existing
element and on that side of it where you
want the parallel element to appear. Press
[Enter] or click.

Geometry Menu 6-5

Parallel line by distance
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter parallel distance

Type in the distance between the existing element and the parallel
element and click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Select original line or circle on correct side

Draw another parallel line or cancel parallel line drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

If you do not know the distance and need to calculate it, you can
type the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead
of the distance. See Making Calculations in the User Guide.

Parallel line through point

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point new geometry element should pass through

Position the cursor at the point the parallel line must pass through
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Select original line or circle on correct side

Draw another parallel line or cancel parallel line drawing by choosing

another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

6-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle
Draw a geometry circle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry gcir

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter circle centre point

Position the cursor where you want the centre point of a circle to be
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point on diameter

Move the cursor away from the circle centre. As

you move the cursor you will see the circle
changing size.
When the desired circle size is obtained, press
[Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Enter circle centre point

Enter the centre point of another circle, or cancel circle drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

To position the cursor and to define the position of the circle

circumference accurately, see Accurate Drawing in the User Guide

Geometry Menu 6-7

Circle Diameter
Draw up to five concentric geometry circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry gcirdia

AllyCAD will prompt:

Geometry circle centre point

Position the cursor where you want the centre point of the circle or
circles to be and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter up to 5 diameters separated by spaces

Type in up to five diameters separated by spaces and click on  or

press [Enter].
For example, to produce these three circles, you would type:
20 70 80

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Geometry circle centre point

Enter the centre point of another circle or circles, or cancel

concentric circle drawing by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

6-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle Tan LL
Draw a geometry circle of known diameter tangent to two intersecting
geometry lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry gctanll

The two lines that you select must be geometry lines. If you need to
draw a circle tangent to two solid lines, project these to geometry first
using the Geometry  Make Geometry function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Circle tangent to two lines enter diameter

Type the diameter of the tangent circle and click on  or press

[Enter].

If you do not know the distance and need to calculate it, you can
type the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead
of the diameter.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Select first line

Position the cursor next to one of the

geometry lines the circle must be
tangent to and on the side where the
circle must be drawn. Press [Enter] or
click.

Geometry Menu 6-9

 AllyCAD will now prompt:
Select second line

Position the cursor next to the other

geometry line the circle must be tangent
to and on the side where the circle must
be drawn. Press [Enter] or click.

The circle is drawn as shown.

If you have selected two lines that are parallel then an error message
will be displayed:
Parallel lines never meet … Euclid.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Circle tangent to two lines enter diameter

Type the diameter of another circle and click on  or press [Enter].

Alternatively, cancel circle drawing by pressing the [Esc] key.

6-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle Tan LC
Draw a geometry circle of known diameter tangent to a geometry line and a
geometry circle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

gctanlc

The line and the circle that you select must be a geometry line and
circle. If you need to draw a circle tangent to a solid line and circle,
project these to geometry first using the Geometry ► Make Geometry
function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Circle tangent to line and circle: enter diameter

Type the diameter of the tangent circle and click on  or press

[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select line

Position the cursor near the geometry line that the circle must be
tangent to and press [Enter] or click . The position of the tangent
circle is dependent on the cursor position. For example:

If you position the cursor here ...

Geometry Menu 6-11

 the tangent circle will be drawn on this
side.

If you position the cursor here ...

... the tangent circle will appear on this

side.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select circle

Position the cursor near the existing geometry circle that the tangent
circle must be tangent to and press [Enter] or click .
Where the tangent circle will appear is dependent on where you
selected the line, and on whether you position the cursor inside or
outside the existing circle when you select it.

If you position the cursor inside the

existing circle...

6-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 ... the tangent circle will enclose the
existing circle, or be enclosed by it,
depending on the diameter of the tangent
circle.

If you position the cursor outside the

existing circle...

...the tangent circle will be positioned next

to the existing circle.

If the diameter you specified is too small, the message

Tangent circle not possible

will be displayed. To measure distances use the Tools ► Measure

function.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Circle tangent to line and circle: enter diameter

Type the diameter of another circle and click on  or press [Enter].

Alternatively, cancel circle drawing by pressing the [Esc] key.

If you do not know the diameter and need to calculate it, you can
type the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead
of the distance.

Geometry Menu 6-13

Circle Tan CC
Draw a geometry circle of known diameter tangent to two geometry circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry gctancc

The two circles that you select must be geometry circles. If you need
to draw a circle tangent to two solid circles, project these to geometry
first using the Geometry ► Make Geometry function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Circle tangent to two circles: enter diameter

Type the diameter of the tangent circle and click on  or press

[Enter].
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select first circle (inside or outside)

Position the cursor at a point near the circumference of one of the

existing geometry circles that the circle must be tangent to and press
[Enter] or click.
Where the tangent circle will appear relative to this circle is
dependent on whether you position the cursor inside or outside it.

6-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 If you position the cursor inside the first
circle...

... the tangent circle will enclose the first

existing circle or be enclosed by it,
depending on the positions of the two
existing circles and the diameter of the
tangent circle.

If you position the cursor outside the first

existing circle...

...the tangent circle will be positioned next

to the first existing circle.

AllyCAD will then prompt:

Select second circle

Geometry Menu 6-15

Where the tangent circle will appear is also dependent on which side
of the first existing circle the cursor is positioned on.

6-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

For example:

If you position the cursor here ...

... the tangent circle will appear on this

side.

If you position the cursor here ...

... the tangent circle will appear on this

side.

Geometry Menu 6-17

Position the cursor at a point near the circumference of the second
existing geometry circle and press [Enter] or click .
As with selection of the first existing circle, if you position the cursor
inside the second circle the tangent circle will enclose the second
circle. If you position the cursor outside the second circle, the
tangent circle will be next to the second circle.
If the diameter you specified is too small, the message
Tangent circle not possible

will be displayed. To measure distances use the Tools ► Measure

function.

6-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle Tan 3L
Draw a geometry circle tangent to three geometry lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry gctan3l

The three lines that you select must be geometry lines. If you need
to draw a circle tangent to three solid lines, project these to geometry
first using the Geometry ► Make Geometry function.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Circle tangent to three lines —
select first geometry line

Position the cursor next to one of the

geometry lines the circle must be tangent
to and on that side of it where you want the
circle to appear. Press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will then prompt:

Select next line

Position the cursor close to the second

geometry line and press [Enter] or click.

Geometry Menu 6-19

 Thereafter, AllyCAD will prompt:
Select last line

Position the cursor close to the third

geometry line and press [Enter] or click.

The geometry circle is drawn.

If the circle is accidentally placed inside the triangle formed by the

three lines instead of outside it, try selecting the three lines again,
this time selecting them further away from the triangle.

The centroid of three points determines the tangent circle. If the

three geometry lines are parallel, no circle will be drawn.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Circle tangent to three lines — select first geometry line

Position the cursor close to another line in order to draw another

circle and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel circle drawing
by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

6-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle Tan LPtRad
Draw a geometry circle with a known radius passing through a point and
tangent to a geometry line.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry gctanlp

Point

AllyCAD will prompt:

Circle tangent to line through
point .. select geometry line

Position the cursor close to the

geometry line that the circle must be
tangent to and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will then prompt:

Enter radius of circle

Type in the radius of the circle and click

on  or press [Enter].
Thereafter AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point circle must pass
through

Position the cursor at the point through

which the circle must pass and press
[Enter] or click.
The circle is drawn through the point.

Geometry Menu 6-21

If a circle cannot be drawn tangent to the line and through the point,
the message
Tangent circle not possible

will be displayed. Try again, but enter a different radius or position

the point differently.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Circle tangent to line through point... select geometry line

Position the cursor close to a geometry line to draw another tangent

circle and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel circle drawing
by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

6-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle Tan CPtRad
Draw a geometry circle with a known radius through a point and tangent to a
geometry circle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry gctancpt

Point

AllyCAD will prompt:

Circle tangent to circle through point ... select geometry
circle

Position the cursor close to the circumference of the existing

geometry circle and press [Enter] or click.

Point

If you select the existing circle on the

inside...

Point
... the tangent circle will enclose the
existing circle or be enclosed by it,
depending on the radii of the two
circles.

Geometry Menu 6-23

 Point

If you select the existing circle on the

outside...

Point

... the tangent circle will be next to the

existing circle.

Generally, two circles are possible, as shown in this diagram. Which

one is drawn is also dependent on the cursor position as shown
below.

Point

6-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Point If you position the cursor on this side of
the existing circle ...

... this tangent circle will be drawn.

Point

Point
If you position the cursor on this side of
the existing circle ...

Point

... this tangent circle will be drawn.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter radius of circle

Geometry Menu 6-25

Type in the radius of the tangent circle and click on  or press
[Enter].

If you do not know the radius and need to calculate it, you can type
the necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. (518-212)/3 instead of the
radius. See Making Calculations in the User Guide.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter point circle must pass through

Position the cursor at the point the tangent circle must pass through
and press [Enter] or click.
If a circle cannot be drawn tangent to the line and through the point,
the message
Tangent circle not possible

will be displayed. Try again, but enter a different radius or position

the point differently.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Circle tangent to circle through point...select geometry
circle

Position the cursor close to the circumference of another existing

circle and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel circle drawing
by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

6-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Circle 3 Pt
Draw a geometry circle through three points.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry gc3point

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point on geometry circle.

Position the cursor at the first point the circle must pass through
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter second point on circle.

Position the cursor at the second point the circle must pass through
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter third point on circle.

Position the cursor at the third point the circle must pass through
and press [Enter] or click.
If the three points that you have entered are in a straight line, the
error message
Three points in a straight line

will appear.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter first point on geometry circle

Position the cursor at the first point another circle must pass
through and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel circle
drawing by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .

Geometry Menu 6-27

Line Tan C
Draw a geometry line tangent to a geometry circle and through a known point
or at a known angle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry glntanc

AllyCAD will prompt:

Line tangent to geometry circle: select circle

Position the cursor close to the circle that the line must be tangent
to. The line will be tangent to that part of the circle closest to the
cursor position. Press [Enter] or click.
Would you like tangent line at fixed angle (else through
point)

If you would like the tangent line at a

Known known angle, click on the YES button.
angle

If you would like the tangent line to

pass through a point, click on the NO
button.

6-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Tangent line at a fixed angle
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter angle

Enter the angle of the tangent line and click on  or press [Enter].

The angle is always measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock

position.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Line tangent to geometry circle: select circle

Position the cursor close to a circle to draw another tangent line and
press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel tangent line drawing by
choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

Tangent line through point

AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter point that line must go through

Position the cursor at the point through which the tangent line must
pass and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Line tangent to geometry circle: select circle

Position the cursor close to a circle to draw another tangent line and
press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel tangent line drawing by
choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

Geometry Menu 6-29

Line Tan CC
Draw a geometry line tangent to two geometry circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry gltancc

AllyCAD will prompt:

Line tangent to two circles — select first

Position the cursor close to one circle that the line must be tangent
to. The line will be tangent to that part of the circle closest to the
cursor position. Press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Select second circle

Position the cursor close to another circle and press [Enter] or click.

If you want the line to touch on opposite

sides of the circles …

… click here first …

6-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 … then click here.

If you want the line to touch on the

same side of the circles …

… click here …

… then click here.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Line tangent to two circles — select first

Position the cursor close to a circle in order to draw another line and
press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel line drawing by choosing
another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Geometry Menu 6-31

Perp Bisector
Draw a geometry line that is a perpendicular bisector of two points or that is
perpendicular to a geometry line and passes through a point.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry glnperpb

Point Point

Point Line

AllyCAD will prompt:

Perpendicular bisector? (else line through point
perpendicular to given line)

Point

If you want to draw a geometry line that is

a perpendicular bisector of two points click
on the YES button.

Point

Point

If you want to draw a geometry line that is

perpendicular to another geometry line and
passes through a given point, click on the
NO button.
Line

6-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Perpendicular Bisector between two points
AllyCAD will prompt:
Perpendicular bisector between two points .. enter first
point

Position the cursor at the first point and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter next point

Position the cursor at the second point and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Perpendicular bisector between two points .. enter first
point

Position the cursor at a point in order to draw another perpendicular

bisector and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel line drawing
by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

Perpendicular to a line which passes through a point

AllyCAD will prompt:
Select geometry line

Position the cursor at the geometry line you want the new geometry
line to be perpendicular to and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter point perpendicular should go through

Position the cursor at the point the perpendicular line should pass
through and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select geometry line

Position the cursor at a geometry line you want to draw

perpendicular to and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel line
drawing by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .

Geometry Menu 6-33

Divide Line Equally
Divides the indicated line into a user-defined number of equal length sections
by drawing equally-spaced geometry lines perpendicular to the indicated line.
The indicated line is not affected.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Geometry

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter number of sections

Enter the number of sections you want the target line to be divided
into.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Click on the line you want to divide

Position the cursor close to the line you want to “divide” and press
[Enter] or click the left mouse button.

Only geometry lines are created in this function - the target line
itself is not cut into sections.

Divide Arc-Circle Equally

Draw multiple geometry circles along a circle or arc entity such that the circle
or arc is divided into a given number of parts.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Geometry Exec”.\macro\dividearc”

6-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

By indicating an arc or circle, you can divide it up (without actually
modifying it) into a given number of parts where the divisions are
indicated by small geometry circles.

Procedure
Enter number of sections

Enter the number of parts that the arc or circle is to be divided into.
Click on the circle you want to divide (spacebar to exit)

Indicate the arc or circle entity. Small geometry circles are drawn
accordingly, and the program repeats to allow many lines to be
divided into the same number of parts.

Only geometry lines are created in this function - the target line
itself is not cut into sections.

Geometry Menu 6-35

Make Geometry
Project existing solid lines and arcs to geometry lines and circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry makegeom

Existing lines and arc Projected geometry lines and circle

This function is useful for determining line and arc intersection

points, and for projecting existing lines to another part of the
drawing.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select element to be copied to
geometry

Position the cursor close to a solid line or

arc to be projected to geometry and press
[Enter] or click.

A geometry element is created.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select element to be copied to geometry

Position the cursor close to another line or arc to be projected to

geometry and press [Enter] or click . Alternatively, cancel element
projection by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .
6-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual
Switch Geometry On/Off
Make geometry lines visible/invisible

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry toggeom

When you select Switch Geometry On/Off, the message

Don't Draw Geometry

or
Draw Geometry

is displayed briefly on the screen, depending on whether you have

just switched the geometry off or on.
When the geometry is switched off, any geometry lines and circles
you have drawn will disappear. Even though you can't see the
geometry you will still be able to jump to it, e.g. using the Geometry
Intersection Jump.
To switch the geometry on again, select Switch Geometry On/Off
again.

Geometry Menu 6-37

Delete Geometry El
Rub out individual geometry elements.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Geometry delgeoel

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select geometry element to be deleted

Position the cursor on the geometry element to be deleted and press

[Enter] or click. The geometry element you have selected is
highlighted.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Correct element?

If this is the element you want to delete, click on the YES button.
The element will be deleted. If you do not want to delete the
highlighted geometry element, click on the NO button.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select geometry element to be deleted

Position the cursor on another geometry element to be deleted and

press [Enter] or click. Alternatively, cancel geometry deletion by
choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

Undo will not restore deleted geometry lines.

6-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Delete All Geometry
Delete all geometry.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry delgeom

This function deletes all geometry permanently, unless you have

saved it first using the File ► Save Options ► Save Geometry function.

Undo will not restore deleted geometry lines.

If you might need your geometry lines again later, you can
temporarily switch them off by unchecking the Show Geometry box
in Settings ► View Settings.

When you select this function, a confirmation dialog is displayed. If

you are quite sure that you want to delete all your geometry, click on
the OK button. Otherwise click on the [Cancel] button.

Geometry Menu 6-39

Annotate Menu
The Annotate menu allows you to
add text, dimensions and
hatching or solid fill to drawings.

Annotate Menu 7-1

Add Text
Add new text elements.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Text

To set the text parameters, i.e. what the text will look like, use the
Settings ► Set Text Defaults function before adding the text.
You can change the text parameters as you are entering the text in
the Text Entry dialog box, or change the parameters of existing text
using the Settings ► Set Text Defaults function or the Annotate ► Edit Text
function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text position

Position the cursor where you want the text to appear and press
[Enter] or click. The text label origin will determine the position of
the text relative to this point. See Set Text Defaults.
The Text Entry dialog box is displayed.

Type the text, which will appear in the white area of the dialog box at
the position of the black vertical cursor.
Press the [CTRL] [Enter] keys at the same time to enter a new line of
text. Alternatively, if you have checked the Accept Return check box,
you can enter a new line of text by pressing the [Enter] key on its
own.
If you want to change the text parameters at this stage, click on the
Text Defaults button. The Set Text Defaults dialog box will be
displayed.

7-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Here you can adjust the alignment, font, units, label origin, etc. Click
on the relevant buttons and make the necessary adjustments. Refer
to Settings ► Set Text Defaults for more details. When you have finished
click on OK.
AllyCAD continues to prompt:
Enter text position

Position the cursor where you want another piece of text to appear
and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively, cancel text entry by choosing
another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .
If you need to edit the text content after you have entered it, for
example because you have made a spelling mistake, double click on
the offending text with the Select cursor (see Select) or use the
Annotate ► Edit Text function.
Once you have entered text into AllyCAD, you can export it as an
ASCII file (see Export Text) or cut or copy it onto the Clipboard for
pasting into another program (see Cut and Copy).
You can also import text from a word-processor as an ASCII file (see
Import ASCII) or paste text into AllyCAD from a Windows word-
processor or desktop publishing program (see Paste).

Annotate Menu 7-3

Adding text around an arc

ar c
an
nd The ToolKit contains a function to
ou
ar allow you to place text around an
t arc in the General section.
x
te

When you run the macro, AllyCAD will prompt:

Select arc to place text on

Position your cursor on the arc you want to place the text around
and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text

Type the text you want to place around the arc and click on  or
press [Enter].
The text is placed around the arc, and centered between the ends of
the arc.

7-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Edit Text
Before you use the Edit Text command, you should select the text
you want to edit using the Select function or the Selection Filters.
The text editing options are displayed on a popup menu.

Edit Text
Edit the text content of all selected text.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EdText "E"

The text will be displayed inside the Text Entry dialog box. You can
change the text parameters by clicking on the Text Defaults button. If
you just want to change text height, you can type a new text height
into the text height box in the Text Edit dialog box. When you have
finished editing the text, click on OK.

If you have selected several pieces of text to edit, only one will be
displayed at a time. You can also edit text content by double
clicking on the text item with the Select cursor.

Move Text
Moves all selected text.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EdText "M"

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point on text that must move

Position the cursor at a point on the text and press [Enter] or click.
This point is a reference point that you will use to define the
movement. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter new text position

Position the cursor at the new position of the reference point. Press
[Enter] or click. Text can also be moved by the following methods:
• Using the Modify ► Stretch or Modify ► Move functions.
• Using the Select cursor to select the text and drag it to a new
position with your mouse.

Annotate Menu 7-5

Scale Text
Scales all selected text.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EdText "S"

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter text scale factor

Type the text scale factor. For example, if you want the text to be
twice as big, type "2". Then click on  or press [Enter].

Scaling takes place about the text label origin.

Change Text Parameters

Change the text parameters of all selected text

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EdText "C"

The Set Text Defaults dialog box will be displayed.

When you have set the parameters click on the Apply button to make
the changes. Select the text attributes to change as shown below and
click on OK. Click on OK to close the Set Text Defaults dialog.

7-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

You can also edit text parameters using the Settings ► Set Text
Defaults function. You can edit the text parameters of a single text
item by double clicking on it with the Select cursor.

Set Alignment
Define how the selection set should be aligned, or align the selection set
horizontally and/or vertically.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Modify SetAlign

The Align dialog box is displayed.

Set the options you require and click on the Apply button to align the
selection set.

Align To Each Other

The elements in the selection set will be aligned with each other. In
the example below, the selection set has been left aligned. The items
in the selection set have been aligned with the left hand edge of the
square, because this was the left most thing in the selection set
before alignment.

Annotate Menu 7-7

 Align Align

Before alignment After alignment

7-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Align To Grid
The selection set will be aligned to the nearest grid line. In the
example below, the selection set has been left aligned to the grid.
Each item has been aligned so that it's left hand side touches the
vertical grid line that was nearest to its left hand side before
alignment.

Align Align

Before alignment After alignment

There must be a grid on the screen before you align using this
option or nothing will happen. See Grid.

Alignment
The Vertical group allows the items in the selection set to be aligned
to the Top, Centre or Bottom.
The Horizontal group allows the items in the selection set to be
aligned to the Left, Centre or Right.
Items in the selection set can be aligned both horizontally and
vertically at the same time.

Annotate Menu 7-9

Example 1
The To Grid, Vertical Align and Top options have been checked.

Each item in the selection set is aligned so that its top touches the
horizontal grid line nearest to its top.

Align

Align

Before alignment After alignment

7-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example 2

The To each Other, Vertical Align and Top options of the Vertical
section have been checked.

The items in the selection set are aligned to the top edge of the
square, because this was the highest element in the selection set
before alignment.

Align
Align

Before alignment After alignment

Annotate Menu 7-11

Example 3

The To Each Other, Horizontal Align and the Centre option in the
Horizontal section of the dialog box have been checked.

The items in the selection set are centered between the left hand
edge of the square, because this was the left most thing in the
selection set, and the right hand edge of the larger circle, because
this was the right most thing in the selection set before alignment.

Align Align

Before alignment After alignment

7-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example 4
The To Grid, Align and the Centre option in the Horizontal section of
the dialog box have been checked.

Each item in the selection set is centred about the vertical grid line
that was nearest to its centre before alignment.

Align Align

Before alignment After alignment

Annotate Menu 7-13

Example 5
The To Each Other, Vertical Align, Horizontal Align, and the Centre
option in both the Horizontal and Vertical sections of the dialog box
have been checked.

The items in the selection set are centrally aligned in both the
Vertical and Horizontal directions.

Align

Align

Before alignment After alignment

7-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Distribution
Before you distribute items, they must be approximately positioned.
Distribute will not work on randomly placed items.
The To Each Other and To Grid options are ignored.

Vertical Distribution
The Vertical Distribute and Top options have been checked.

The three central boxes are repositioned so that their tops are
equally spread between the top of the top box and the top of the
bottom box.

Before Distribution After Distribution

Annotate Menu 7-15

Horizontal Distribution
The Horizontal Distribute and Left options have been checked.

The central box is repositioned so that its left hand side is exactly in
between the left hand sides of the left and right boxes.

Before Distribution After Distribution

7-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Combining Distribution and Alignment
The dialog box has been set up so that the items in the selection set
are distributed Vertically and aligned to the Left.
The To each Other, Vertical Distribute, Top, Horizontal Align and Left
options have been checked.

The three central boxes are repositioned so that their tops are
equally spread between the tops of the top and bottom boxes. The
boxes are aligned with the left most box.

Before Distribution After Distribution

and Alignment and Alignment

In this section, grid lines are referred to and shown in the diagrams.
This is for illustrative purposes only. When you use Tools ► Grid to
create a grid in AllyCAD, only the dots representing the
intersections between the horizontal and vertical grid lines are
displayed.

Annotate Menu 7-17

Align
Align and/or distribute the selection set

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Modify SetAlign

This function aligns everything that has been selected using the
Select or Selection Filters commands (the selection set). The selection
set is aligned and/or distributed according to the settings of the
Align dialog box.
You must select at least two items to align or three to distribute, or
nothing will happen.

Notes specific to aligning text

Text may not look as though it has been aligned with the other
items in the selection set. This is because the text characters are
enclosed in a "cell” with a space above them and below them. If, for
example you are aligning text to the Top, it is not the top of the
character that is aligned, but the top of the “cell”.

The text label origin associated with a piece of text does not affect
the way that text is aligned using Align. Each piece of text is
associated with a text alignment, defined in Settings ► Set Text
Defaults. If you have a piece of text comprising several lines, this
does affect the way that text is aligned using Align.

a piece of right justified

text comprising several
lines and left aligned
with a box
left
aligned

For example, the text alignment of the piece of text has been set to
right in the Set Text Defaults dialog box.

7-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

When you use Align Text to left align it with another item, the left-
hand edge of the piece of text is aligned, ie. the "cell" around the text
is left aligned, but the lines of text remain right justified within the
"cell".
To align all the text to the left, you must change the text alignment
associated with the piece of text to left. You can do this by double
clicking on the piece of text with the Select cursor to display the Text
Defaults dialog. Click on the [Text Defaults] button. The Set Text
Defaults dialog will be displayed. Change Text Alignment to left, then
click on OK.

Annotate Menu 7-19

Horizontal Dimension
Enter horizontal dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension HDim

The appearance (text height, arrow size, number of decimals, etc.) of

the dimension is set using Settings ► Set Dim Defaults. These settings
affect all the dimensions on your drawing, including previously
drawn ones. This means that if you are not satisfied with the way
your dimensions look, you can change them at any stage.
The spacing between subsequent dimensions is determined by the
Linefeed option in Settings ► Set Dim Defaults.
You can change the text content, arrow type and witness line colour
of individual dimensions using Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Edit
Dimension Properties.
Horizontal dimensions are fully associative. This means that if you
change the size of a dimensioned object using, for example, Modify ►
Stretch or Modify ► Scale, the dimensions will automatically update to
reflect the new size.
You can also edit a horizontal dimension so that it will change the
size of object on which it is based. See Alter Dimension.

For example, this object has been dimensioned "x".

50

If you replace the "x" with, say, "50" using the Alter Dimension
function, the object will change size so that it is 50 units long.

7-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 a b c

Horizontal dimensions need not dimension horizontally aligned

points, although horizontal distances will be measured. If you do not
want to measure horizontal distances, use Slope Dimension.

Mechanical Style
If you have checked the Mechanical Style option in Settings ► Set Dim
Defaults...
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want running, chained or free dimensions (R/C/F)

Type "R" for Running, "C" for Chained or "F" for Free. Click on  or
press [Enter].

18 Dimensions may be running,

34.3

50

chained,

18 16.3 15.7

Annotate Menu 7-21

 or free (just one isolated dimension).

18

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter text position

The cursor will switch to Freehand

mode. Position it and press [Enter] or
click.

The text and dimension line will be

positioned at the cursor position.
18

The text will automatically be centred between the witness lines. If

you do not want the text centred, you can move it to the desired
position after you have drawn the dimension, using the Modify ►
Stretch function.
If you are drawing Running or Chained dimensions and you position
the cursor close to an existing dimension, the new dimension text
and line will be drawn relative to this existing dimension regardless
of the cursor position.

7-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

For example:

If you position the cursor here ...

34.3

the new dimension text and line will be

positioned here.
18

34.3

If you position the cursor here ...

18

34.3

the new dimension text and line will be

18 positioned here.
34.3

50

Annotate Menu 7-23

 AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first point

The cursor will switch to Point mode.

Position it close to the first point to be
included in the dimension and press
[Enter] or click. The cursor will jump
onto the point.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter next point

Position the cursor close to the next

point to be included in the dimension
and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter text of dimension

The distance between the two points is measured and is displayed in

the Control Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click on  or press
[Enter].
Alternatively, you may now:
1. Add Tolerances
To add tolerances to the dimension you must type certain
characters after the measured distance in the Control Bar.

For example, suppose the distance

given in the Control Bar reads
"100". If you overtype this distance
with "100\+.2\-.1" a tolerance will
be added to the dimension, as
shown here.
+.2
100 -.1

The following examples illustrate

the use of the special characters to

7-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 produce tolerances:

Typing "\+" and "\-" produce

normal tolerances. The text after
the "\+" is drawn at half size and
+.2 above the text after the "\-", which
100 -.1 is also drawn at half size.

This tolerance was created by

typing: "100\+.2\-.1".
Typing "\+-" creates a tolerance the
same size as the dimension with the
"+" and "-" in between, one above
+
100 - 0.2
the other.
This tolerance was created by
typing "100\+-0.2".

Typing "\ /" gives two tolerances,

one above the other, and both
100.2 above the witness line.
99.8
This tolerance was created by
typing "100.2\/99.8".

Typing "\\" gives a linefeed so that

any text after the \\ is written
below the witness line.
100.2
99.8 This tolerance was created by
typing "100\\99.8".

Typing "!" restores text to its normal

height after \+ or \- has been used.
+.1
100 (TYP) This tolerance was created by
typing "100\+.1 \!(TYP)".

2. Edit the dimension text

For example, if your convention is to show dimensions to the nearest
10 or 50 you might overtype a dimension of "2134" with "2150". This
will not update the positions of the points it refers to and should
thus be entered as "2150 (NTS)" so that someone else taking over the

Annotate Menu 7-25

drawing will know that the exact measured dimension is not in fact
2150.
3. Add notes to the dimension
4. Replace the dimension text
For example, you might be dimensioning a generic object. In this
case, you could overtype the dimension that is displayed with a
variable letter such as "X". You could later use the Alter
Dimension function to assign an exact value to X.
When you are satisfied with the text in the Control Bar, click on  or
press [Enter]. If your text is too large to fit comfortably in the
available space the following list of options is displayed.

Choose one of the options. If you

select Left or Right the text will be
moved in the relevant direction.

Running or Chained dimensions

If you are drawing Running or Chained

dimensions, AllyCAD continues to prompt:
Enter next point

Position the cursor close to the next point

18 to be included in the dimension and press
[Enter] or click.

The next dimension is added.

Alternatively, cancel dimension drawing by
18
choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .
34.3

Free dimensions
If you are drawing Free dimensions, AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text position

7-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Enter the text position for another dimension or cancel dimension
drawing by choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .

Architectural Style
If you have checked the Architectural Style option in Settings ► Set Dim
Defaults...

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter text position

The cursor will switch to Freehand mode.

Position it and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter position leader lines should
extend to

Position the cursor where you want the

leader lines to extend to and press [Enter] or
18 16.3 15.7 click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point

Position the cursor close to the first point of

the dimension and press [Enter] or click.

Annotate Menu 7-27

 AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next point

Position the cursor close to the next point to

be included in the dimension and press
[Enter] or click.

Alternatively, cancel dimension drawing by choosing another

function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

7-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Vertical Dimension
Enter vertical dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension VDim

This function works in the same way as Horizontal Dimension except

that vertical dimensions are produced instead of horizontal ones.
19.0

56.9
18.6 19.3

37.9
18.6

Annotate Menu 7-29

Slope Dimension
Enter sloped dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension Sdim

The appearance of the dimension (text height, arrow size, number of

decimals, etc.) is set using Settings ► Set Dim Defaults in the Settings
Menu. These settings will affect all the dimensions on your drawing,
including previously drawn ones. This means that if you are not
satisfied with the way your dimensions look, you can change them at
any stage.
Sloped dimensions are associative. This means that if you change the
size of a dimensioned object using, for example, Modify ► Stretch or
Modify ► Scale, the dimensions will automatically update to show the
new size.
There are three sloping dimension options.

These lines are parallel

A dimension parallel to the line being

dimensioned.
.3
20

45°
A dimension at a fixed angle that you
.3

type in. In this example, 45 degrees has

20

been typed.

7-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

10
An isometric dimension where the
witness lines are angled at 60 or 120° to
20
the line being dimensioned.
10

If you want to enter an isometric dimension, the Isometric Grids

option in the Drawing Settings dialog must be checked.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want dimension at fixed angle, (else take angle from
points)

If you want to draw a dimension parallel to the line being

dimensioned, click on the NO button.
If you want to draw a dimension at a fixed angle that you type in,
click on the YES button.
If the Isometric Grids option in the Drawing Settings dialog is checked
and you want to draw an isometric dimension, click on the YES
button.

Parallel sloping dimensions

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first point

The cursor will switch to Point mode.

Position it close to the first point of the
dimension and press [Enter] or click.
The cursor will automatically jump onto
the point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point

Position the cursor close to the next point

to be included in the dimension and press
[Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter dimension text

Annotate Menu 7-31

The distance between the two points is measured and is displayed in
the Control Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click on  or press
[Enter].
Alternatively, you can add tolerances to the dimension, add notes to
it or edit it as described in the section on Horizontal Dimensions.
When the dimension text is to your satisfaction, click on  or press
[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text position

Place the cursor where you want the text to

appear and press [Enter] or click. Note
that the cursor changes back to Freehand
mode.

The text will be centred between the witness lines. If you do not want
the text centred, you can move it to the desired position after you
have drawn the dimension, using the Modify ► Stretch function.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter first point

Enter the first point of another dimension or cancel dimensioning by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

Dimensions at fixed angles

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter bearing

Type in the angle of the dimension. If you are working in decimal

angles, you will be asked to enter the bearing in the form dd.dddd
(e.g. 45.5 degrees). If you are working in degrees, minutes and
seconds, you will be asked to enter the bearing in degrees, minutes
and seconds, ie. "dd.mm.ss". When you have entered the angle click
on  or press [Enter].

Angles are measured according to the Angular Format in Drawing

Settings in the Settings Menu.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Do you want running, chained or free dimensions (R/C/F)

7-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Follow the instructions in the Horizontal Dimension section.

Annotate Menu 7-33

Isometric dimensions

The Isometric Grids option in the Drawing Settings dialog must be

checked.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter bearing

Type in the angle of the dimension. This will be the same as the line
you are dimensioning, ie. 30, -30 or 90 degrees if you have set up the
Angular Format to measure anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock
position.
Click on  or press [Enter].

Angles are measured according to the Angular Format in Drawing

Settings in the Settings Menu.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Do you want witness lines to be at angle +60 (else at angle
+120)

Click on the YES button if you want the witness lines to be angled at
60 degrees to the line being dimensioned, and on the NO button if
you want the witness lines to be angled at 120 degrees (see diagram
on the next page).
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want running, chained or free dimensions (R/C/F)

Follow the instructions in the Horizontal Dimension section.

You can change the text content, arrow type and witness line colour
of individual dimensions using Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Edit
Dimension Properties.

7-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Witness lines at Witness lines at
60 degrees 120 degrees

°
60

0°
12
12

12
Line being
dimensioned is

12

12
at 90 degrees

60 120°
12 °

12
Line being
dimensioned is
at 30 degrees 12
12

12
12
12

Line being
0°

dimensioned is 12
at 330 degrees 60°
12

Annotate Menu 7-35

Angular Dimension
Dimension angles or arc lengths.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension ADim

The appearance of the dimension (text height, arrow size, number of

decimals, etc.) is set using Settings ► Set Dim Defaults in the Settings
Menu. These settings will affect all the dimensions on your drawing,
including previously drawn ones. This means that if you are not
satisfied with the way your dimensions look, you can change them at
any stage.
• Angular dimensions are not affected by the Witness Gap and
Witness Overshoot options in Set Dim Defaults.
• You cannot change angular dimension witness line or dimension
arrow colours once you have drawn the dimension.
• You can change the text content of individual angular
dimensions using Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Edit Dimension
Properties.
Angular Dimension has four options:
• Dimensioning an angle between two existing lines;
• Dimensioning an angle between three points;
• Dimensioning an existing arc length; and
• Dimensioning an arc length between three points.

AllyCAD will prompt:

57.39°

Do you want angle (else arc length)

If you want to dimension an angle, click on

the YES button.

7-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 23.3
If you want to dimension an arc length,
click on the NO button.

Dimensioning angles between 2 existing lines

Witness line start

57.39°

Position of arrow

AllyCAD will prompt:

Is this dimension between two existing lines?

If there are two intersecting lines you want to dimension, click on the
YES button.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select first line

Position the cursor near one of the two lines to be dimensioned and
press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will prompt:
Select second line

Position the cursor near the other line and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter witness line start

Position the cursor where you want the witness lines to start and
press [Enter] or click. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter witness line end

Position the cursor at the place where you want the dimension arrow
to be and press [Enter] or click.

Annotate Menu 7-37

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text part of angular dimension

The angle between the two lines is measured and is displayed in the
Control Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click on  or press
[Enter].
Alternatively, you can add tolerances to the dimension, add notes to
it or edit it as described in the section on Horizontal Dimensions.
When the dimension text is to your satisfaction, click on  or press
[Enter].

To obtain a degree symbol (°), type "Alt" + "0176". To do this hold

down the [Alt] key while you type in the four numbers "0176" on the
numeric keypad.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Satisfied with arc radius?

If you are satisfied with the position of the arc indicating the
measurement (the position of the dimension arrow), click on the YES
button. Otherwise, click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Drag till satisfied with arc radius

As you move the cursor, you will see a circle expanding and
shrinking. This circle represents the position of the dimension
arrow. Once the position of the arrow is satisfactory, press [Enter] or
click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Satisfied with text position?

If you are satisfied with the position of the text, click on the YES
button. Otherwise click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new dimension text position

When you reposition text, it will always be horizontal and not at an

angle around the arc.

Use the cursor to drag the dimension text (represented by a box) to a

new position and press [Enter] or click.

7-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Dimensioning angles between three points
Witness line start

57.39°
Position of arrow

AllyCAD will prompt:

Is this dimension between two existing lines?

If you want a dimension between three points, click on the NO

button.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter centre point

Position the cursor at the centre point of the

three points and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first angular point (defines
witness line start)

Position the cursor at one of the other points

and press [Enter] or click. This first angular
point will also define the witness line start.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter second angular point (defines text
radius)

Position the cursor on the last point and press

[Enter] or click. This point also defines the
position of the dimension arrow.

Annotate Menu 7-39

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text part of angular dimension

The angle between the two lines is measured and is displayed in the
Control Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click on  or press
[Enter].
Alternatively, you can add tolerances to the dimension, add notes to
it or edit it as described in the section on Horizontal Dimensions.
When the dimension text is to your satisfaction, click on  or press
[Enter].

To obtain a degree symbol (°), type "Alt" + "0176". To do this hold

down the [Alt] key while you type in the four numbers "0176" on the
numeric keypad.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Satisfied with arc radius?

If you are satisfied with the position of the arc indicating the
measurement (the position of the dimension arrow), click on the YES
button. Otherwise, click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Drag till satisfied with arc radius

As you move the cursor, you will see a circle expanding and
shrinking. This circle represents the position of the dimension
arrow. Once the position of the arrow is satisfactory, press [Enter] or
click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Satisfied with text position?

If you are satisfied with the position of the text, click on the YES
button. Otherwise click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new dimension text position

Use the cursor to drag the dimension text (represented by a box) to a

new position and press [Enter] or click.

7-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Dimensioning an existing arc length

23.3
AllyCAD will prompt:
Is this dimension of an existing arc?

If you want to dimension an existing arc click on the YES button.

AllyCAD will prompt:
Select arc

Position the cursor on the arc you want to dimension and press
[Enter] or click. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text part of angular dimension

The length of the arc is measured and is displayed in the Control

Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click on  or press [Enter].
Alternatively, you can add tolerances to the dimension, add notes to
it or edit it as described in the section on Horizontal Dimensions.
When the dimension text is to your satisfaction, click on  or press
[Enter]. AllyCAD will prompt:
Satisfied with arc radius?

If you are satisfied with the position of the arc indicating the
measurement (the position of the dimension arrow), click on the YES
button. Otherwise, click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Drag till satisfied with arc radius

As you move the cursor, you will see a circle expanding and
shrinking. This circle represents the position of the dimension arrow.
Once the position of the arrow is satisfactory, press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Satisfied with text position?

If you are satisfied with the position of the text, click on the YES
button. Otherwise click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new dimension text position

Use the cursor to drag the dimension text (represented by a box) to a

new position and press [Enter] or click.

Annotate Menu 7-41

Dimension an arc between three points
Second point defines
position of arrow

Arc centre

First point defines

arc radius

AllyCAD will prompt:

Is this dimension of an existing arc?

If you want to dimension an arc defined by three points - the arc

centre and two points on the radius - click on the NO button.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter centre point

Position the cursor at the arc centre and

press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point (arc goes
ccw)(defines arc radius)

Position the cursor at the first point and

press [Enter] or click. Bear in mind that the
arc will be measured in an anti-clockwise
direction between the two points you enter.
The point you enter here also defines the
actual arc radius that will be measured.

7-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second angular point (defines
text radius)

Position the cursor at the second point and

press [Enter] or click. The point you enter
here also defines the position of the
dimension arrow.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter text part of angular dimension

The arc distance between the two points is displayed in the Control
Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click on  or press [Enter].
Alternatively, you can add tolerances to the dimension, add notes to
it or edit it as described in the section on Horizontal Dimensions.
When the dimension text is to your satisfaction, click on  or press
[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Satisfied with arc radius?

If you are satisfied with the position of the arc indicating the
measurement (the position of the dimension arrow), click on the YES
button. Otherwise, click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Drag till satisfied with arc radius

As you move the cursor, you will see a circle expanding and
shrinking. This circle represents the position of the dimension
arrow. Once the position of the arrow is satisfactory, press [Enter] or
click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Satisfied with text position?

If you are satisfied with the position of the text, click on the YES
button. Otherwise click on the NO button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new dimension text position

Use the cursor to drag the dimension text (represented by a box) to a

new position and press [Enter] or click.

Annotate Menu 7-43

7-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual
Radial Dimension
Dimension arcs or circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension rdim

R 15 Ø 20

Ø 20
R 15

This function enters a radial dimension onto an arc or circle. In the

case of arcs, the radius is measured and is indicated by an R. In the
case of circles, the diameter is measured and is indicated by a Ø (the
diameter sign).
Dimension appearance (text height, arrow size, number of decimals,
etc.) is set using Settings ► Set Dim Defaults. These settings will affect
all the dimensions on your drawing, including previously drawn
ones. This means that if you are not satisfied with the way your
dimensions look, you can change them at any stage.

You can change the text content of individual radial dimensions

using Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Edit Dimension Properties.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Radial dimension... select arc or circle

Position the cursor close to the arc or circle you want to dimension
and press [Enter] or click.

This cursor position affects the way that the dimension will be
drawn. This is described fully on the next page.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter text of radial dimension

The radius of an arc or the diameter of a circle is measured and is

displayed on the screen as text in the Control Bar. To accept the
dimension as it is, click on  or press [Enter].
Alternatively, you can add tolerances to the dimension, add notes to
it or edit it (for examples refer to the section on Horizontal

Annotate Menu 7-45

Dimensions). When the dimension text is to your satisfaction, click
on  or press [Enter].

To obtain a diameter symbol (Ø), type "Alt" + "0216". To do this,

hold down the [Alt] key while you type in the four numbers on the
numeric keypad.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Do you want text on radius arrow?

If you want the dimension text to be

drawn on the arrow as shown on the left,
click on the YES button.

Ø 20 The radius or diameter arrow will be

R 15 drawn through the point where you
positioned the cursor and through the
arc or circle centre. Thus, for a
horizontal arrow you must position the
cursor at the extreme left or right edge of
the arc or circle.

R 15
If you do not want the dimension text on
the arrow, but on a leader line as shown
on the left, click on the NO button.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text position

Position the cursor where the text

Ø 20 should appear and press [Enter] or click.
The radius or diameter arrow will be
drawn. It will be drawn through the text
position you have specified and through
the arc or circle centre.

7-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

When you reposition text, it will always be horizontal and not
aligned along the dimension line.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Radial dimension...select arc or circle

Position the cursor close to the arc or circle you want to dimension
and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel dimensioning by
choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

Annotate Menu 7-47

Ordinate Dimension
Enter ordinate dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension odim

Dimension appearance (text height, arrow size, number of decimals,

etc.) is set using Settings ► Set Dim Defaults. These settings will affect
all the dimensions on your drawing, including previously drawn
ones. This means that if you are not satisfied with the way your
dimensions look, you can change them at any stage.
You can change the text content and witness line colour of individual
dimensions using Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Edit Dimension Properties.
Ordinate dimensions are fully associative. This means that if you
change the size of a dimensioned object using, for example,
Modify ► Stretch or Modify ► Scale, the dimensions will automatically
update to reflect the new size. You can also change ordinate
dimensions to cause a change in the size of the dimensioned object.
AllyCAD will prompt:
X Ordinate (Else Y Ordinate)

Click on the YES button if you want

ordinate dimensions along the x axis.
37.4

67.5

95.9

Click on the NO button if you want

31.9 ordinate dimensions along the y axis.
41.2
51.9

7-48 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first (base) point

This is the point from which the ordinate

dimensions will be measured. The cursor
switches to Point mode.
Position it close to the base point and click
or press [Enter]. The cursor will
automatically jump onto the point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text position

The cursor switches to Freehand mode.

Position the cursor where you want the
dimension text to be and click or press
[Enter]. The dimension text will appear in
line with the position you enter.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point

The cursor switches back to Point mode.

Position it close to a point to be
dimensioned and click or press [Enter]. The
cursor will automatically jump onto the
point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter dimension text

The distance between the base point and

the point you have just entered is
measured and is displayed in the Control
Bar. To accept the dimension as it is, click
on  or press [Enter].
37.4

Alternatively, you can edit the text. See

Horizontal Dimensions for examples. The
dimension is added to the drawing.
Cancel the function by pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or
.

Annotate Menu 7-49

Survey Dimension
Enter survey dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Dimension SurveyDm

26.9
20
10°.02.

This function allows the length and the bearing of a line to be written
onto that line. Length is measured in the units selected in Settings ►
Drawing Settings. The bearing is measured according to the Angular
Format in Drawing Settings.
Dimension appearance (text height, number of decimals, etc.) is set
using Settings ► Set Dim Defaults. However, you cannot change the
appearance of a survey dimension once you have placed it.
The way that the dimension is presented (whether text is written
along the bearings or is written upright, whether the bearing is on
top and the length at the bottom or vice versa, etc.) is set using
Settings ► Set Survey Defaults. You cannot change the way you have
presented a survey dimension once you have placed it.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first point

Position the cursor at one end of a line

to be dimensioned and press [Enter] or
click.

Line being dimensioned

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point

Position the cursor at the other end of

the line being dimensioned and press
[Enter] or click. This point also defines
the start of the next line to be
dimensioned, if there is one.
Next line to be dimensioned
The dimension is placed on the drawing.

7-50 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The direction of the first to the second point is calculated in that
order. There will be a 180 degree difference if points are entered in
the reverse order.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Enter next point

Enter the next point defining a line to be dimensioned or cancel

dimensioning by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Annotate Menu 7-51

Edit Dimension
Edit the text content, arrow heads or colours of an individual
dimension, cut a dimension witness line or “draw by number”.

Edit Dimension Properties

To edit the dimension properties of individual dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EdDim

If the dimension is a horizontal, vertical or slope dimension you can

simply double click on the dimension with the Select cursor.
+.2
50 50 -.1

Before editing After editing

This function does three things:

• Edits the text of an individual dimension. For example, you can
add tolerances, add notes or change the text.
• Changes a dimension arrow head into a blob (horizontal, vertical
and slope dimensions only).
• Edits the colour of the witness lines and dimension arrows for
non- survey dimensions.

You cannot edit survey dimensions with this function.

To change dimension parameters such as text size, number of
decimals, etc., use Settings ► Set Dim Defaults.
To move dimension text, use the Modify ► Stretch function.
To cut out portions of witness lines, use the Annotate ► Edit Dimension
► Cut Dimension Line function.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select dimension to be edited

Position the cursor anywhere on the dimension to be edited and

press [Enter] or click.
You may only edit the text and pen of an angular or radial
dimension.

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 If you are editing a horizontal, vertical or slope
dimension the following option list is displayed.

Editing Text
This option allows you to edit the dimension text, or add tolerances
or notes to the dimension text.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new text

The existing dimension text is displayed in the Control Bar. Edit it,
then click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select dimension to be edited

Select another dimension to edit and press [Enter] or click.

Alternatively, cancel dimension editing by choosing another function,
pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Editing Arrowheads
This option changes the arrowhead type.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Place cursor near arrowhead to change

Position the cursor near the arrowhead you wish to change and
press [Enter] or click. The arrowhead is changed into a blob.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select dimension to be edited

Select another dimension to edit and press [Enter] or click.

Alternatively cancel dimension editing by choosing another function,
pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Editing Pen
This option allows you to change the colour of the witness lines and
dimension arrows.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new witness line pen

Annotate Menu 7-53

The pen palette is displayed. Click on the colour you want to use
and press [Enter]. AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select dimension to be edited

Select another dimension to edit and press [Enter] or click.

Alternatively cancel dimension editing by choosing another function,
pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Cut Dimension Line

To cut the witness lines of horizontal or vertical dimensions

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CutDimLn

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select dimension whose line must be cut

Position the cursor on the dimension text of the dimension whose

witness line you are going to cut and press [Enter] or click.

43.4

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter snip box for cutting line

Position the cursor at one corner of the

snip box and press [Enter] or click.

43.4

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter second corner of rectangle

Move the cursor diagonally away from

the first corner you entered and press
[Enter] or click.

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 43.4

The portion of the witness line inside

the snip box is deleted.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select dimension whose line must be cut

Position the cursor on another dimension and press [Enter] or click

.
Alternatively cancel witness line cutting by choosing another
function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Alter Dimension
To change the size of part of a drawing when the dimension text is changed

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DimAlter

This function only works on horizontal and vertical dimensions.

For example, if you change the

dimension text shown here from 17.3
to 40 ...
17.3

Annotate Menu 7-55

 The dimensioned object will lengthen
(or shorten) to fit the new dimension
text.

This enables “Drawing by Number”, where you draw the generic

outline of a part and dimension it with variables such as A, B, C, X
etc.

You can enter these variables as you dimension the object when
AllyCAD prompts Enter text of dimension. See Horizontal
Dimensions. You can also enter these variables using Annotate ► Edit
Dimension ► Edit Dimension Properties ► Text.

You can then use Alter Dimension to

change the dimension text. For
example, if you change the dimension
text shown here from "x" to "40" ...

The dimensioned object will lengthen

(or shorten) to fit the new dimension
text.

Each dimension should be assigned a different variable name.

AllyCAD will not know which dimension you wish to change if there
are more than one with the same name.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select dimension to be altered with cursor (else search for
text)

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If you want to select the dimension text to be altered by clicking on it
with your mouse, click on the YES button and AllyCAD will prompt:
Select dimension to be altered with cursor

Click on the dimension you want to alter.

If you want to type the dimension text to be altered, click on the NO
button.

Annotate Menu 7-57

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter dimension text to search for (Esc to quit)

Type the text you want to alter ("17.3" or "x" in the example above).
It is important that you type the dimension text exactly as it appears
on the drawing, including decimal points or commas and any trailing
spaces or zeros. Click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter new dimension text (will cause dimension to alter)

Type in the numeric value that the dimension text must change to
("40" in the example above) and click on  or press [Enter]. The
dimension and dimensioned part will be adjusted to match the new
value.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Alter a whole area, along witness line, or at witness point
(A/L/P)

The answer you type here determines what will be affected by the
new dimension. Type "A" for Area, "L" for along the witness Line, or
"P" for Point. Then click on  or press [Enter].
If you choose the Area option, the whole drawing will be updated
relative to the new dimension.

x 20.6 28 20.6

14.3 14.3

Before Alter Dimension. After Alter Dimension. X has been

dimensioned 28. The whole area is
altered.

If you choose the Line option, all points that lie on a witness line will
be altered, but the rest of the drawing will not change.

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 x 20.6 28 5.2

14.3 14.3

Before Alter Dimension. After Alter Dimension.

All points that lie along the X has been dimensioned
relevant witness lines are "28". The points along the
arrowed. witness lines are altered.

If you choose the Point option, only the dimensioned line will be
altered. The rest of the drawing will not change.

x 20.6 28 5.2

14.3 14.3

Before Alter Dimension. After Alter Dimension.

X has been dimensioned 28.
Only the dimensioned line has
been altered.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Keep left/lower point fixed? (else right/upper)

If you click on the YES button, the left most point of a horizontal
dimension will be fixed, and similarly, the lowest point of a vertical
dimension will be fixed. Alterations will take place about this point.
If you click on the NO button, the right most point of a horizontal
dimension will be fixed, and similarly, the highest point of a vertical
dimension will be fixed. Alterations will take place about this point.

Annotate Menu 7-59

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select dimension to be altered with cursor (else search for
text)

Alter another dimension or cancel dimension altering by pressing the

[Esc] button on your keyboard.

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Add Arrow
Draw arrows.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Arrow

These segments are lines

Only this segment is an arrow

This function draws chained lines terminated by an arrowhead. The

arrow colour, size of the head, and whether the arrowhead is a blob
or slash is determined in Settings ► Set Arrow Defaults.
Only the last line segment with the arrowhead is considered an
arrow. The preceding line segments are regarded as normal lines.
This may lead to some confusion when using functions that
discriminate between arrows and other elements.
For example, if you use Settings ► Set Arrow Defaults to change the
colour of an arrow, only the colour of the last segment with the
arrowhead will be changed. You must use Settings ► Line Defaults to
change the colour of the other arrow segments.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter arrow tail

Position the cursor where you want an arrow tail to be and press
[Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point of arrow (exit = [Space Bar] to enter arrow
head)

Position the cursor where you want the arrowhead or a bend in the
arrow tail to be and press [Enter] or click.

Annotate Menu 7-61

AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter next point of arrow (exit = [Space Bar] to enter arrow
head)

If you want the arrow head to be at the end of the line you have just
drawn, press the [Space Bar], click on Done or .
If you want to add another line to the arrow before adding the head,
position the cursor where you want the arrow head or a bend in the
arrow tail to be and press [Enter] or click. You may add additional
lines until you press the [Space Bar] to enter the arrowhead.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter arrow tail

Enter the position of another arrow tail or cancel arrow drawing by

choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

7-62 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Add Balloon
Draw balloons.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Balloon

MH
A 1

This function will draw a maximum of two lines of text with a circle
around it, with an arrow from the circle if desired.
You define the number of text lines that appear in each balloon and
whether the balloon has an arrow or not using the Settings ► Set
Balloon Defaults function.
If you choose to attach an arrow to the balloon, the parameters of
this arrow (for example its colour and whether it is a blob or a slash)
are defined using the Settings ► Set Arrow Defaults function.
The text parameters used are those set in Settings ► Set Text Defaults
option. The label origin is, however, always ignored as the text is
always centered. The colour of the balloon circle is defined in the
Settings ► Line Defaults option.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text position for balloon

Position the cursor where you want the balloon text to appear. This
will be the centre of the text (i.e. as though the label origin was set to
15). Press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first text for balloon

Type the text for the balloon and click on  or press [Enter].

For each new balloon that you enter, this text item will be
incremented. So if the first text in the first balloon was "DWA", the
text in the second balloon will be "DWB", then "DWC" and so on. If
the text in the first was "MH1", the second will be "MH2", then
"MH3" and so on.

Annotate Menu 7-63

If you have specified two lines of text AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second text for balloon

Type the second line of text for the balloon and click on  or press
[Enter]. If you leave this line blank, only the first piece of text will be
written and will be placed in the centre of the balloon. If you enter
text, the balloon will be divided into two equal portions by a straight
line.
If you have specified arrows AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next point for arrow (press [Space Bar] to produce
arrow head)

Position the cursor where you want the arrowhead or a bend in the
arrow tail to be and press [Enter] or click.
The prompt above will be repeated until you press the [Space Bar],
click on Done or  to add an arrowhead to the line you have just
drawn.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter text position for balloon

Position the cursor where you want balloon text to appear and press
[Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel balloon drawing by choosing
another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

7-64 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Add/Rem Text Bubble
Add or remove text bubble to or from existing text.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main AddRBaln

TEXT WITH A BUBBLE

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select text that you want to add/remove balloon to

Position the cursor close to text that you want to add a balloon to or
remove a balloon from. Press [Enter] or click.

The balloon becomes part of the text parameters. This means that
if you use the Settings ► Set Text Defaults ► Take From option to set
text parameters and pick on the text with the balloon, subsequent
text will also have a balloon.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select text that you want to add/remove balloon to

Position the cursor close to other text that you want to add a balloon
to or remove a balloon from and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively
cancel bubble drawing by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Annotate Menu 7-65

Enter Hatch/Solid Fill
To hatch or solid fill an area

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Main Hatch

Pattern Hatch Solid Fill

Pattern hatching
Select the Hatch option. A list of hatch patterns is displayed.

Hatch List
Choose an appropriate pattern from the list of hatch pattern names.
If you are not sure what the hatch patterns look like, click on the
PreView button. A sample of each hatch pattern will be displayed.
Click on the one you want to use.

7-66 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Scale
This option will determine the size of the hatch pattern.

If you specify a scale of 1, hatches are

drawn at the size defined in the
HATCH.PAT file.

If you specify a scale of 2, hatches are

drawn at twice the size defined in the
HATCH.PAT file, etc.

Override default pen

This option allows you to specify that the hatch must be drawn in a
specific pen and not the current default pen. Click on the With Pen
button and select the desired colour in the palette.
The default pen is red and is set in the HATCH.PAT file. You can
override this on a per hatch basis. If you override the default pen the
colour of the first line of the perimeter is set to the selected colour.
You can use this knowledge later to change the colours of existing
hatches.

Operation
Select the hatch pattern you want to use from the list, set the other
options and then click on OK.
The Perimeter Menu is displayed in the Control Bar.

The options on the Perimeter menu are used to define the area to be
hatched. Refer to the Appendix A - Perimeter Menu chapter for
details.
To alter existing hatch patterns, including the colour of the hatches,
or to make your own hatch patterns, refer to Appendix B - Hatch
Patterns.
Hatches and solid fills can significantly slow down redraws. It is a
good idea to go to Settings ► View Settings and to set the Hatch to Draw

Annotate Menu 7-67

option to "None". This means that hatches will not be drawn on
redraws. If you then want to see your hatches, you can display them
when you want to with Annotate ► Draw All Hatch function.

Solid Fill
Select the Solid Fill option and the fill colour is displayed.

To change the fill colour, click on the Set Color… button. The colour
palette will be displayed. Select a colour and click on OK.
The Perimeter Menu is displayed in the Control Bar.

The options on the Perimeter menu are used to define the area to be
hatched. Refer to the Appendix A - Perimeter Menu chapter for
details.

Solid Filling Areas with Islands

It is easy to cross hatch an area with an island in

AllyCAD.

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 However, if you try to solid fill an area with an island
you can end up with fills that look like this.

To prevent this happening, you can divide the area to be filled into
sub-areas without islands.

For example, this is the original area to be filled.

By extending the left hand vertical line of the D so it

touches the top and the bottom of the box, the area
can be divided into three sub-areas without islands:
the area to the left of the D, the area to the right of
the D, and the area in the middle.

These three areas can then be filled to achieve the

desired effect.

You can also create solid fills with islands as follows:

Solid fill an area.

Then solid fill another area on top of it in white, to

make the island.

Annotate Menu 7-69

Tips for creating interesting hatched effects

Combine solid fills with cross hatches

If you have a colour printer, you can create some very interesting
effects by combining cross hatching with solid fills.

For example, to create a wall, solid fill the

area using a brick-coloured solid fill. Then
hatch the area again using a brick style
cross hatch pattern such as the pattern
called Brick.

The effect is even better if you edit the brick hatch pattern so that
the bricks are white. To do this, exit the CAD and load the
HATCH.PAT file in your user directory into a text editor such as
Windows Notepad.
Scroll down the file until you come to the Brick section, which looks
like this:
*brick,Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
1, 0, 90, 0,0, 0,.5, .25,-.25
1, 0, 90, .25,0, 0,.5, -.25,.25

Edit it so that it looks like this:

*brick,Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
12, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
12, 0, 90, 0,0, 0,.5, .25,-.25
12, 0, 90, .25,0, 0,.5, -.25,.25

7-70 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The number 12 at the beginning of the last three lines changes the
hatch colour from red to white. You might also want to make the
hatch lines thicker. In this case edit the hatch definition so that it
looks like this:
*brick,Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
12, 2, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
12, 2, 90, 0,0, 0,.5, .25,-.25
12, 2, 90, .25,0, 0,.5, -.25,.25

The 2 to the right of the 12 means that the lines making up the
hatch will now be 0.2mm thick. Save the HATCH.PAT file and restart
the CAD for the change to take effect.

Combine solid fills with bitmaps

The illustration below was created by drawing solid fills over a
bitmap.

Experiment with solid fills

If you have a colour printer, you can achieve interesting colours and
textures using solid fills. To test the various fills, create a drawing
containing squares filled with different solid fills that look useful or
that you have defined yourself.
Print out the drawing.
If any of the printed hatches look as though you might want to use
them, type PICKHATX into the command line, press [Enter] and click
on a hatch. This has the effect of making the hatch you clicked on
the “current hatch”, i.e. if you were to fill another area, this is the fill
that would be used.
Go to Annotate ► Enter Hatch/Solid Fill, click on the Set Colour button,
then on the Define Custom Colour button. Write down the numbers
relating to the amounts of red, blue and green in the fill next to the
fill on your print out. Now, when you want to use the hatch again,
you will know exactly which colour it was.

Annotate Menu 7-71

Quick Hatch Polylines
To quickly hatch a closed polyline change the Fill Settings of the
polyline using Settings ► Polyline Defaults as shown below.

Alter Existing Hatch

Alter an existing hatch

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main AddHatch

This function allows you to alter the hatch pattern of a hatch, the
hatch scale and/or the hatch perimeter.
For example:

Alter Existing Hatch will allow you to

alter a hatch such as this one ...

... in order to create a hatch such as

this one.

When you select Alter Existing Hatch, all existing hatch perimeters
will flash and a cross corresponding to each hatch is displayed.
AllyCAD will prompt:

7-72 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Select hatch to change

Position the cursor on the cross corresponding to the hatch you want
to alter and press [Enter] or click.
If you do not want to change the hatch pattern or scale of the hatch
but want to change the perimeter, for example by adding an island
as in the diagram above, click on OK.
Otherwise, select a new hatch pattern or scale and click on OK. The
Perimeter Menu is displayed. If you don't want to alter the hatch
perimeter, click on the [Accept] option of the Perimeter Menu.
If you want to alter the perimeter, as in the example illustrated where
a circle has been added to the perimeter, draw the additional
perimeter. See the Perimeter Menu for details on how to do this.
Then click on the [Done Perim] option.
The updated hatch is drawn.

Draw All Hatch

Display hatches on screen.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View PlotHat
Screen

Hatches can significantly slow down redraws. It is therefore a good

idea to switch them off, and to display them only when you want to
see them. To switch off hatch display, you must set the Hatches to
Draw option of the View Settings to "None".
Use this function to display the hatches. They will disappear next
time you redraw the screen.

Draw Selected Hatch

Display selected hatches on screen.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

PlotWHat

Hatches can significantly slow down redraws. It is therefore a good

idea to switch them off, and to display them only when you want to
see them. To switch off hatch display, you must set the Hatches to
Draw option of the View Settings to "None".

Annotate Menu 7-73

Use this function to display hatches that have been selected using
the Hatch option in Edit ► Selection Filters.

7-74 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Pick Index from Hatch
Takes the current default hatch style from an existing hatch on the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Screen PickHatX

AllyCAD will flash all the existing perimeters on the drawing and will
prompt:
Select Hatch Perim whose index you want to use

Click near the hatch you want, and that will become the default
hatch style.
AllyCAD will pop up an information box telling you the hatch style
that it found. Any new hatches you create will now have this style.

Annotate Menu 7-75

Hatch -> Lines
Convert a hatch to lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

HatchTol

To keep memory requirements for hatching minimal, AllyCAD stores

only the hatch perimeter, not the lines that make up the hatch.
These are recalculated each time the hatch is displayed.
This function converts a hatch pattern to the lines it consists of.
After conversion the hatch will no longer respond to hatch functions
but will be treated like any other lines.
The disadvantage of converting hatches to lines is that the lines take
up more memory than a hatch perimeter and, because each line
must be drawn on each redraw, redraws take longer.
A large crosshair is displayed on the screen and each hatch is
marked with a cross.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter box about hatch perimeters to be converted to lines

Draw a polygon around the white crosses marking the hatches to be

converted to lines. The hatches are converted to lines.

7-76 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Label Coord
Label coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LabCoord

This function writes the coordinates of a point either at the point or

in a coordinate table. The appearance of the text is defined in
Settings  Set Text Defaults.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want a coordinate table, (else place each coordinate
at point)

96.5 199.4
114.2 207.3
129.7 196.0
146.5 203.3
If you want the coordinates to
appear in a coordinate table, click on
the YES button.

114.2 207.3
146.5 203.3
If you want each point to be labelled
96.5 199.4
with its coordinate position, click on
the NO button.
129.7 196.0

Coordinate table
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point where coordinate table should start

Position the cursor at the position where you want the coordinate
table to be and press [Enter] or click.
This point will represent the top left corner of the table. If you place
the cursor near the last line of an existing table AllyCAD will display
the following prompt:
Text found nearby: locked onto existing text

and add new text items onto the end of the existing table.

Annotate Menu 7-77

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter format for coordinate string

The number of decimals and separator characters for the coordinates

are set in Settings ► Set Dim Defaults. The format string is used to enter
point numbers, if required, and spacing between coordinates.
For example, a format string of:
Pt1 %s %s

would result in three columns in the table. The first would be the
point name "Pt1", and the second and third would contain the
coordinates.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter field to increment (0 to increment none)

If you specify "1" as the field to increment AllyCAD will increment the
point name, thus the first point will be Pt1, the second “Pt2”, and so
on. If the columns are too close together stop entering points and re-
define the format string with more spaces between the fields.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point

Position the cursor onto the point that you want labelled and press
[Enter] or click.
Enter text of label

The coordinates are displayed in the Control Bar before they are
placed on the drawing. At this stage they can be edited, for example
to reflect the peg or station name. To accept the coordinates, click
on  or press [Enter].
The coordinates will either be written into a table or onto the points,
as specified.

The order in which coordinates displayed depends on the way you

have set up Northings and Eastings in Drawing Settings in the
Settings Menu.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Enter point

Position the cursor onto another point that you want labelled or
cancel coordinate labelling by choosing another function, pressing
the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

7-78 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Tools Menu
The Tools menu includes a
number of utility functions
including jumps, snaps and
query functions.

Tools Menu 8-1

Lock Cursor
Lock the cursor to move at a particular angle and it's orthogonal.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Snaps K LockAng

A list of options is displayed.

Lock Cursor allows the cursor to be locked so that it will only move
at a particular angle and at 90 degrees to that angle, rather as
though you were using a set square.
The first four functions Line, Jumpline, Geomline and Keyboard, are
different ways of choosing the angle that the cursor will move along.
Once the angle of movement has been set, a message displaying the
chosen angle preceded by the word “LOCK” is displayed on the status
bar.
The Perpendicular function moves the cursor at 90 degrees to the
locked angle. The 120deg function switches the cursor between
angles suitable for isometric drawing.
The Arc option restricts cursor movement to around a given arc or
circle. The up and down arrow keys give radial movement, and the
left and right arrow keys give movement along the arc. The word
"LOKARC" will be displayed on the status bar.
The GeomCir option restricts cursor movement to around a geometry
circle. The up and down arrow keys give radial movement, and the
left and right arrow keys give movement along the circle. The word
LOKARC will be displayed on the status bar.
The Hold function switches the cursor lock on and off, while the
Unlock function cancels the locked angle and removes the LOCK
message.

8-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Lock to Line
This option locks cursor movement to the angle of a line on the
drawing.
AllyCAD prompts:
Select line to lock onto

Position the cursor on or close to the

line you want to take the angle from and
press [Enter] or click.

Lock Geom Line

This locks cursor movement to the angle of a geometry line.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select geometry line to lock onto

Position the cursor on or close to the geometry line you want to take
the angle from and press [Enter] or click.

Lock Keyboard
This option locks the cursor movement to an angle that is typed into
the Control Bar.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter cursor angle

Type the angle you want the cursor to be locked at, for example 45
degrees. Press [Enter].

The angle is measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock position.

Perpendicular
This option changes the locked angle by 90 degrees.
If the cursor had not previously been locked to an angle before you
applied the Perpendicular function the message LOCK 90 will be
displayed, and if you select Hold, the cursor will move at 90 degrees.

The [Y] key is a shortcut for Perpendicular.

Tools Menu 8-3

120 deg
This option switches the locked angle between three angles suitable
for isometric drawing.

These angles are 30, 330 and 90

degrees measured anti-clockwise
from zero at the three o'clock
position.

To use the 120 deg function, first lock the cursor to one of the three
angles, for example 30 degrees. You can do this using any of the
methods for locking the cursor described previously.
If you select the 120 deg function or press the [.] key (Full Stop) the
locked angle will cycle from 30 to 330 degrees, then from 330 to 90
degrees, and then from 90 to 30 degrees. The LOCK display at the
bottom right of the CAD window will be updated to reflect the locked
angle.

Even though the LOCK message is displayed, the cursor will not be
locked unless you have selected Hold.

Hold
Sets/frees the cursor to the locked angle

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Snaps + CursorHold

This function locks the cursor to the locked angle displayed at the
bottom right of the CAD window, and at 90 degrees to it. If no cursor
lock has been set, the cursor will be locked to move at 0 and 90
degrees. Selecting Hold again unlocks the cursor.
When Hold is active a diamond is displayed on the screen with the
cursor. When you move the cursor, the diamond will only move at
the locked angle and it's orthogonal. The cursor itself is free to move
anywhere. This is best explained by means of an example in which a
rectangle is drawn.

8-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Suppose you select Draw ► Line (Chained) and enter the first point of
the line. You then select Hold by pressing the [+] key, in order to
draw the line at the locked angle, say 45 degrees.

The line you are drawing is immediately

aligned at the locked angle and a
diamond appears at its end.
As you move the cursor up and down,
so the line follows it along the 45 degree
axis.
Press [Enter] or click in order to draw a
line at 45 degrees.

Once you have entered this point, note

that the next segment of the line can be
drawn either at 45 degrees or at its
orthogonal, 315 degrees.
Draw a line at 315 degrees and press
[Enter] or click. Then start to draw
another line at 45 degrees.

As you draw, move the cursor away

from the diamond and the line you are
drawing, and jump onto the first point
of the first line you drew.
Press [Enter] or click.
The third side of the rectangle is
terminated perpendicular to the first
point of the first line you drew.

Tools Menu 8-5

 You can now draw the last line of the
rectangle.

To draw lines of exact lengths while your cursor is locked, use the
Arrow Keys. See Accurate Drawing in the User Guide.

If you select text after you have locked the cursor, the LOCK message
will disappear. Text will be written at the angle specified in Settings ►
Set Text Defaults.
If you want to use Lock Cursor to specify the text angle, you must
select Lock Cursor after you have selected the Add Text function,
when AllyCAD is prompting:
Enter text position.

Unlock
This function removes the cursor lock and the LOCK message from
the bottom right of the CAD window.

8-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Jumps
Jumps are used to position the cursor exactly on a specific point.
With the exception of Move to Coordinates and Polar Move, once you
have jumped, you have simply moved the cursor to a specified
location. If you wish to accept this location, for example as the end
point of a line, you must press [Enter] or click.

See Snap Modes and Accurate Drawing in the User Guide.

Grab All
Moves the cursor to the closest point, intersection, or grid point enclosed
within the cursor box.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

A JumpAll

This function searches within the cursor box in the following order:
• If a point (e.g. a point, the end of a line, the end of an arc, an arc
or circle centre) is found in the box, the cursor jumps to the
nearest one.
• If a geometry intersection is found in the box, the cursor will
jump to the nearest one.
• If any other intersection is found in the box, the cursor will jump
to the nearest one.
• If a grid point is found in the box, the cursor will jump to the
nearest one.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor so that the cursor box surrounds the point,
intersection or grid point you want to jump to.
Press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the point,
intersection or grid point.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor. Grab All jump will only work
if you are in the Grab All mode.

Tools Menu 8-7

Geometry Intersection
Moves the cursor to the nearest intersection of geometry lines or circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

I JumpGeom

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the geometry intersection you want to

jump to and press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the
geometry intersection.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.

Grid
This function moves the cursor to the nearest grid point set up by Tools
Grid.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

G JumpGd

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the grid point you want to jump to and
press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the grid point.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.
If Grid jump does not appear to be working it is probable that it is
snapping to invisible grid points. To see these grid points zoom into
your drawing or increase the maximum number of grid dots across
screen.

8-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Any Intersection
Moves the cursor to the nearest intersection of lines, arcs, geometry lines and
circles.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

0 (zero) JumpInt

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the intersection you want to jump to and
press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the intersection.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.

Point
Moves the cursor to the nearest reference point.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

J JumpPt

The reference point may be a point, the end of a line or arc, an arc or
circle centre point, the label origin of an item of text, the label origin
of an item of dimension text or an arrow end point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the point you want to jump to and press
[Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the point.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.

Tools Menu 8-9

Circle Centre
Moves the cursor to the nearest arc or circle centre.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

* JumpCen

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the circle centre you want to jump to and
press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the circle
centre.

The cursor will not jump to the centers of geometry circles - use the
Geometry Intersection jump instead.
If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.

Near Element
Moves the cursor to the nearest element.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

N JumpNear

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the line or arc you want to jump to and
press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the line or arc.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.

8-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Last Fixed
Moves the cursor onto the last fixed point.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

X JumpFixed

The last fixed point is the last point you selected by pressing [Enter]
or by clicking. For example, this may be the end point of the last line
you drew, and is always marked by a small cross: X. If the cursor is
accidentally moved off this point, it can be returned to it using the
Last Fixed jump.

Mid Point
Moves the cursor to the mid-point of the nearest line.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

C JumpRatio .5 "Y"

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the line that you want the mid-point of
and press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps exactly onto the middle
of the line.

If you use the Shortcut key AllyCAD will not prompt you for a point
but will immediately move the cursor.

Tools Menu 8-11

Ratio
Moves the cursor a specified distance along a line or between two points.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

O JumpRatio

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point to jump to

Move your cursor close to the line or one of the points and press
[Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter division ratio for jump

Type a number here, for example if you type "0.5" or "1/2", the
cursor will jump to half way along the line or between the two points.
If you type "1/3", the cursor will jump to a third of the way along the
line or between the two points. Press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Would you like to jump to ratio point on line (else between
two points)

If you click on YES, the cursor will move to the point along the
nearest line. Where the cursor moves depends on the position of the
cursor before the jump was made.

Suppose the ratio was 1/3. If the cursor

was positioned at this end of the line ...

... it will jump to here.

If it was positioned at this end of the line

... it will jump to here.

If you click on NO, AllyCAD will prompt you for the first and second
points. Where the cursor moves depends on the order in which the
points are selected.

8-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Suppose the ratio was 1/3. If two
First point Second point points are entered like this ...

... the cursor will jump here.

First point Second point

Tools Menu 8-13

Move to Coordinates
Moves the cursor to a specific coordinate location

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Snaps U CurToCoordEnter

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter coordinates cursor should move to

Type the x and y coordinates that the cursor should move to,
separated by a space. Click on  or press [Enter].
The order of the coordinates, ie. Northing Easting or Easting Northing,
depends on the coordinate settings in Settings ► Drawing Settings.
‘0 0’ is the centre of the sheet of paper in Cartesian coordinate mode.

Unlike the other jumps in this section, you do not have to press
[Enter] to accept the new cursor position after using Move to
Coordinates.

8-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Polar Move
Moves the cursor a specified distance in a specified direction

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Snaps P PolarEnter

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter distance to move

Type the distance you want the cursor to move then click on  or
press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter bearing

Type the angle you want the cursor to move at then click on  or
press [Enter]. The cursor moves.

The Angular Format setting in Settings ► Drawing Settings determines

how the angle is measured. Unlike the other jumps in this section,
you do not have to press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position
after using Polar Move.

Tools Menu 8-15

Show Nodes
Show all the nodes on the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ShowNode

0.8

text

When you select this function, all nodes on the drawing are marked.
• Points, the ends of lines and the ends of arcs are shown as
diamonds.
• Arc and circle centres are shown as squares.
• Text and dimension text origins are shown as stars.

8-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Dump Data
Output a detailed list about the objects in your drawing to file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DumpData

Dump Data creates a file that gives the following information about
each or specific objects in your drawing:
• Parent and object names.
• The coordinates of the object's snip box.
• The layer the object is on.
• The coordinates of the object's hook point.
• Whether the object is selected.
• Whether the object is a hatch perimeter.
• The coordinates, line type, pen and width of each primitive in the
object, and whether this primitive is selected.
Refer to the Drawing Structure in the User Guide if you do not
understand any of the terminology in this section.
AllyCAD will prompt:
What layers do you want to dump data from (enter '*' for all
layers)

Type the name of the layer that you want to dump information from.
To dump information from all layers, type "*" and click on  or press
[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
What object names do you want data from ('* *' for all
objects)

Type the name of the object or objects you want information about
and click on  or press [Enter]. For example, if you type:
YELLOW CIRC1

information about objects with the name "CIRC1" and with the
parent name "YELLOW" will be dumped. Wildcards may be used. For
example, if you type:
* CIRC1

Tools Menu 8-17

information about all objects with the name "CIRC1" will be dumped,
regardless of parent names. If you type:
YELLOW *

information about all objects with the parent name "YELLOW" will be
dumped, regardless of object names. If you type :
* *

information about all the objects on the specified layers will be

dumped.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want data from all elements (else just object
headers)

If you click on the YES button, the information that is dumped to the
file will include both Object Header information and Object Details. If
you click on the NO button, only Object Header information will be
dumped.
A sample data file produced by Dump Data is shown below.
parent A object P128
objectbox -410.455 -125.775 -258.850 -19.091 objectscale 1.000 1.000 objectrot 0.000
objectlength 506 visibility 1 layer 0 object hook 0.000 0.000
selected 0 clip 0 hatch 0 type 0 patnumber 128 lib 0 key 0 Flags: grp=0 sym=0 contdel=0 chk=0
polyline linet= 1 pen=14 used=0 selection=0 nvertex=11 spline=0 swid= 0 ewid= 0 closed=0
key=0, SNode=0, ENode=0
vertex -386.87 -57.273 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -350.94 -19.091 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -323.98 -53.904 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -301.52 -25.829 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -258.85 -68.503 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -282.43 -116.79 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -308.26 -92.086 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -326.23 -125.78 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -347.57 -98.824 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -396.98 -122.41 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -410.45 -98.824 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
*************************************************
parent A object P128
objectbox -264.465 -125.775 -112.861 -19.091 objectscale 1.000 1.000 objectrot 0.000
objectlength 506 visibility 1 layer 0 object hook 145.989 0.000
selected 0 clip 0 hatch 0 type 0 patnumber 129 lib 0 key 0 Flags: grp=0 sym=0 contdel=0 chk=0
polyline linet= 1 pen=14 used=0 selection=0 nvertex=11 spline=1 swid= 0 ewid= 0 closed=0
key=0, SNode=0, ENode=0
vertex -240.88 -57.273 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -204.95 -19.091 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -177.99 -53.904 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -155.53 -25.829 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0

8-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Object Header
Information about each object comprises an Object Header followed
by Object Details. The Object Header looks like this:
parent YELLOW object CIRC1
objectbox 39.962 -15.016 88.891 33.914 objectscale 1.000 1.000 objectrot 0.000
objectlength 208 visibility 1 layer BEE object hook 88.891 9.449
selected 0 clip 0 hatch 0 type 0 patnumber 79 lib 0 key 0

It contains the following information.

parent parent name.
object object name.
objectbox coordinates of rectangle that encloses object.
objectscale information used by AllyCAD.
objectrot information used by AllyCAD.
objectlength length of object data structure in bytes.
visibility information used by AllyCAD.
layer the layer the object is on.
object hook coordinates of the object's hook point.
selected this figure is 1 if the object is selected.
clip information used by AllyCAD.
hatch this figure is 0 if the object is not a hatch perimeter.
type information used by AllyCAD.
patnumber information used by AllyCAD.
lib information used by AllyCAD.
key information used by AllyCAD.

Blocks
Drawings that have been imported as DXF or DWG files are likely to
contain AutoCAD blocks. These will be represented in Dump Data
files in the same way as AllyCAD objects, except that they will have a
STARTBLOCK line above the object description and an ENDBLOCK
line beneath it:
===========================================
STARTBLOCK SOP [0.000000,0.000000] storescale=1.000000 flags=64 purgedflag=0
*************************************************
parent A object P121
objectbox -10.000 -10.000 10.000 10.000 objectscale 1.000 1.000
objectrot 0.000
objectlength 328 visibility 0 layer 0 object hook 10.000 0.000
selected 0 clip 0 hatch 0 type 0 patnumber 121 lib 0 key 0
arc 10.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 10.000 0.000
radius 10.000 cw 0 line, pen, width 255 11 0 0 0 0 aspect 1 angle 0
line -7.071 7.071 7.071 -7.071 255 11 0 0 0 0
line 7.071 7.071 -7.071 -7.071 255 11 0 0 0 0
ENDBLOCK

Tools Menu 8-19

The first item after the word STARTBLOCK is the block's name. The
other parameters are not relevant in AllyCAD but are necessary if the
drawing is later exported back to AutoCAD.

Object Details
After the Object Header, details about each primitive in the object are
given. These details vary depending on the nature of the primitive.

Pens (colors) are numbered from 1 to 255 in the Color toolbar. A

pen of 256 indicates that the pen is being set By Layer. Line types
are numbered from 1 downwards in the Line Type Menu so that
continuous is 1, dashed is 2, etc. A line type of 256 indicates that
the line type is being set By Layer.

Points and Lines

Coordinates of one end of the line Line type Width in tenths of a mm

line -87.268 87.616 -1.043 109.172 1 1 0 0 0 0

Coordinates of other end Pen This figure is 1 if the

of the line line is selected

Points are represented as lines whose start and end coordinates are
the same.

Polylines

polyline linet= 1 pen=1 used=0 selection=0 nvertex=4 spline=0

swid= 0, ewid= 0, closed=0, key=0, SNode=0, ENode=0
vertex -148.75 -3.4421 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -119.73 35.404 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -76.954 -16.719 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0
vertex -42.042 49.172 type=0 swidth= 0 ewidth= 0

Coordinates of polyline's vertices

Vertex type (straight line or arc)

Start width and end width of vertex

8-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

linet line type.
pen colour.
used information used by AllyCAD.
selection 1 if polyline is selected, else 0.
nvertex number of vertices in the polyline.
spline spline type: 0 = no spline, 1 = 3 pt Bezier, 4 = 4 pt Bezier.
swid start width of polyline.
ewid end width of polyline.
closed 1 if polyline is closed, else 0.
key ID field for GIS type applications.
SNode ID field for start point of polyline.
ENode ID field of end node.

Arcs, Circles and Ellipses

Coordinates of arc centre

Coordinates of one end of arc Coordinates of other end of arc

arc -40.679 79.272 -45.172 53.595 -49.023 27.815

radius 26.067 cw 0 line, pen, width 1 1 0 0 0 0 aspect 1 angle 0
Line type
Pen This figure is 1 if the arc
Width in tenths of a mm is selected
Internal use

radius radius, measured in the units selected in Drawing Settings in

the Settings Menu.
Cw if the arc has been drawn in a clockwise direction, else 0.
aspect ellipse aspect ratio if the arc is an ellipse (see Ellipses).
angle ellipse angle if the arc is an ellipse (see Ellipses).

Tools Menu 8-21

Text

text item: posn 14.950 -29.205 pen 8 font 'Arial'

lorg 1 , ang (10th deg) 0 , height (10th mm) 40 , width 0
italic 0 bold 0,balloon 0 0
andrea

Text content, i.e. what the This figure is 1 if the text is

text says selected

posn coordinate position of text.

pen colour.
font font.
lorg text label origin.
ang angle, in tenths of a degree.
height height in tenths of a mm.
width width, in tenths of a mm.
italic this figure is 1 if text is italic.
bold this figure is 1 if text is bold.
balloon this figure is 1 if a balloon has been placed around the text
using Add/Rem Text Bubble in the Annotate Menu.

For further information on the above text properties, see Settings ►

Set Text Defaults.

Horizontal, Vertical, Slope and Ordinate Dimensions

Coordinates of dimension text

Coordinates of other dimensioned point
Coordinates of one dimensioned point
dim -87.268 87.616 -1.043 109.172 -51.500 127.770
pen 5 ar1 ar2 0 0 ang 140 0
dim text :88.9:
This figure is 1 if the dimension is selected

pen color.
ar1 ar2 arrow heads. The two figures following ar1 ar2 are
normally both 0. If an arrow head has been updated using
Edit Dimension Properties in Edit Dimension in the
Annotate Menu it will be represented by the number 10.
ang angle of dimension in tenths of a degree.
dim text the contents of the dimension text, i.e. the measurement.

8-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Angular Dimensions

53.42° 53.42°

Coordinates of intersection point if this Coordinates of the tip of Coordinates of the end of the
is a dimensioned angle, or arc centre the arrow head that points witness line closest to the
point if this is a dimensioned arclength. in the anticlockwise dimension, at the clockwise
direction. end of the dimension.

adim 18.427 83.444 75.266 72.513 71.715 135.573

pen 5 ar1 ar2 0 0 0
text posn 71.715 135.573 text :55.26°:

This figure is 1 if the dimension is selected

pen colour.
ar1 ar2 the two figures following this are not relevant to angular
dimensions
text posn coordinates of dimension text position.
text the contents of the dimension text, i.e. the measurement.

Radial Dimensions

Coordinates of the point where the arrow head touches the Coordinates of the dimension
arc or circle circumference. In the case of a circle, where text if this is not on the
two arrow heads touch the circumference, it is the arrow dimension arrow. If the text is
head nearest to the text. If the text is in between the two on the dimension arrow, these
arrow heads, it is the arrow head nearest the position you coordinates are the same as
indicated when adding the Radial Dimension. the previous ones.

Coordinates of arc or circle centre

rdim -45.172 53.595 -69.196 43.482 -7.301 69.536

pen 5 ar1 textar 0 0 0
rad dim text :R 26.1:
This figure is 1 if the dimension is selected

pen colour.
ar1 textar the two figures following this are not relevant to radial
dimensions.
raddim text the contents of the dimension text, i.e. the measurement.

Tools Menu 8-23

Arrows

Coordinates of arrow tail Arrow head width in tenths of a mm Pen

arrow -82.401 -5.563 21.209 2.781 30 10 5 0

Coordinates of arrow head

This figure is 1 if the
Arrow head length in tenths of a mm arrow is selected

Data Items

data item: posn -58.758 118.907 type 0 link 0 0

paint=green

The text content of the data item This figure is 1 if the

data item is selected
posn: Coordinate position of data
type:
link:

posn coordinate position of data item.

type normally 0. Other types of data item are used internally by
the program.
link information used by AllyCAD.

Bitmaps

bitmap: filename = "C:\MANDRAW\CCAD.BMP" pixel size = 1 1

visible = "Y" position = 138.725166 84.834437

filename the full path and filename of the bitmap.

pixel size real world pixel size.
visible this is “Y” if the bitmap is visible and “N” if it is displayed as
a placeholder.
position the coordinates of the top left hand corner of the bitmap.

For further information on the above bitmap properties, see Load

Bitmap.

8-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Block Inserts
Drawings that have been imported from DXF or DWG files are likely
to contain AutoCAD block inserts. These are represented as follows:

Name of block being inserted Coordinates of inserted block's hook point

INSERT "SOP" index=0 [240.307714,262.241572] xscl=3 yscl=3 ang=0

Number of block being inserted. X and Y scale of inserted block

0 is the first block defined in the drawing
1 is the next block etc.
angle of inserted block

Tools Menu 8-25

Grid
Draw a grid to aid drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GridDef

Grid allows you to draw a user-defined grid onto the screen.

The grid points can be snapped to using the Grid

Snap mode or the Grid Jump. The grid can be
turned on and off.

If you have ticked the Isometric Grids box in

Settings ► Drawing Settings you will get an isometric
grid.

When you select the Grid function the following dialog box is
displayed:

X Grid Spacing
This is the distance between grid points in the X direction.

Y Grid Spacing
This is the distance between grid points in the Y direction

Grid Display Density

If the X and Y grid spacing is small there will be so many dots on the
screen that it will be both confusing and slow on redraws. This is
especially true as you zoom out, which will cause even more grid
dots to appear on the screen.

8-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The figure typed here is the maximum number of dots that will be
displayed on the screen at any time, regardless of X and Y spacing
and magnification.
For example, if you have chosen X and Y spacing that result in 80
rows and 80 columns of dots on the screen at a particular time, only
40 rows and 40 columns (i.e. every second dot) will be displayed if 40
has been typed as the maximum.
The dots that are not displayed still exist and can be snapped to. You
just can't see them.

Grid On
This option turns the grid on or off.

If the Grid Snap mode or the Grid Jump do not appear to be

snapping to grid points, it is probable that they are snapping to
invisible grid points. In order to see these invisible points, zoom into
your drawing or increase the maximum number of grid dots across
screen.

Tools Menu 8-27

Measure
Measure the distance and angle between two points.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File QueryDist

Second
point

Slope
distance

Y distance
Angle
First
point

X distance

This function measures the slope distance, the x and the y distances
and the angle between any two points.

Distances, arc lengths, angles, diameters and radii may also be

measured using the various dimensioning functions in the Annotate
Menu. If you just want to measure but do not want to add the
dimension, cancel the dimensioning function immediately after the
measurement has been displayed in the Control Bar.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Distance ... enter first point ([Space Bar] to exit)

Position the cursor at the first point and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Second point

Position the cursor at the second point and press [Enter] or click.
The measurements are displayed. Click on OK to return to AllyCAD.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Distance ... enter first point ([Space Bar] to exit)

To measure something else, position the cursor at the first point and
press [Enter] or click. Alternatively, cancel measuring by choosing
another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done.

8-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Polygon Area
Measure the area and perimeter of polygons.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File QryArea

This function measures the area and perimeter of polygons. When

you select this function, you will enter the Perimeter Menu.
Once you have defined the perimeter you wish to measure, an
information box will appear displaying its length, the area inside it
and the centroid of the points used to calculate the area. These
measurements will be presented in the currently selected linear and
area units.

Incorrect areas
If you select the yellow Object Icon in the Perimeter Menu on the
Control Bar to identify a boundary, the area calculated may be
incorrect. For this method of boundary identification to produce the
correct result, all the elements in the object must have been drawn
sequentially.

Incorrect perimeters
Line width affects perimeter calculations, which may therefore
appear incorrect. For example:
If you draw a rectangle of 100x100mm with a line width of 0mm, the
perimeter will be measured as 400mm.
If you draw a rectangle of 100x100mm with a line width of 0.2mm,
the perimeter will be measured as 800mm.
If you draw a rectangle of 100x100mm with a line width of 2mm, the
perimeter will be measured as 8000mm.
This only occurs if you use the Rectangle, Line or Object methods of
defining the perimeter to measure. This is intentional for certain
types of costing.
To switch off this effect temporarily, click in the Command box on
the Control Bar and type:
SETUSEWIDTHPERIM 0

Tools Menu 8-29

To switch off this effect as default you must edit your "linetype.mac"
file. This file resides in the "macro" directory in the User directory.
You can edit it using any text editor, such as Windows Notepad.
Insert a line into the "linetype.mac" file that reads
SETUSEWIDTHPERIM 0

To turn the effect on again, use the command

SETUSEWIDTHPERIM 1.

Refer to the ENQUIRE “LASTAREA” macro functions for more

details.

8-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Add Data Item
Link text to coordinates.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Data

This function allows text to be linked to a specific coordinate

location. This information can later be queried by a macro, using the
function Enquire Data. See Enquire in Macros.
For example, if you were designing base plates for different pump
and motor combinations, you could place data items on the bolt
holes. A macro could then query the positions of these bolt holes and
design the base plate accordingly.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter location for data point

Position the cursor at a coordinate location that you want text to be

linked to and press [Enter] or click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text for data point

Type text to be associated with the coordinate location.

For example, if you type "BOLTHOLE", you can later query the data
item called "BOLTHOLE" and discover its x and y coordinate location.
Alternatively, you could type "BATHROOM PAINT=BLUE". A macro
could then query the colour of the bathroom by searching for the
data item "BATHROOM PAINT".

When you query a data item, the macro function Enquire Data will
only read the coordinates of the first occurrence of the data item it
encounters. So if you need to query the locations of several bolt
holes, for example, you should distinguish between them by
assigning different text to them, for example BOLTHOLE 1,
BOLTHOLE 2 etc.

When you have typed the text, click on  or press [Enter].

AllyCAD will prompt:
Should the data item be visible

If you click on the YES button, the data item text will be displayed on
the screen. The text format is determined by Set Text Defaults in the

Tools Menu 8-31

Settings Menu. If you click on the NO button, the text will be
invisible.

You can make all data item text visible, or all data item text
invisible using Show Data Items in View Settings in the Settings
Menu.

A diamond shape appears at the coordinate position but disappears

when you redraw the screen. It will re-appear if you want to change
the text of a data item using the function Edit Data Item in the Tools
menu.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter location for data point

Enter the location for another data item. Alternatively cancel linking
text to coordinates by choosing another function, pressing the
[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

8-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Edit Data Item
Change the information in a data item.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EditData

When you choose this function, a diamond shape appears wherever a

data item has been entered.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select data item to edit

Position the cursor on the diamond marking the data item you want
to edit and press [Enter] or click. The data appears in the Control
Bar.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new data

Type in the new data and click on  or press [Enter]. AllyCAD will
prompt:
Should the data item be visible

If you click on the YES button, the data item text will be displayed on
the screen. The text style is set in Settings ► Set Text Defaults. If you
click on the NO button, the text will be invisible.

You can make all data item text visible, or all data item text
invisible using Show Data Items in Settings ► View Settings.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select data item to edit

Position the cursor on another data item to edit and press [Enter] or
click. Alternatively cancel data item editing by choosing another
function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Tools Menu 8-33

Query Entity
Query details of an entity.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right File QueryEl

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select element to query

Position the cursor on the entity you want to query. Press [Enter] or
click. A box showing information about the entity appears.
The following conventions are used:
• Pens (colors) are numbered from 1 to 255. A pen of "256"
indicates that the pen is being set By Layer.
• Line types are numbered from 1 downwards in the Line Type
menu so that continuous is 1, dashed is 2, etc. A line type of
"256" indicates that the line type is being set By Layer.
• Width is measured in tenths of a mm.
• Angles are measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock position.
• The figure in brackets "(0)" is information used internally.
• The letter or name in single quotes after the word Layer is the
layer the entity is on.

8-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Bill of Materials (BOM)
Create a Bill of Materials

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Bom

Bill of Materials (BOM for short) extracts information from attributes

attached to objects on your drawing. It places this information into a
fixed width, comma delimited, or tab delimited ASCII file.
OBJ_NAME MANUFACTURER PART_NO COLOUR OBJ_LAYER OBJ_XREF OBJ_YREF
BATH SCOVER 123 CREAM FURNITURE -2736.238 -1897.376
BATH SCOVER 123 YELLOW FURNITURE 63.762 -1897.376
BASIN SCOVER 67 CREAM FURNITURE -2736.238 -181.661
BASIN SCOVER 67 YELLOW FURNITURE 63.762 -181.661

The top line of the file is optional and describes the attributes that
have been extracted. In the example above, data has been extracted
about each object's name, its manufacturer, part number, colour,
layer and the coordinate position on the drawing.
Every line that follows refers to an object on the drawing. In the list
there is a bath on the drawing manufactured by SCOVER, with a
part number of 123, in cream. On the drawing it is on the
FURNITURE layer and is located at coordinate position "-2736.238, -
1897.376".
Once you have extracted the bill of materials, you can read the ASCII
file into a database or spreadsheet to manipulate the information.

Creating a Template for the Bill of Materials

You first need to create a template file for the bill. The template
defines what will be included in the bill. You can use any text editor,
such as Windows Notepad, to create the file, which must have a
".BTM" extension. The template used to create the BOM shown above
looks like this:
OBJ_NAME C 10 0
MANUFACTURER C 14 0
PART_NO N 10 0
COLOUR C 12 0 "unspecified"
OBJ_LAYER C 10 0
OBJ_XREF N 12 3
OBJ_YREF N 12 3

Tools Menu 8-35

System Attributes
The first column of the template lists the attributes to be extracted in
the BOM. All the attributes whose names begin with OBJ_ are
automatically calculated for every object on the drawing.
In the example above, four system attributes have been used:
OBJ_NAME, OBJ_LAYER, OBJ_XREF and OBJ_YREF. Here is a list of all
the available system attributes:

Name Description
OBJ_NAME the object's name.
OBJ_PARENT the object's parent name.
OBJ_LAYER the layer the object is on.
OBJ_XREF the x coordinate position of the object's hook point.
OBJ_YREF the y coordinate position of the object's hook point.
OBJ_XSCALE the scale of the object in the x direction. This is 1 unless you
have scaled the object, either when you added it to the drawing
using Symbol, or using Scale in the Modify Menu.
OBJ_YSCALE the scale of the object in the y direction. This is 1 unless you
have scaled the object, either when you added it to the drawing
using Symbol, or using Scale in the Modify Menu.
OBJ_ROT the rotation of the object, measured in degrees and anti-
clockwise from the 3 o'clock position. This is 0 unless you have
rotated the object, either when you added it to the drawing using
Symbol, or using Rotate in the Modify Menu.
OBJ_AREA the area of the object, measured in the currently set area units
(see Drawing Settings). Be aware that the areas calculated
for complex objects are not always accurate. See List Objects
for an explanation.
OBJ_PERIM is the perimeter of the object, measured in the currently set linear
units (see Drawing Settings).

If you don't know what an object name, a parent name or a hook

point is, see Drawing Structure in the User Guide.

User-defined Attributes
Three user-defined attributes have been used in the template:
MANUFACTURER, PART_NO and COLOUR.
A template file must contain at least one user-defined attribute, and
you can define as many as you want. User-defined attribute names

8-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

are case-insensitive and may not contain spaces i.e. COLOUR =
Colour = colour.
Only objects that have at least one of the user-defined attributes
specified in the template file will be included in the BOM.

Attribute Type
The second column in the template specifies whether the attribute is
a text item or a number.
"C" is specifies that the attribute is a text item. Text attributes will
have double quotes placed around them if the bill is output as a
comma or tab delimited file.
"N" specifies that the attribute is a number.

Attribute width
The third column in the template defines the maximum width, in
characters, that the attribute will take up in the file.
If you choose to output the bill as fixed columns, then this width will
be used to define the fixed column spacing.

Decimal places
You can specify the number of decimal places in the fourth column
for the following attributes:
OBJ_AREA
OBJ_PERIM
OBJ_XREF
OBJ_YREF
OBJ_XSCALE
OBJ_YSCALE
OBJ_ROT

For example, the OBJ_XREF and OBJ_YREF attributes are given a

width of 12 characters, of which three are for decimal places:

OBJ_XREF N 12 3
OBJ_YREF N 12 3

Tools Menu 8-37

This means that the x and y coordinates of the object are rounded to
three decimal places: -2398.842 and -84.934. The coordinates fit into
their width allocation of 12 characters in the file as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
- 2 3 9 8 . 8 4 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
- 8 4 . 9 3 4

The numeric attributes are right justified in the file.

Default attribute values

In the fifth column of the template you can specify a default value
that must be given to a user-defined attribute if an object does not
include that attribute or if the attribute has no value.
So, for example, the COLOUR attribute has been given a default
value of “unspecified”. If there is an object on the drawing that has
not had a colour assigned to it, the object will be given the colour
“unspecified” in the bill.

Sample Template File

SAMPLE.BTM is a template file that contains all the system OBJ_
attributes. You can use this template file as a basis for creating your
own by loading it into Windows Notepad, editing it, then saving it
under a new name. Edit it by removing any OBJ_ attributes you
don't want and by adding your own user-defined attributes.

8-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Creating a Bill of Materials
Before you can create a bill of materials:
• Your drawing must contain objects with attributes. These will
have been created initially using Objects ► Make Symbol and will
have been placed on the drawing using Draw ► Symbol.
• You must have created a Template file for the bill.
Follow the steps outlined below:
1. Select the Tools ► Bill of Materials option.
2. Select the Template file you want to use from the standard File
Open dialog.
3. Specify the BOM Output file name using the standard File Save
dialog. By default, the file will have a .BOM extension, but you
can change that if you want to.
4. The Bill of Materials dialog box is displayed.

The BOM will be saved in a plain ASCII file. The Field Separators
option allows you to specify that the file must be:
Comma Delimited
items separated by commas with text items enclosed in quotation
marks.
Tab Delimited
items separated by tabs with text items enclosed in quotation
marks.
Fixed Width Columns
the width of each column specified in the template file.
If you check the Field Names on First Line option the first line of
the file will include the names of the attributes. This is useful if
you plan to import the BOM into a program like Microsoft Access,
which can interpret the first line of the file as field names.

Tools Menu 8-39

 Click on OK to generate the BOM. A message will be displayed
telling you how many objects are included in the BOM.
You can look at the BOM in any text editor such as Windows
Notepad or import it into any spreadsheet or database that accepts
ASCII files. Once in the spreadsheet or database, you can manipulate
the information in the BOM.

Creating objects with attributes (Symbols)

You must create a symbol library or libraries containing all the
objects you want to include in your bill of materials as follows:
1. Start a new drawing.
Draw the objects.
Use Objects ► Make Symbol to group the objects and add attributes to
them.
For full details refer to Objects ► Make Symbol. However, the
important parts of the Make Symbol function for BOMs are the
following prompts:
Enter prompt for symbol attribute 1 (Blank for no
attributes)

Type a name for an attribute. For example, if the object is a bath

and one of the bath's attributes is colour, type COLOUR. Then
press [Enter] or click on .
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter attribute default value

You must now type one of the following:

COLOUR=CREAM
or
COLOUR

then press [Enter] or click on .

COLOUR is the attribute name. This is the user-defined attribute
name that you type into your BOM template file.
If you type COLOUR=CREAM, then CREAM is the default value of
the attribute COLOUR. You can give any default value, e.g.
COLOUR= PEACH, COLOUR=GREEN, COLOUR=BLUE etc.
You can change this value when you insert the object into a
drawing with Draw ► Symbol.

8-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 If you just type COLOUR, then the attribute has no default value.
You can add a value when you insert the object into a drawing
with Draw ► Symbol.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter attribute position

Click where you want the attribute to be positioned. This position

isn't important, as the attribute won't be visible.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter prompt for symbol attribute 2 (Blank for no
attributes)

Type a name for another attribute, or stop adding attributes by

leaving the command line blank, then pressing [Enter] or clicking
on .
Save the library using File ► Save As.
It's best if you save the library into the Symbol sub-directory
otherwise you may have difficulty finding the library again later if
you are not familiar with Windows.

Refer to Objects ► Make Symbol and Settings ► View Settings for more
details.

Viewing and Editing attributes in a symbol library

Load the symbol library drawing. To see the attributes go to
Settings ► View Settings and set Show Data Items to "All".
If you need to change an attribute in a symbol library use Tools ► Edit
Data Item. The format of the data item after editing must be
prompt:attribute=value

as is shown in the example with

COLOUR:COLOUR=CREAM.

Adding attributes to an object in a symbol library

If you need to add an attribute to an object in a symbol library,
simply use Objects ► Make Symbol to create the object again. When
you get to the prompt:
Enter prompt for symbol attribute 1

Tools Menu 8-41

do not enter the existing attributes again. Just add the new attribute
or attributes.
To check that the attributes are correct once you have finished go to
Settings ► View Settings and set Show Data Items to "All".

Deleting attributes from an object in a symbol library

If you need to delete an attribute from an object in a symbol library
use Object ► Explode Object to explode the object.
Go to Settings ► View Settings and set Show Data Items to "All". Delete
the unwanted attributes. If you can't select them for deletion, set the
Selection Filters to Data Item and try again.
Select the object and its remaining attributes and use Objects ► Group
Into Object to recreate the object.

Refer to the Object Menu for more details.

Adding objects with attributes to a drawing

If you want to add an object with an attribute to a drawing:
1. Use File ► Load Symbol File to load the symbol library.
AllyCAD prompts:
Do you want symbols to be absolute (else to scale)
Click on the NO button to accept the to scale option. AllyCAD
prompts:
Convert attributes to text during load?
You MUST answer NO to this question if you plan to create a Bill
of Materials.
Use Draw ► Symbol to add the object to the drawing.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter position for symbol
Select the object you want and position it on the drawing. Click
or press [Enter]. Suppose the object has an attribute called
Colour. AllyCAD now prompts:
COLOUR

8-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 On the Command Line COLOUR or COLOUR=CREAM is
displayed where CREAM is the default value you attached to the
attribute when it was created.
You can change this value by typing COLOUR=GREEN or
COLOUR=BLUE. The value, i.e. CREAM or GREEN or BLUE etc.
is what will appear in the BOM.
You can also edit the command line to just read COLOUR so that the
COLOUR attribute has no value. If you have typed a default value for
the COLOUR attribute into your template file the attribute will be
given this default value in the BOM.
When you are satisfied with the attribute's value, press [Enter] or
click on . You will be prompted to enter a value for any other
attribute attached to the object.
Once you have allocated values to all of the object's attributes, the
object will be displayed on the drawing. A diamond will be displayed
at the position of each attribute. This diamond will disappear next
time you redraw.

Viewing and Editing attributes in a drawing

To see the attributes in a drawing go to Settings ► View Settings and set
Show Data Items to "All". If you need to change an attribute in the
drawing use Tools ► Edit Data Item. The format of the data item after
editing should be:
attribute=value

ie. COLOUR=CREAM in the example.

Adding attributes to an object in a drawing

If you need to add an attribute to an object once it is part of the
drawing, use Tools ► Add Data Item. The data item you add should be
in the following format:
attribute=value

ie. COLOUR=CREAM in the example.

Use Objects ► Group Into Object to group the object and the new data
item into one object.

Deleting attributes from an object in a drawing

If you need to delete an attribute from an object once it is on a
drawing, use Object ► Explode Object. Go to Settings ► View Settings and
set Show Data Items to "All". Delete the data item and use

Tools Menu 8-43

Objects ► Group Into Object to regroup the object and its remaining
attributes.

Troubleshooting
If you are having difficulty creating a Bill of Materials check the
following:
• Ensure there is no carriage return after the last line in your BOM
template file.
• Have you attached the attributes to the objects correctly?
• For an object to be included in the BOM, it must have at least
one of the attributes listed in the BOM template file.
See Also
Explode Object, Group Into Object, Make Symbol, Edit Data Item,
View Settings, Selection Filters.

8-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Tidy Polygons
Tidies up polygon segments entered from an “untidy” source such as a
digitizer or raster to vector conversion program.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TidyPoly

Tidy Polygons does the following:

• Removes redundant line segments.

Before Tidy Up Boundaries After Tidy Up Boundaries

• Removes duplicate lines.

• Joins line end points to give a neat junction.

Before After
Drawingsnaptidy Drawingsnaptidy

• Removes very short lines.

• Tidies up over- and under-shoots.

Before After
drawingCliptidy drawingCliptidy

The following options are available.

Tools Menu 8-45

Add Nodes
This option adds nodes at segment intersection points and is
required before you can use the Tidy Up Boundaries option.

Nodes
Segments made up
of many small lines

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter node radius in mm on paper

Enter the radius of the nodes to be added. A value of between one

and two millimeters is reasonable. Press [Enter] or .
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next node position

The cursor changes to Point mode. Position it close to the segment

intersection you want to add a node to and press [Enter] or click.
A circle is displayed around the intersection, and this node is
automatically added to a layer called "__NODES__" so that you can
easily switch off or delete the nodes when you no longer need them.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter next node position

Add another node or cancel node adding by pressing the [Space Bar],
clicking on Done or .

8-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Tidy Up Boundaries
This option removes redundant lines. For example, when you
digitize, you commonly enter many more line segments than are
necessary, especially along straight segments.
The redundant segments are replaced with a single line, often
resulting in a large memory saving - usually a factor of two to ten.

You should change to a clean layer before tidying. In this way you
can easily get rid of any old fragments that have been missed in the
cleaning process.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter tolerance on each side of line for straightening(in mm
on paper)

Type a number, usually between 0.3 and 0.7 and press [Enter] or
click .
The number defines a “corridor” of a certain width, and any line
segments falling within this corridor will be replaced with a single
line segment.

Boundary tidied up using a smaller tolerance

Boundary tidied up using a larger tolerance

Tools Menu 8-47

The larger the envelope the more line segments will be joined.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Select node for start of next boundary segment

Position the cursor on the node marking one end of the

boundary segment to be tidied and press [Enter] or
click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Show first line of segment (Pick first line at
its mid point)

Position the cursor half way along the first line making
up the boundary segment to be tidied. You may have to
magnify into the drawing in order to identify this
segment. Press [Enter] or click.

The program will now track along the segment until it reaches
another node. You will see its progress as it tracks. If tracking is lost
before another node is reached or if there is ambiguity at a point the
following prompt is displayed:
Tracking lost... enter next segment

Position the cursor on the next line in the boundary segment to be

tracked and press [Enter] or click.

Once another node has been reached a list of

options will be displayed.

If you are satisfied with the tidied boundary and want to discard the
old boundary, choose the Satisfied discard old option. If you are
satisfied with the tidied boundary but want to keep the old one,
choose the satisfied Keep old option.
If you are not satisfied with the tidied boundary, choose the Restart
segment option. Finally, if you have finished tidying boundaries,
choose Quit. You will be returned to the Tidy Polygons Menu.

8-48 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Do not cancel segment tracking by pressing [Esc], or the tidied
segment that has been created so far will not be deleted. Wait for
tracking to stop, then choose Restart segment from the list of
options.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Select node for start of next boundary segment

Click on the first node of another boundary segment to tidy or cancel

boundary tidying by pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Drawingsnaptidy
This option tidies up end of line connections, deletes very short lines,
and removes duplicate lines.

If you are using this function in conjunction with DrawingCliptidy,

then you must use Drawingsnaptidy first. This is because
Drawingsnaptidy might move line end points, and this may cause
overshoots and undershoots already tidied by DrawingCliptidy to
become untidy again.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter snap tolerance in current units

If two or more line end points lie within the snap tolerance, then the
function will try to move these end points onto the intersection
points of the lines.
All the line ends within this circle
lie within the snap tolerance

Before After
Drawingsnaptidy Drawingsnaptidy

Type in the tolerance and press [Enter] or click on . The tolerance

should normally be about 50% higher than the maximum gap to be
closed. You can use the Tools ► Measure function to query gap sizes.

If you simply want to use Drawingsnaptidy for removing duplicate

lines, you can set the tolerance to "0".

AllyCAD will prompt:

Tools Menu 8-49

 Enter minimum line length allowed (in current units)

The function will delete all lines shorter than a given length. Type a
minimum line length and press [Enter] or click on . If you do not
want to delete any very short lines, give a length of zero.
If you simply want to use Drawingsnaptidy for removing duplicate
lines, you can set the minimum line length to "0".
AllyCAD will prompt:
Remove overlapping lines?

Click on the YES button if you want to remove overlapping lines. Else
click on the NO button. Overlapping lines will be removed as follows:
• Exactly overlapping - one line will be deleted.
• Partially overlapping - one line will be trimmed to meet the other.
• Long line completely overlapping short line - the short line will be
deleted.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter polygon within which to Snaptidy

Draw a polygon around the area within which the snap tidy
operation is to be applied.
In some cases, for example where there are three or more lines that
do not intersect at the same point, the function may not be able to
join the lines. In such cases you may have to use the Modify ► Trim,
Modify ► Divide/Extend or Modify ► Move Point functions to join them.
AllyCAD will continue prompt:
Enter polygon within which to Snaptidy

Define another polygon or cancel the function by pressing the

[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

8-50 AllyCAD Reference Manual

DrawingCliptidy
This function tidies up line over and under-shoots.
If you are using this function in conjunction with Drawingsnaptidy,
then you must use Drawingsnaptidy first. This is because
Drawingsnaptidy might move line end points, and this may mean
that overshoots and undershoots already tidied using
DrawingCliptidy might become untidy again.
DrawingCliptidy will not tidy overshoots and undershoots where two
line ends meet (circled in the diagram below). This is the function of
Drawingsnaptidy.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter dangle tolerance in current units

Type in a tolerance for the maximum length of an over or undershoot

to be tidied and press [Enter] or click on .
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter polygon within which to Cliptidy

Draw a polygon around the area within which the function is to be

applied.
In some cases DrawingCliptidy may not be able to resolve the over
and undershoots. In such cases you may have to use the
Modify ► Divide/Extend or Modify ► Trim functions to tidy them.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter polygon within which to Cliptidy

Draw another polygon or cancel the function by pressing the

[Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Tools Menu 8-51

Line to Polyline
Convert linked line segments to polylines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LineToPolyLine
This functions converts a series of linked lines, ie. lines where the
the end of one line is the same as the start of the next line, into one
polyline entity. You have the option to retain the original lines or
delete them.

Procedure
The CAD will prompt:
Delete line segments after adding to polyline (else retain)

If you want to delete the converted line segments click on the YES
button, else click on the NO button to retain the line segments.
The CAD will prompt:
Indicate start of polyline

The cursor will switch into point snap mode. Position the cursor near
to the start of a series of lines and click. The program will track along
the series of lines and convert each segment into a polyline vertex. If
it is unable to pick up the lines the following error message will be
displayed:

The CAD will again prompt:

Indicate start of polyline

Indicate the start of another series of lines or else press [ESC] to

terminate the function

The polyline is created in the current layer using the current pen
and line type.

8-52 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Arc to Points
Draw a sequence of short lines over an arc entity

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ArcToPnts
The original arc remains unaffected, while lines are drawn coinciding
with the arc.

Procedure
Select arc to convert

Indicate an arc to have it drawn over with lines on the current layer
and with pen 1. The number of lines drawn is determined by the
CAD.
The program repeats for multiple arcs.

Expand
Automatically produce a detailed view.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Expand

Expand automatically produces a detailed view within a box or circle.

It can also be used as a “cut and paste” function if the magnification
is set to 1.
The function will give you the option to save the detailed view onto a
separate layer. We advise that you do this, because otherwise it is
easy to accidentally change the magnification of your drawing.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Expand inside a box? (else circle)

If you want the detailed view to appear

inside a box, click on the YES button

Tools Menu 8-53

 If you want the detailed view to appear
inside a circle, click on the NO button

AllyCAD will prompt:

Would you like to enter box/circle after expand

If you would like the box or circle to be drawn around the detailed
view as shown above click on the YES button.

Otherwise, click on the NO button.

Detailed view in a box

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter corner of expand box

Position the cursor at one corner of the

expand box and press [Enter] or click.

8-54 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter another corner of box
Position the cursor at a diagonally
opposite corner of the expand box and
press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter magnification factor

Type the magnification of the detailed view and click on  or press

[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter position of expanded detail

A box representing the size of the detailed view appears. Move this to
a suitable position on the screen and press [Enter] or click. The
detailed view is drawn.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Magnified Layer

The Magnified Layer dialog box is displayed.

Tools Menu 8-55

Choose a layer for the detailed view to be copied into by clicking on
the appropriate layer in the list.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new magnification for layer ‘newlayer’

Anything that you subsequently draw onto the layer that the detailed
view is on will have the magnification that you give here. For
example, if the drawing scale is 1:1, and you give a magnification of
2, anything else that you draw on this layer will be drawn at a scale
of 1:0.5.

8-56 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Detailed view in a circle

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter centre point of expand circle

Position the cursor at the centre of the

expand circle is to be and press [Enter] or
click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter point on radius

Position the cursor at a position on the

expand circle’s circumference and press
[Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter magnification factor

Type the magnification of the detailed view and click on  or press

[Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter position of expanded detail

A box representing the size of the detailed view appears. Move this to
a suitable position on the screen and press [Enter] or click. The
detailed view is drawn.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want an arrow joining the two circles

This question is only asked if you have chosen to draw an expand

circle around the detailed view.

If you want to join the two circles with an arrow, click on the YES
button, otherwise click on the NO button.
AllyCAD will prompt:

Tools Menu 8-57

 Magnified Layer

The Magnified Layer dialog box is displayed.

Choose a layer for the detailed view to be copied into by clicking on

the appropriate layer in the list.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new magnification for layer ‘newlayer’

Anything that you subsequently draw onto the layer that the detailed
view is on will have the magnification that you give here. For
example, if the drawing scale is 1:1, and you give a magnification of
2, anything else that you draw on this layer will be drawn at a scale
of 1:0.5.

General
If you have placed the detailed view onto the same layer as the rest of
your drawing, it is important that you type a magnification of "1" so
that anything else you draw on the layer is not drawn at the wrong
scale.
If you want to add dimensions to the detailed view, you should
accept the default magnification, which is the magnification of the
detailed view. This will ensure that the dimensions are correct.
Accept the magnification you type by clicking on  or pressing
[Enter].

8-58 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If you had already dimensioned the drawing before creating the
detailed view and the dimensions in the detailed view are now
incorrect, you must do the following after you have completed the
Expand function.
Select the detailed view using the Edit ► Select or Edit ► Selection Filters
commands. Then use the Modify ► Scale function to scale the detailed
view by "0.5 0.5" and then by "2 2". The dimensions will then read
correctly.
Once you have changed the magnification of the layer, you will see
that this magnification is reflected in the Layer Control.

Tools Menu 8-59

Bitmap List
Lists the bitmaps and paths in a drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

bitmaplist

Bitmap List, lists all the bitmaps currently loaded in the drawing as
well as their drawing paths, as shown below:

Locate Text
Locates text in a drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

findtxt

Locate text, allows you to search for text in a drawing using

wildcards “*” and “?”.

Procedure
Select the option Locate Text in the Tools menu. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter text to search for (Wildcards * and ? are accepted.
Search is case insensitive)

Enter the text you are looking for using wild cards if necessary e.g. to
search for the text “Bend Angles”, type “Bend*” (quotation marks are
not needed) and click the tick. AllyCAD will then zoom to the
selected text and prompt:
Text located! Continue with search ?

8-60 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Select “Yes” to find another piece of text and “No” to end this function.

Tools Menu 8-61

Objects Menu
The Objects menu allows you to
group elements into symbols or
objects that structure your
drawing and can be used to
produce a Bill of Materials.

Objects Menu 9-1

An introduction to objects and symbols

Primitives are grouped together to form object.

For example this object, an electrical socket, is
made up of five primitives (two arcs and three
lines).

Objects are further grouped into PARENTS.

For example, these two objects, an electrical
socket and an earth position, might be
grouped into a parent called POWER on a
building services-type drawing.

A symbol is a specialized object that has been drawn as a standard

part and will be used over and over again.
For example, an architect may need to draw doors or windows, a
mechanical engineer may need to draw nuts and bolts, etc. Each
type of door, window, nut or bolt can be referred to as a symbol, and
all the different types of doors, windows, nuts or bolts can be drawn
onto one drawing from where they can be copied when they are
needed. This kind of drawing can be referred to as a Symbol Library.

Properties of objects
Each object has a name, a parent name, a hook point and a snip box
associated with it. Some objects may also have attributes associated
with them.
Object and parent names can be up to 15 characters in length.

This object might have the name FUSE

and have a parent name of PLUG.

This object might have the name

WINDOW, and have a parent name of
BUILDING.

9-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Parent Name
If you do not choose a parent name before creating an object it will
be given the default parent name. This will usually be "A".
There are two ways to give the object a specific parent name.
• Before you create the object using Objects ► Edit Object ► Change
Parent. This defines the default parent name that will be given to
all the objects you subsequently create.
• After you have created the object using Objects ► Edit Object ►
Change Name.

Object Name
To change the object and/or parent names of an existing object, use
the Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Name function.

Hook Point
The object's hook point acts as a reference point. For example, if you
import an object from one drawing into another drawing as a symbol,
the object will appear in the second drawing with its hook point at
the cursor position.
Because of the way that the CAD can automatically rotate and snip
around symbols when they are inserted into drawings, you should
position the hook point on the left of the symbol.

The hook point of this fuse, normally invisible,

but indicated here by a star, has been
positioned at the left.
Hook point

The hook point of this window, normally

invisible, but indicated here as a star, has
been positioned at a corner.
Hook point

Use the function Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point to change
the position of the hook point.

Objects Menu 9-3

Snip Box
The snip box is an invisible box that fits exactly around the extreme
edges of the object. It is used if the object is imported into another
drawing as a symbol.
When you insert the object into another drawing, the program will
automatically snip out everything inside the snip box, if you want it
to. For example, in the example below, the window has been inserted
into a wall and the wall has been snipped away to accommodate the
window. In the other example, the fuse has been inserted into a
circuit, and the circuit has also been snipped away.

Wall before symbol insertion Circuit before symbol insertion

Wall after symbol insertion Circuit after symbol insertion

Attributes
Attributes are pieces of information that can be attached to an object
if the object is created using the Make Symbol method (see Grouping
Primitives into Objects).
An attribute for the window might be that it is to be manufactured
from aluminium. An attribute for the fuse might be that its current
rating is 5 Amps.
Attributes are only used if the object is imported into another
drawing as a symbol. As the object is imported, you will be asked if
you want to change the attribute value associated with the symbol.
For example, you may be importing a fuse whose rating is 2 Amps
rather than 5 Amps.

Once the object has been imported, the

2 AMP attribute can either be displayed with the
object as text, or can remain invisible for use
in a bill of materials.

9-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Using an object as a symbol
If you are going to use the object as a symbol, you should draw it
horizontally. For example, if you are drawing a fuse...

you should draw it this way round ...

... not this way round.

This is because of the way that AllyCAD can automatically rotate and
snip around symbols when they are inserted into drawings.
Note the following points:
• AllyCAD positions the object's hook point automatically. When
you have finished creating the object, you may want to position
its hook point manually. To do this, use the Objects ► Edit
Object ► Change Hook Point function.
• If you are going to use the object as a symbol, you should
position the hook point at the left hand end of the symbol
because of the way that AllyCAD can automatically rotate and
snip around symbols when they are inserted into drawings.
• When you use Begin New Object to create an object, the object's
snip box will fit exactly around the extreme edges of the object.
No attributes will have been assigned to the object.
When you have created the object, you will be able to select the
entire object at once by clicking on it with the Select cursor. If you
want to select a single primitive within the object, you must explode
it first using Objects ► Explode Object.

Objects Menu 9-5

Begin New Object
Create an object by naming it and then drawing it.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

BeginObj

Using the Begin New Object function requires an organised

approach, as it involves naming the object first, then drawing it.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new object name

Type a name for the object and click on  or press [Enter]. You only
need to type the object's name. Do not type a parent name. From
now on, all the primitives that you draw will be grouped into an
object with this name until:
• You create another object using Begin New Object, Group Into
Object or Make Symbol.
• You use a function that automatically starts a new object or you
make the object too big (65000 bytes - roughly 1070 lines or 750
arcs). In either of these cases, AllyCAD will automatically start a
new object.
• You change the current object (the object you are currently
drawing) using the Select Current Object function.
• You change layers.

9-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Group Into Object
Create an object by selecting primitives you have already drawn, then
grouping them.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

LinkSel

This function groups drawing primitives into objects after they have
been drawn. You must select the drawing entities using the
Edit ► Select or Edit ► Selection Filters commands. If you have not
selected any entities AllyCAD will change into selection mode. Select
the entities.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter name for new object

Type a name for the object and click on  or press [Enter]. You only
need to type the object's name. Do not type a parent name. The
selected primitives will be highlighted, and will be grouped under the
name you have typed.

Objects Menu 9-7

Explode Object
Explode objects and blocks so that individual primitives within them can be
selected.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Explode

If you have created an object using Objects ► Begin New Object,

Objects ► Group Into Object or Objects ► Make Symbol the entire object
will be selected when you click on an element of the object with the
Select cursor.
Some functions also group the elements into objects, for example,
when you draw a rectangle using Draw ► Rectangle the four lines
making up the rectangle are grouped. When you create a polyline
using Draw ► Polyline all the lines making up the polyline are
grouped. Similarly, symbols entered using Draw ► Symbol are
grouped, and sketches produced using Draw ► Sketch are grouped.
All the elements in a block that has been imported from a DXF or
DWG file are also grouped together. If you do not want to select the
entire object or block when you click on it, but only want to select
one primitive within it, you must first explode the object or block.
To do this, select the object or block using Select or the Selection
Filters. Then select Objects ► Explode. Clear all selections using
Edit ► Clear Selection. You will now be able to select single primitives.

Exploded polylines can be restored one at a time using Edit ► Undo.

9-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Show Objects
Display objects on the screen one by one.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

AllPats

Suppose you have three objects in a drawing, one of them hatched.

When you select Show Objects, each object will be shown on the
screen in turn. Its hook point will be displayed as a star, and the
snip box will be displayed.
It's parent name, object name and layer will be displayed in the
prompt area. If the object is a hatch perimeter, the perimeter’s
reference point will be shown as a cross, and the hatch index used to
hatch the perimeter will also be displayed in the prompt area.
AllyCAD prompts:
What layer do you want to show objects from (enter “*” for
all layers)

Type the name of the layer you want to display the objects from and
click on  or press [Enter]. To show objects from all layers type * and
click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
What object names do you want to show (‘*’ for all objects)

You must type both the parent name and the object name of the
objects you want to show. Names are case-insensitive. Wildcards
may be used.

Objects Menu 9-9

For example, typing
SHAPES *

will select all objects with the parent name SHAPES, such as
SHAPES CIRCLE, SHAPES TRIANGLE, etc.
Typing:
* CIRCLE

will select all objects called CIRCLE, whatever their parent names
are.
Typing:
* *

will select all the objects in the drawing regardless of name.

Click on  or press [Enter]. The objects are then displayed, one by
one, either until all the specified objects have been shown or until
you press the [Esc] key and redraw the screen.
In the above example, the following will be displayed in the prompt
area:
SHAPES CIRCLE layer A hatch index 0

where SHAPES is the parent name, CIRCLE is the object name and
the layer is A. Hatch index 0 indicates that the object is not a hatch
perimeter.

The object will be displayed like this in the

drawing area. The star represents the hook
point, while the box around the circle
represents the object's snip box.

The prompt area displays for the next object:

SHAPES TRIANGLE layer A hatch index 0

where SHAPES is the parent name, TRIANGLE is the object name

and the layer is A. Hatch index 0 indicates that the object is not a
hatch perimeter.

9-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 The object will be displayed like this in the
drawing area. The star represents the object's
hook point, and the square represents its snip
box.

The next object will display the following on the prompt area:
SHAPES RECTANGLE layer A hatch index 0

where SHAPES is the parent name, RECTANGLE is the object name

and the layer is A. Hatch index 0 indicates that the object is not a
hatch perimeter.

The object will be displayed like this in the

drawing area. The star in the diagram
represents the object's hook point.
The snip box corresponds exactly to the
rectangle, so you cannot see it.

Thereafter the following will be displayed on the prompt area:

A P5 layer A hatch index 1

where A is the parent name, P5 is the object name and the layer is A.
Hatch index 1 indicates that the object is a hatch perimeter and that
the hatch pattern it contains is number 1, i.e. the first in the list of
hatch patterns.

The cross in the diagram represents the

object's hook point, and you cannot see the
snip box because it corresponds exactly to the
rectangle.

When the current object is displayed, the words “current object” are
shown.

Objects Menu 9-11

When all your objects have been displayed, an extra object,
comprising just a hook point at the screen centre will appear. This is
normal.

9-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

List Objects
List, count and measure objects in the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ListPat

This function creates an ASCII file that lists the objects in your
drawing.

A typical file extracted from the drawing above would look like this:

Parent name object name Quantity Area Perimeter

BUILDING EXTWALLS 1 8.706215e+07 109939.5
BUILDING INTWALLS 1 5647791 71410.93
fittings door 8 8790306 27965.14
fittings extdoor 1 3026734 3629.442
fittings window 2 1.9203e+07 14844
furniture chair 7 955833.1 8881.744
furniture desk 7 4619122 23064.69

There are 27 objects selected

Objects Menu 9-13

For each type of object on the drawing the following is displayed:
• the parent name
• the object name
• the number of objects with that name
• the total area taken up by objects with that name
• the total perimeter of objects with that name
For example, in the listing shown on the previous page, there are
seven desks in the drawing, grouped under the parent name
"furniture". The total area taken up by the seven desks is
4619122 mm2. The total perimeter of the desks is 23064.69 mm.
The perimeters and areas are measured in the units you have
selected in Settings ► Drawing Settings.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want data from all layers (else just displayed
layers)

If you want to list all the objects in your drawing, click on the YES
button. If you only want to list the objects in the visible layers, click
on the NO button.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want areas and perimeters calculated automatically

If you click on the YES button, AllyCAD will calculate areas and
perimeters. If you click on the NO button, perimeters and areas will
not be calculated.

Calculated areas may be incorrect unless the elements in each

object have been drawn sequentially.
You can select the units you want areas measured in, e.g. square
mm, square m etc. These units can be different from the units you
are drawing in. For example, you can draw in mm and measure
areas in square meters.

The object listing is saved to an ASCII file that can be viewed using
any text editor such as the Windows Notepad.

9-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Make Symbol
Create an object from primitives you have already drawn by following a series
of prompts.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

MakeSym

This function groups drawing primitives into a symbol after they

have been drawn.
Make Symbol has three advantages over the other methods of object
creation:
1. It asks you a series of questions allowing you to place the
object's hook point at a position of your choice. The position of
the hook point is very important if you are going to import an
object from one drawing into another as a symbol, because the
object will appear in the second drawing with its hook point at
the cursor position.
If you were to use Begin New Object or Group Into Object to create
the object, you would have to position the hook point separately
using the Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point function.
It allows you to attach attributes to objects. For example, if you draw
a fuse, you might want to attach an attribute to it stating that its
current rating is 2 amps. Attributes can be extracted in a bill of
materials. Refer to Bill of Materials in the Tools Menu for more details.
It allows you to define your own snip box around the object. This can
automatically erase any part of the drawing over which the symbol is
placed.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter name for new symbol (blank to stop making symbols)

Type the object name of the object you are about to create and click
on  or press [Enter]. Do not type a parent name.
Enter symbol hook point

The hook point is the insertion or reference point of the object that
you will use to position the object when you place it on another
drawing. You should choose it carefully and position it accurately for
the best results.
AllyCAD can automatically rotate a symbol and snip around it when
it is inserted into drawings. It is therefore preferable that you
position the hook point on the left of the symbol.

Objects Menu 9-15

 This diagram shows two examples of objects -
a window and a fuse. Position the cursor at
the position to be used as the hook point and
press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter lower left corner of snip box
(for snipping out lines)

You can only define a linear, square or

rectangular snip box. When you insert the
symbol into a drawing, the program can
automatically snip out everything inside the
box you define here, if you want it to.
Position the cursor at the lower left corner of
the snip box and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter upper right corner of snip box
(for snipping out lines)

Position the cursor at the upper right corner of

the snip box and press [Enter] or click.

In the following examples, a window symbol has been inserted into a

wall and the wall has been snipped away to accommodate the
window, and a fuse has been inserted into a circuit and the circuit
has also been snipped away.

Wall before symbol insertion Circuit before symbol insertion

Wall after symbol insertion Circuit after symbol insertion

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enclose everything that you want included in symbol

9-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Draw a box or polygon around the primitives that you want to
include in the object. Two diamonds marking the extents of the snip
box will appear.

If you enclose any hatches within the polygon, these will be

converted to lines.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter prompt for symbol attribute 1 (Blank for no
attributes)

The attribute prompt is the name or description for the information,

for example "RESISTANCE" for a resistor, "WEIGHT" for a piece of
steel, "MATERIAL" for what a window is to be manufactured from or
"CURRENT" for the current rating of a fuse.
If you want to attach attribute information to the object type in the
name and click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter attribute default value

This will be the default value of the attribute. For example, you might
type "WOOD" as the material a window is made out of, or "3 AMP" for
the current rating of a fuse.
If you are going to create a bill of materials, the attribute default
value must be in a particular format:
attribute=default value

e.g. COLOUR =CREAM.

Type in the value and click on  or press [Enter].

When you insert the object into another drawing using

Draw ► Symbol the attributes can be displayed as text or extracted in
a bill of materials.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter attribute position

Position the cursor where you want the attribute to be placed and
press [Enter] or click. A diamond is displayed.
If the attribute is displayed as text when you place the symbol into
another drawing the attribute position defines where the text will be
placed.

Objects Menu 9-17

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter prompt for symbol attribute 2

Type a prompt for another attribute and click on  or press [Enter].

You may add other attributes or stop adding attributes by leaving the
Control Bar blank and clicking on  or pressing [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter name for new symbol (blank to stop making symbols)

Type the name for a new object and click on  or press [Enter]. To
stop making symbols leave the Control Bar blank and click on  or
press [Enter].

Refer to Tools ► Bill of Materials for details on how to edit and delete
attributes once you have attached them to a symbol.

When you have created the object using Make Symbol, you will be
able to select the entire object at once by clicking on it with the
Select cursor. If you want to select a single primitive within the
object, you must explode it using Objects ► Explode Object.

9-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Edit Object
This option allows you to change object names,
parent names and hook points. The Edit Objects
sub-menu will be displayed. Select one of the
options and follow the instructions set out
below.
Objects with the parent name "__LABEL__" are not displayed in the
list of symbols that appears when you use the Draw ► Symbol
function. If you are creating objects for use as symbols, use
"__LABEL__" as the parent name for text descriptions or other items
that must not be displayed.

Change Name
Change the object name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RenamePat

This option allows you to rename an object or objects. Both the

object and parent names may be changed.
You can select the object whose name must be changed by clicking
on it with your cursor. Alternatively, you can select one or several
objects whose names must be changed by specifying the name of
those objects.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter object name to be changed or select object with cursor

To select the object whose name must be changed by clicking on it

with your cursor, click on  or press [Enter] to accept the default
answer (cursor) to this question.

Select by cursor
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select object for name change

Position the cursor on the object whose name is to be changed and

press [Enter] or click. The object's current parent and object names
are displayed in the Control Bar.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new parent and object names (separated by a space)

Objects Menu 9-19

Type the new parent and/or object name for the object you have
selected and click on  or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select object for name change

Position the cursor on the object whose name is to be changed and

press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel the function by choosing
another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or .

Select by Name
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter object name to be changed or select object with cursor

Type over the word "Cursor" with the name of the objects whose
names you want to change. All object names are written in upper-
case letters. For example, suppose you have ten objects with the
parent name ASSEMBLY and the object name BOLTM6. If you type:
ASSEMBLY BOLTM6

the names of all ten objects will be updated at once to the new name.
Wildcards may be used. For example, if you type
ASSEMBLY *

all objects with the parent name ASSEMBLY will be updated to the
new name, regardless of their object names. If you type
* BOLTM6

all objects with the name BOLTM6 will be updated to the new name,
regardless of their parent names. If you type
* *

all objects, regardless of their parent or object names, will be

updated to the new name.
If AllyCAD cannot find an object with the name you typed, the
function will be terminated. If it can find the object it will prompt:
Enter new parent and object names (separated by a space)

Type the new parent and object names and click on  or press
[Enter].

Wildcards cannot be used.

9-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Change Parent
Change the object's parent name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Parent

This function changes the default parent name. When you create a
new object it is given the default parent name until you change it
again.
To change a parent name that has already been assigned to an
object, use the Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Name function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new parent name

Type the new default parent name and click on  or press [Enter].

Change Hook Point

Change the object's hook point (reference point)

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ChPatHook

When an object is created it is automatically given a hook point.

However, this hook point may not be in a suitable position, especially
if the object is to be used as a symbol.
This function allows you to change the hook point of an object. When
it is active stars are displayed on the drawing to represent the
current position of the hook points.
You may find that some objects do not appear to have a hook point.
This is because some of the hook points are positioned on top of each
other. This is likely to happen if one object was drawn originally and
was later split into several objects.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select object for hook change

Position the cursor near the object that needs a new hook point and
press [Enter] or click. The cursor jumps onto the object's current
hook point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new hook point

Objects Menu 9-21

Position the cursor where you want the object’s new hook point to be
and press [Enter] or click.

If you are going to use the object as a symbol, you should position
the hook point at the left hand end of the symbol because of the
way that AllyCAD can automatically rotate a symbol and snip
around it when it is inserted into a drawing.

A star is displayed at the new hook point position.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Select object for hook change

Position the cursor near another object that needs a new hook point
and press [Enter] or click. Alternatively cancel the function by
choosing another function, pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on
Done or .

9-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Update Objects
Replace all the examples of a particular object.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Renew

This function allows all the examples of a particular object to be

updated at once. A typical example would be the need to replace all
the square columns shown on an existing floor plan with differently
shaped columns in one easy operation.

Before Update Objects After Update Objects

Note the following points before using this function:

• Update Objects assumes that all the objects have the same
parent and object name as the selected object.
If you used Repeat or Drop to create multiple copies of the
selected object the parent and object names would automatically
be the same.
If you are not sure what the parent and object names of the other
objects are use Tools ► Query Entity to check. If the parent and
object names are not the same use Objects ► Edit Object ► Change
Name to change them.
• It is a good idea to establish the hook point position of the
objects you are going to replace before you apply this function.
• To do this use Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point. A star will
appear on each object. Terminate the function without changing
any hook points by pressing the [Space Bar], clicking on Done or
. The hook points will remain marked by green stars.
Follow the steps below:
1. Select one of the original objects (one of the square columns in
the example) as the current object using the Objects ► Select
Current Object option.

Objects Menu 9-23

Edit the selected object to the desired shape.
Apply the Update Objects function.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Sure you want to update all objects with same name as
current object

This is a safety measure. Click on the YES button if you are quite
sure you want to update the objects, or on the NO button if you want
to abort.
Enter point on current object where reference points on old
objects must be

If you want the objects to retain their current positions, it is

important that you choose the original hook point of the selected
object, otherwise all the objects except the current object will be
moved and the positions of their hook points will be altered. Once
you have selected the point, press [Enter] or click. The objects are
replaced.
Update Objects will also work on objects that have been scaled or
rotated. However it will not work if the selected object has been
scaled or rotated after creation.

It is a good idea to store your drawing before performing this

operation, just in case things go wrong!

Count Named Objects

Return the number of objects in the drawing with a certain name.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

exec ".\macro\countobjects"

9-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

This function searches through the drawing and counts all objects
with a certain name. AllyCAD will prompt:
Click on object to count (spacebar to exit)

Click on the object you wish to search for and AllyCAD will count
objects with the same name and respond with a message similar to
this:

Select Current Object

Select an object to be the current object.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SetCurObj

All newly drawn primitives are added to the current object. If you
want to add to an object that already exists, you should first choose
that object as the current object.
Another use is in Objects ► Update Objects. Here the current object is
used as the template for the other objects with the same name.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select object to become current object

Position your cursor onto the object that must become the current
object and press [Enter] or click.

Blink Current Object

Highlight the current object.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

BlinkCurObj

Objects Menu 9-25

This function toggles the highlighting of the current object. In this
way the current pattern can be made to “blink” which is a useful
method of determining what the current object is.

9-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Create Block
Group selected entities into a block.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Block

You can create a block from any selected entities on a drawing. When
you create a block, the selected entities are grouped into a named
block, and moved to the invisible block part of drawing memory.
To see the entities in the block again you need to insert it with
Objects ► Insert Block.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter name for new block.

Type in a name and click on .

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter block hook point.

Move your mouse to the position where you want the hook point to
be. Click.
If you have not selected any entities AllyCAD will prompt:
Select single entity ([SHIFT] for multiple selection)

Select the entity or entities to include and click. The selected entities
are highlighted. Click on Done.
The selected entities are highlighted. Click on DONE. The selected
entities will be made invisible and moved to the block part of drawing
memory.

Objects Menu 9-27

Insert Block
Insert a block into the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

InsertInt

This function creates a reference to an already created block. The

block itself is not copied into the drawing as just a reference to the
block is inserted into the drawing. This can save a lot of memory if
you have a large block that is repeated many times across a drawing.
The block gets scaled, rotated and drawn at the insertion point.
Click on the name of the block that you want to insert and click OK.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter block insertion point.

Position your mouse to the position where you want the insertion
point to be. Click.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point to be scaled

Choose a point away from the insertion point.

AllyCAD will prompt:
Move mouse and click or type in new X and Y scale factors

You can now scale the block dynamically or type in exact scaling
factors in the Control bar.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point that must rotate

Select a point away from the insertion point.

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter point to rotate to or type in rotation angle

Rotate the block dynamically or type in the exact rotation angle on

the Control bar.
You can abort the scaling and rotation by pressing the {Esc] key or
the [Space Bar].

9-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Settings Menu
The Settings Menu allows you to
set up the drawing as well as pen
and line styles.
The default paper size, scale,
units etc. that are loaded each
time you enter AllyCAD or select
File ► New are stored in a
drawing called STARTUP.DRG.

Settings Menu 10-1

Drawing Settings
Set or change paper size, scale, units, coordinate system, angular format and
isometric grid, circles and dimensions.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DrawDef

The drawing settings can be set before you start drawing or changed
at any time during drawing. The following dialog box is displayed.

Paper Size
This allows you to set the paper size and orientation.

Size
Select the paper size you require from the list.
The paper border is represented on the drawing area as a purple box.
The centre of this box will always correspond to the coordinate "0,0"
if you are using Cartesian coordinates, or to the coordinate you have
specified as the screen centre if you are using Surveyor coordinates.
Refer to Coordinate System for more details.
If you change to a larger paper size in mid-drawing (e.g. from A4 to
A3), the objects you have drawn will take up a smaller proportion of

10-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

the paper. You can see this if you do a Zoom Paper, which displays
your entire sheet of paper on the screen.
Similarly, if you change to a smaller paper size in mid-drawing (e.g.
from A3 to A4), the objects you have drawn will take up a larger
proportion of the paper, and may even overlap the edges. If this is
the case, do a Zoom All to see the whole drawing in relation to the
paper size (represented by a purple box).
In either case, you may want to change the scale to rescale your
drawing so that it fits the new paper size appropriately.

Orientation
Click on Portrait if you want your drawing to be oriented so that the
sheet is tall, or on Landscape if you want it wide.

Scale
The current scale is displayed. There are three scale types:
• Architectural
• Engineering
• Metric/Custom
Select the option you want from the Type list box.

Metric/Custom
Setting your drawing scale and units using the Metric/Custom
option is best described using the following three examples.
Example 1:
To draw at a scale of 1:1 in millimeters set up the drawing scale as
shown below:

Settings Menu 10-3

You can do this in one of two ways:
• Set the Paper Units to "1 mm" and the Drawing Units to "1 mm".
This means that 1mm on the paper will equal 1mm in real life. If
you now press the [TAB] key, you will see that the Scale Ratio
automatically updates to "1:1".
• Type "1" into the Scale Ratio box, which will then specify a scale
of 1:1. Set the Drawing Units to "mm".
Example 2:
To draw at a scale of 1:50 in meters set up the drawing scale as
shown below:

You can do this in one of two ways:

• Set the Paper Units to "1 metre" and the Drawing Units to "50
metres". This means that 1 metre on the paper will equal 50
metres in real life. If you now press the [TAB] key, you will see
that the Scale Ratio box automatically updates to "1:50".
• Type "50" into the Scale Ratio box, which will then specify a scale
of 1:50. Set the Drawing Units to "metres".
Example 3:
To draw at a scale of one inch to one foot, set up the scale part of the
Drawing Settings dialog box so that it looks like this:

You can do this in one of two ways:

• Set the Paper Units to "1 inches" and the Drawing Units to "1
feet". This means that 1 inch on the paper will equal 1 foot in
real life. If you now press the [TAB] key, you will see that the
Scale Ratio box automatically updates to "1:12".

10-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

• Type "12" into the Scale Ratio box, which will then specify a scale
of 1:12. Set the Drawing Units to "feet" or "feet and inches".

Architectural
If you select this scale type the Drawing Settings dialog box changes
to look like this:

You can select a standard scale from the list of scales that appears,
e.g. 1” = 1’. The first number (1”) is a length on paper. The second
number (1’) is the equivalent length in real life. When you select a
standard scale from the list box, the Scale Ratio box automatically
updates. For example, if you have chosen a standard scale of 1” = 1’,
the scale ratio will automatically update to 1:12.
Alternatively you can type a scale ratio directly into the Scale Ratio
box. For example, if you type “1”, the scale will be 1:1. If you type
“12”, the scale will be 1:12, etc.
In the Architectural option drawing units are automatically set to feet
and inches. However, you can determine the denominator you want,
or set the inches to decimal by selecting the Metric/Custom option,
clicking on the Drawing Units button, selecting feet inches as the
unit, selecting the denominator, then reselecting the Architectural
option.

Engineering
This scale option is similar to the Architectural option with the
following differences:
• The standard scales listed in the standard scales list box are
different.
• It allows you to use decimal feet and decimal inches as well as
feet and inches. You can swap between units by selecting the
Metric/Custom option, clicking on the Drawing Units button,
selecting the units you want, then reselecting the Engineering
option.

Settings Menu 10-5

Changing Scale
If you change scale in mid-drawing, your drawing will be re-scaled
about the coordinate 0,0 if you are using Cartesian coordinates or
about the coordinate you have specified for the screen centre if you
are using Surveyor coordinates (see Coordinate System).

Changing scale does not change dimensions. For example, if a line

has a dimension of 100mm, and the scale is changed, then that line
will still have a dimension of 100mm. It will merely look smaller or
larger in relation to the paper size.

If you change to a smaller scale (e.g. from 1:1 to 1:10), the objects
you have drawn will take up a smaller proportion of the paper. You
can see the appearance of the re-scaled drawing if you do a Zoom
Paper. This zoom displays your entire sheet of paper on the screen.
Similarly, if you change to a larger scale (e.g. from 1:10 to 1:1), the
objects you have drawn will take up a larger proportion of the paper,
and may even overlap the edges. If this is the case, do a Zoom All to
see the whole drawing in relation to the paper size represented by a
purple box.
In either case, you may want to change the paper size so that your
drawing fits the paper appropriately.

Drawing Units
To change units, set the scale type to "Metric/Custom". The currently
selected linear unit is displayed on the Drawing Units button. To
change linear or area units, click on this button, and the Change
Units dialog box appears.

Click here to change linear units

Some units have a default symbol that

appears in this box. You can type any
symbol to represent any unit here

Click here to change area units

10-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Linear Units
You can change the linear units using the list box at the top of the
Change Units dialog box. The choices are as follows:
• mm
• meter
• inches
These are decimal inches, i.e. one and a half inches would be
represented as 1.5.
• user-defined
If you check this option, the prompt mm per user unit will
appear. Type the length of the user defined unit in mm.
• feet inches
If you check this option, dimensions will be displayed in the
format 5+7/12 (five inches and seven twelfths of an inch),
1'3+5/16 (one foot, three inches and five sixteenths of an inch),
etc. Another option will be displayed to specify the largest
denominator. For example, if you type 12, the denominators used
will be 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. If you type 16, the denominators used
will be 2, 4, 8 and 16, etc.
• feet
These are decimal feet, i.e. one and a half feet would be
represented as 1.5'.
• yard
• km
• mile

Unit Symbol
The default symbol for the selected unit is displayed. You can type
any symbol to represent any unit here.

Area Units
These are the units of area measurements in the Tools ► Polygon Area,
Tools ► Bill of Materials and Objects ► List Objects functions. The choices
are as follows:
• User defined
• Square inches
• Square feet
• Square yards
• Acres
• Square miles
• Square mm
• Square cm
• Square m

Settings Menu 10-7

• Hectares
• Square km

Changing Units
If you change linear units in the middle of a drawing, existing
dimensions will not be automatically updated to the new units. All
subsequent dimensions, however, will be displayed in the new units.
This is an advantage to some people who want to display both
imperial and metric units on the same drawing.
If you change units in the middle of a drawing and you want to
update the dimensions you have already drawn to the new units, you
must do the following once you have changed units. First select your
entire drawing using Edit ► Selection Filters with the "Select All" option.
Then use the Modify ► Scale to scale the drawing by "0.5 0.5". Finally,
use the Modify ► Scale function again to scale the drawing by "2 2".
The dimensions will have been updated.

10-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Coordinate System
AllyCAD supports the following coordinate systems:

+y

-x +x Cartesian

Typically architectural and

mechanical drawings
Zero rotation is to the right and
increases in the anti-clockwise
-y
direction

-x

Surveyor Southern Hemisphere

+y -y Typically used by surveyors and
civil engineers.
Zero rotation is south and
increases in the clockwise
direction
+x

+x

Northern Hemisphere Surveyor

-y +y Typically used by surveyors and
civil engineers.
Zero rotation is north and
increases in the anti-clockwise
direction
-x

Settings Menu 10-9

Surveyor Setup
If you click on this button the following dialog is displayed.

Surveyor Origin The survey coordinates of the centre of the drawing or of a

known point on the drawing
Set origin at known Check this option if the reference coordinates are of a known
point point and not the drawing centre
Northing Easting Specify the order in which coordinates will be read and
Easting Northing displayed
Northern Hemisphere Specify which hemisphere you are working in
Southern Hemisphere

If you are working in the Surveyor coordinate system, drawings that

have been drawn using the same coordinate system will
automatically be aligned with respect to each other if you use
File  Open to load more than one drawing at once.
If you want to specify the coordinates of a known point check the Set
origin at known point option. When you exit Drawing Settings the
message box
Click on point with coordinates x y

will be displayed. Click on OK to close the message box.

AllyCAD will prompt:
Click on point with coordinates x y

Place the cursor at the position on the drawing corresponding to the

reference coordinates. Press [Enter] or click.
You can use this function to change the origin point from the screen
centre to the bottom left. To do this, type "0 0" into the Surveyor
Origin box and check Set origin at known point. When you are

10-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

prompted to specify a point whose coordinates you know, click on a
point at the bottom left of the screen.

Number of Decimals
Here you define the number of decimal places required for the
coordinate display. The maximum number is 15.
You can also set a negative number of decimals, so that AllyCAD will
only be accurate to the nearest 10 (-1 decimals), 100 (-2 decimals)
etc.

Isometric Grids
If the Isometric Grids box is checked, certain functions will behave in
a particular way.

Tools ► Grid will produce an Isometric

grid, where the grid points are angled at
30, -30 and 90 degrees to each other.

Cursor locked at 90 degrees;

Draw ► Ellipses will create ellipses that
major axis of ellipse aligned at 0 are the right shape for use as circles on
degrees.
an isometric drawing, and that are
angled at 90 degrees to the angle at
which the cursor is locked.
Annotate ► Slope Dimensions will allow you
30
to angle witness lines to produce
dimensions appropriate for isometrics.

Settings Menu 10-11

Angular Format
When you click on this button (labeled "dd.dddd" by default), the
following dialog box is displayed.

Angular Units Click on the arrow to change the units. You have a choice of:
• grads
• radians
• decimal angles
• degrees minutes and seconds
Degrees, minutes and seconds can be displayed in three ways:
• degrees.minutes.seconds
• degrees°minutes'seconds"
• Ndegrees°minutes'seconds"W
Number of Specify the number of decimals to be displayed.
Decimals
Zero Point Specify the position from which angles will be measured during
the Polar Move and survey dimension functions
Measure specify the direction in which angles will be measured
ClockWise /
CounterClockWise

Typing in degrees, minutes, seconds and quadrants

You can type in the angle 12°34’56.78” as
12 34 56.78
12.34.56.78

or as
12.345678

10-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Using the last method, the first two characters after the decimal
point are taken as minutes, the next two as seconds, and anything
after that as decimal seconds.
You can type in quadrants as "N45 23 12E". Alternatively, you can
use a quadrant number instead of N45W. Use the / or * characters
to separate the angle from the quadrant number, which must come
after the angle. For example, the angle N12°3456E can be entered as
12.3456*1

or as
12.3456/1

The four quadrants are:

NE 1
SE 2
SW 3
NW 4

Zero Point and Clockwise/Anti-Clockwise Settings

The zero point and clockwise/anti-clockwise settings you define in
the angular format apply only to Polar Move and to surveyor
functions.
Other functions, such as Modify  Rotate are not affected by the
angular format. Angles are measured anti-clockwise from the 3
o'clock position.
The description of each individual function states whether that
function is dependant on the angular format or whether angles are
measured anti-clockwise from 3 o'clock.

Settings Menu 10-13

View Settings
Control what is displayed on the screen.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left View ViewDef

The default view settings that are loaded each time you enter
AllyCAD or select File ► New are stored in a drawing called
STARTUP.DRG.
The following dialog box is displayed:

Show Coordinates
If checked coordinates are displayed at the bottom right of the
screen. Either absolute or polar coordinates can be displayed.
By default, absolute coordinates are displayed. These show the x, y
location of the cursor on the screen. The order and decimals of the
coordinate display are set in Drawing Settings.

Polar Coordinates
This option works in conjunction with the Show Coordinates option.
If this is checked the coordinates that are displayed will be polar, ie.
the distance and angle from the last fixed point. The format of the
angle display is determined by the Drawing Settings.

10-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Show Geometry
This option controls the display of geometry elements. Even though
you can't see the geometry, you can still jump to it, e.g. using the
Geom Intersection jump.

Show Arc Centres

If this option is checked circle centre points are

displayed as dots. If the option is not checked
just the perimeter of the arc or circle is displayed.
Circle and arc centres are never printed.

Control Bar Font

This option allows you to change the font used on the Control Bar. If,
when you install AllyCAD, the fonts used in the Prompt Area and
Layer Display are too big, use Control Bar Font to select a different
font and/or smaller font size.

Background Colour
This option allows you to change the background colour of the
drawing area. When you click on the button, a colour palette is
displayed. Select the colour you want.

Annotation to Draw
This allows you to select which annotations will be displayed on the
screen. This can result in faster screen redraws. All annotations will
be printed regardless of this setting.

None
No annotations will be displayed.

Settings Menu 10-15

 74.44°
A All
More Text
All annotations will be displayed,
Text 25.6 in full detail.

A Text Only
More Text
Dimensions will be switched off.
Text

74.44° Dimensions Only

Text, including text in balloons as
well as entire text bubbles, will be
25.6 switched off.

All Text as Boxes

All text, including balloon and
dimension text, will be displayed
as boxes.

10-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Point Style
This controls point size and how points will be displayed. Points can
be displayed as follows:
Point
None
Cross
X Cross
Blip

Additionally, you can choose to display points with circles, boxes

and/or diamonds around them.
If you type a negative point size, it is interpreted as a percentage of
the screen size. For example, a point size of -2 means that points will
always be drawn at 2% of screen size regardless of magnification.

Big Cursor

Edge of drawing area

If you check this option, the cursor will

be attached to a cross hair extending all
the way across the drawing area in the
horizontal and vertical directions.

Ruler
If this option is checked, the Ruler Bar will be displayed across the
bottom of the drawing area.

Settings Menu 10-17

Hatch to Draw
This option allows you to control how hatching is displayed. You can
speed up the redraws significantly if hatching is not displayed. This
setting does not affect the printed output.
There are three options:
None No hatches will be displayed when you redraw. To display
the hatches use Annotate ► Draw All Hatch. This will display
all the hatches. The next time you redraw the hatches be
switched off again.
All All the hatches will be displayed each time you redraw
Selected Only the hatches that have been selected using the
Edit ► Selection Filters Hatch option will be displayed each
time you redraw

Bitmaps to Draw
When you load a bitmap you can specify that it must be displayed as
a placeholder or in full detail. If you specify a placeholder it will be
displayed as a cross-hatched rectangle. This speeds up redraws.
This option allows you to display all the bitmaps in your drawing as
placeholders or in full detail, regardless of how you loaded them.
None All bitmaps will be displayed as placeholders
All All bitmaps will be displayed in full detail
Normal The bitmaps will be displayed as you specified when you
loaded them

Show Data Items

When you enter or edit a data item, you can specify whether the text
is to be visible or not. This option allows you to control the display of
data items
None No data item text will be displayed
All All data item text will be displayed
Normal Each data item's visibility will be determined by the setting
when you added it

Display Scroll Bars

If this option is checked scroll bars will be displayed on the screen.
The scroll interval determines the sensitivity i.e. the smaller the
interval the smaller the distance you will be able to pan using the
scroll bars.

10-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Text to Boxes at ... % of Screen
This option specifies a percentage of the screen size below which text
is not drawn in full detail. This can speed up redraws significantly.
For example, if the value is "1.5%", any text that is smaller than
1.5% of the screen size is drawn as a box, speeding up screen
redraws.

Text to Dots at ... % of Screen

This is the same as the previous option except that text is drawn as a
dot instead of as a box.

Objects Drawn at ... % of Screen

This option allows you to control the display of objects that are below
a certain size expressed as a percentage of the screen. If the object is
below the threshold size it is not drawn in full detail.
For example, if the value is 1.5%, any object smaller than 1.5% of the
screen size is drawn as a box, speeding up screen redraws.

Settings Menu 10-19

Re-Centre Paper
Move the paper so it fits your drawing better

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CenterPaper

This function is especially useful for centering drawings that have

been imported via DXF or DWG on the paper. The edges of your
sheet of paper are marked by purple dotted lines. Sometimes you
may need to centre your drawing on the paper.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new paper centre

Position the cursor where you want the new centre of the paper to
be. Press [Enter] or click.
If you are using Cartesian coordinates, this position will be at
coordinate position "0 0" after re-centering. If you are using Surveyor
coordinates, it will retain its current coordinates, although it will be
moved to the centre of the paper.

10-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Sheet Size and Scale
Sets the size and scale of your paper.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

exec .\macro\newscale

This is a convenient alternative to change the sheet size and drawing

scale.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter paper size (0-4)

Type the correct size (0 for A0, 1 for A1 etc.) and click on . A list of
all the paper sizes can be found under the NEWSCALE function in
the Macro chapter.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter scale 10 for 1:10, .1 for 10:1 etc.

Type the correct scale and click on .

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter Centre point of new scale (ESC to alter scale without
resizing)

A freehand cursor with a small cross appears within a box that

represents the paper. Drag your mouse to whatever position you
want the cross (paper centre) to be, and click.
If you press the [ESC] key at this point, then you will alter the scale
of the whole drawing without triggering a resize. This can be useful if
you import a drawing from some other system, such as DXF or HPGL
files that come in at the wrong scale.

In the USA, the sheet size numbers correspond to the numbers

given in the macro description. In South Africa and Europe, this
function is executed from the menu via a macro, which subtracts
10 from each sheet number (I.e. A0 was 10 and becomes 0, A1 was
11 and becomes 1 etc.) This is for compatibility with older versions
of the CAD.

Settings Menu 10-21

Change Magnify Factor
Change magnification factor.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right View ChMag

This option changes the magnification factor used in the Magnify and
Demagnify functions.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter new magnification factor

Type the magnification factor you want to use, then click on  or

press [Enter].

10-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Line Defaults
Determine or change the line style of lines and arcs drawn using the Draw
Menu.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main LineType

This option allows you to change the current line style of lines, arcs,
including ellipses, circles, splines etc. You can specify an actual line
colour and line type, or can choose to set the line colour and line
type "By Layer", i.e. all the entities in a particular layer will be drawn
in a specified color and line type for that layer.
When you change the line style the Polyline defaults are also
automatically changed. You can also use this function to change the
line style of existing entities.
When you select Line Defaults, the following dialog box is displayed.

Line Type
Click on the arrow to display a list of available line types.

Pen
Click on the button to display the color palette to change the line
color.

Width
Type the width of the line. If you set line width to "0", you can assign
each pen a width when you print.

Units
Specify the units used to measure the line width. The units may be
in mm, inches or points.

Settings Menu 10-23

Take From
This option allows you to match the line style of an existing entity.
The entity must be selected before you activate this function.

You can also match the line style of an existing line by placing the
cursor on it then pressing [T] on your keyboard. The dialog box will
automatically be updated so that subsequently drawn lines and
arcs will have the line style of the existing line.

Apply
This option allows you to change the style of all the selected entities.
You may select one or more entities to be changed. Once you have
clicked on the Apply button you can specify which attributes must be
updated as shown below.

All subsequently drawn lines will also be drawn using the newly
selected defaults.

10-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Polyline Defaults
To change the style of polylines and Bezier curves

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main PLineDef

This option allows you to change the line style of polylines (including
Bezier curves). You can also change the style of existing polylines
and Bezier curves.
When you change the polyline defaults the line defaults are
automatically changed accordingly.
The following dialog box is displayed:

Line Type
Click on the arrow to display a list of available line types.

Pen
Click on the button to display the color palette to change the polyline
color.

Polyline Type
Polylines may be straightforward (without a spline), a 3 point Bezier
curve or a 4 point Bezier curve.

Polylines look exactly the same as lines

drawn using Draw ► Line (Chained).

Settings Menu 10-25

 A 3 point Bezier curve is drawn between
every three polyline vertices.

A 4 point Bezier curves is drawn

through every four polyline vertices

Width
Type the width of the line. If you set line width to "0", you can assign
each pen a width when you print.

Units
Specify the units used to measure the line width. The units may be
in mm, inches or points.

Closed
If this option is checked the last vertex will be joined to the first
vertex to form a closed polygon.

Fill Settings
This option allows you to hatch the polyline.

If you select Empty the polyline will not be

hatched.

Hatch lets you fill the polygon with a pattern

that you select from a list box.

10-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Solid Fill lets you fill the polygon with a solid
color.

Take From
This option allows you to match the line style of an existing polyline
or Bezier curve. The polyline must be selected before you activate the
polyline defaults.

Apply
This option allows you to change the style of all the selected entities.
You may select one or more entities to be changed. Once you have
clicked on the Apply button you can specify which attributes must be
updated as shown below.

All subsequently drawn polylines will also be drawn using the newly
selected defaults.

Settings Menu 10-27

Parallel Defaults
Set the parameters for parallel lines

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main ParllDef

This option allows you to specify the number and style of parallel
lines.
The following dialog box is displayed.

Draw Fresh
Check this option if you want to draw parallel lines from scratch, i.e.
not around an existing perimeter, by defining the reference line.

Before parallel lines After parallel lines

When you draw fresh lines, only one line is displayed as you draw
using Draw ► Parallel Line. This line is called the setting out or
reference line. The other parallel lines are drawn relative to it once it
is complete.

10-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The line style of the setting out line is defined by the Line Defaults.

Around Existing Perimeter

Check this option if you want to draw parallel lines around an
existing perimeter as shown below.

Before parallel lines After parallel lines

When you select the Draw ► Parallel Line option you will enter the
Perimeter Menu on the Control Bar. Define the existing perimeter to
use and click on .

Line-arc-line
This option allows you to draw a fresh sequence of parallel lines and
arcs as shown below.

Before parallel lines After parallel lines

Select Draw ► Parallel Line and define the line arc line sequence that
makes up the setting out or reference line. When you stop the
function the parallel lines and arcs will be drawn.

Number of parallel lines

Specify the number of parallel lines excluding the setting out line or
the perimeter. You can have a maximum of 9 parallel lines.

Parallel lines
In this diagram there are two parallel
Setting out line or lines.
perimeter

Parallel Line Styles

You specify the style of the parallel lines in the table.

Settings Menu 10-29

Pen
Right click on the pen cell to display the color palette to change the
line color.

Line Type
Click on the arrow to display a list of available line types.

Width
Type the width of the line in millimeters. If you set line width to "0",
you can assign each pen a width when you print.

Offset
The parallel lines are offset relative to the setting out or reference
line. It is measured in the units specified in the Drawing Settings.

Parallel line
If you type a positive offset (e.g. 5), the
Offset parallel line will be drawn to the right of
the setting out line in the direction you
Setting out line are drawing…

Setting out line

while with a negative offset (e.g. -5) the
parallel line will be drawn to the left of
Offset
the setting out line in the direction you
Parallel line
are drawing.

If you track an existing perimeter using

Perimeter the Auto option, parallel lines with a
positive offset will appear on the
Parallel line opposite side of the perimeter to the
selection point…

10-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Perimeter
while parallel lines with a negative offset
Parallel line will appear on the same side.

Suppose you have chosen to draw 3 parallel lines.

1. Set the Number of Parallel Lines to 3.
2. The first 3 lines of the line style grid will now be active. Simply
specify the pen, line type, line width and offset for each of the 3
lines. Remember that a negative offset is to the left of the defining
line while a positive offset is to the right.
3. You can change the defaults of a particular parallel line at any
time.

Closing Off Ends.

This option closes off the ends of the parallel lines as shown below.

If this option is not checked the ends

are left open.

Settings Menu 10-31

 If this option is checked the ends of the
parallel lines are closed off.

Closed off ends

Starting and Ending Angles.

Start and end angles are measured anti-clockwise from the setting
out line, in the direction of drawing or perimeter definition.

End

45°
Start In this example, the starting and ending
angles for the parallel lines were 135
degrees for the start angle and 45
Di r
ect degrees for the end angle.
io 135°
no
fd
raw
ing

Filleting Corners
This option allows you to automatically fillet parallel lines on the
outside of corners less than 90 degrees.

10-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 In the diagram the solid line represents
the setting out line or perimeter. The
dashed lines represent the parallel
lines.

The parallel defaults that are loaded each time you enter AllyCAD or
select File ► New are stored in a drawing called STARTUP.DRG. See
Defaults for more details.

Settings Menu 10-33

New Geometry Colour
Determine the colour and line style of subsequent geometry lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Geometry GeomLinePen

The line type dialog box will be displayed. Select a line type and pen
for geometry lines.

Each geometry line can have its own colour but the geometry line
style is global to all geometry. It is not possible to change the colour
of geometry that has already been entered.

10-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Set Text Defaults
Determine or change the style in which text is drawn.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main TextDef

This function can be used to:

• set the style of subsequently entered text
• set the style of text as you are writing it
• set the style of text that you are importing
• change the style of existing text.
The Text Defaults dialog box is displayed.

All subsequently entered text will be drawn using the text style.

Settings Menu 10-35

Font
The current font is displayed on the button at the top left-hand
corner of the dialog box. If you click on this button the standard
Windows Font dialog box will be displayed.

Select the font and style you want to use.

Windows is supplied with three types of font:
• True Type fonts
• screen fonts
• plotter (or stroke) fonts
If you are going to print to a printer or inkjet plotter you should use
True Type fonts. This will produce excellent results that closely
resemble the display.
If you are going to print to a pen plotter you should use plotter or
stroke fonts. If you use True Type fonts on a pen plotter the True
Type fonts will be converted to plotter fonts. However, depending on
the plotter and plotter driver you are using, all vertical or angled text
may be plotted horizontally.
True Type fonts are preceded by a “TT” icon in the list of fonts in the
Font dialog box. They look the same on your screen as they do when
they are output to your printer. They scale smoothly to any size on
almost any Windows-supported screen and printer (excluding daisy-
wheel printers or plotters).

10-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Screen fonts are preceded by an icon representing a screen and
usually have the suffix (WN) on the list of fonts in the Font dialog
box. These are the fonts that Windows uses for the text that appears
in dialog boxes on the screen, among other things. A screen font will
be approximated by your printer with the result that text drawn
using screen fonts may look slightly different when printed.
Plotter fonts are vector fonts (i.e. they are made up of lines - the
other font types are composed of dots) and are the fonts you should
choose if you are going to output to a pen plotter.

Windows is supplied with three plotter fonts:

• Modern
• Roman
• Script
The font called Plotter is a screen font, not a plotter font.

Text Height
You can specify the text height in the Set Text Defaults dialog box in
mm, points or inches. To change the units of measurement simply
click on the arrow.

The actual character occupies approximately two thirds of the text

height. For example, if text height is set to 6mm, the characters will
be 4mm high:

Character Width
This option allows you to change the character width. If it is set to
zero, the default width of the Windows fonts will be used.

Settings Menu 10-37

Line Spacing
The line spacing is multiplied by the text height and then by 1.1 to
determine the distance between two lines of text.

For example, suppose you give a line spacing of 3 and the text height
is 6 mm. The distance between two lines of text will be 3 x 6 x 1.1 =
19.8 mm.
The 1.1 factor is used because it creates an aesthetic line spacing for
almost all fonts, whereas a factor of 1 causes some fonts to look
squashed.

Angle
This option determines the angle at which text will be placed on the
drawing. Angles are measured in an anti-clockwise direction from
the 3 o'clock position.

Pen
Click on the button to display the color palette to change the text
color. The standard Color Dialog will be displayed.

Text Alignment
This option determines the justification of several lines of text.

Text Frame
Check the Frame option to draw a frame around the text in the same
pen as the text itself.
Check the Background Fill option to fill behind the text item in the
background colour.

10-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Text Label Origin
This option determines where text will be placed relative to the
cursor position.

Label origins 1 to 9 are positioned

around the text in a cell that is slightly
larger than the text cell.

Label origins 11 to 19 are positioned

closely around the character.

Label origin 0 puts the text origin on the decimal point of the text.
This is typically used for displaying levels.

Take From
This option allows you to match the style of an existing text entity.
The entity must be selected before you use this function.
You can also match the style of an existing text entity by pressing
[SHIFT] T on your keyboard. AllyCAD will prompt you for the text
entity you want to take the parameters from. Click on the piece of
text and the current text settings will be updated to match the
indicated text item.

Apply
This option allows you to change the style of existing text entities.
You must first select the text entities using Edit ► Select or
Edit ► Selection Filters. Then use Settings ► Set Text Defaults to set the
text style you require. Click on OK.

Settings Menu 10-39

 The Attributes to Apply dialog box is displayed.
This allows you to select which text style attributes
you wish to change.

For example, you may just want to change the text

height. In this case, uncheck all the options in the
dialog except Height.

Click on the OK button. The change will be

applied.

You can also edit the style of a single text entity by double clicking
on it. The Text Entry dialog box will be displayed. Click on the Text
Defaults button to display the Set Text Defaults dialog box. Edit the
text as required.

The text defaults that are loaded each time you enter AllyCAD or
select File ► New are stored in a drawing called STARTUP.DRG. See
Defaults for more details.

10-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Set Dim Defaults
Set default dimension parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main DimDef

This function allows you to set the style of new dimensions. The text
font and pen settings are applied to all dimensions in the drawing.

Witness Line and Arrow Style.

This section allows you to define the characteristics of the witness
lines and arrows.

Witness and Arrow Units (on paper)

This option determines the units of measurement of the witness gap,
witness overshoot, arrowhead length, arrowhead width, and text
height settings. You can choose between mm, inches and points.
The sizes are absolute, i.e. they are the actual size that will be
printed regardless of the drawing's scale.

Settings Menu 10-41

Witness Gap
This is the gap between the item being dimensioned and the start of
the witness lines, as shown by the illustration in the dialog box.

This option does not affect angular or radial dimensions.

Witness Overshoot
This is the extension of the witness lines beyond the dimension
arrowhead, as shown by the illustration in the dialog box.

This does not affect angular or radial dimensions.

Witness Pen
This button allows you to set the pen (colour) of new witness lines
and arrows. Select a colour from the colour palette that is displayed.
The colour of existing witness lines and arrows will not be updated,
but subsequently drawn witness lines and arrows will be in the new
colour.
To change the pen of existing horizontal, vertical and slope
dimensions use Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Edit Dimension Properties.

It is possible to change the pen of an existing angular or radial

dimension.

Arrowhead Length
length

This defines the length of the arrowhead.

Arrowhead Width
width

This defines the width of the arrowhead.

10-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Arrow
This option allows you to specify the style of the arrowhead to one of
the following:

length Arrow
The arrowhead is drawn in the
width
conventional manner.

length
Blob
The arrowhead width is set to zero and
the arrowhead is drawn as a blob with
the diameter equal to arrowhead length.

Slash
The arrowhead length is set to zero and
width the arrowhead is drawn as a slash with
the length equal to the arrowhead
width.

Witness lines often print very faintly on high resolution inkjet

printers. To overcome this set aside one pen (colour) for the witness
lines. When you print map that pen to the desired thickness. See
Print.

Dimension Style
This section allows you to set the dimension style to one of the
following:

Mechanical Style
The dimensions are drawn in running,
chained or free mode with variable
18.0 witness line lengths depending on the
34.2 position of the dimension text.
49.9

Settings Menu 10-43

 Architectural Style
Dimensions have constant witness line
lengths and are always drawn in
chained mode.
18 16.2 15.7

Number Decimals
Here you specify the number of decimals that will be displayed on a
dimension. The maximum number is 16.
If you set the number of decimals to 2, then 12.3456 will be
displayed as 12.35 (rounding to the nearest number). However, an
exact number will be displayed without trailing decimals, for
example, 12.000 will be displayed as 12.
You can also set the number of decimals to a negative number to get
rounding to tens or hundreds. For example, if you set the number of
decimals to -2, then 1234.45 will be displayed as 1200 (rounding to
the nearest 100). If you set the number of decimals to -1 then the
number will be displayed as 1230.

Dimension Text
This section allows you to specify the text parameters of the
dimension. These settings will be applied to all dimensions in the
drawing, both existing and new. Refer to Set Text Defaults for details.

Text Height
Here you can specify the size of the dimension text.

Linefeed
Specify the distance between subsequent dimension lines in running
dimensions.

Text Pen
This option allows you to specify the dimension text pen or colour.

10-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Font
This option allows you to specify the font and font attributes for the
dimension text.

The dimension defaults loaded each time you enter AllyCAD or

select File ► New are stored in a drawing called STARTUP.DRG.

Settings Menu 10-45

Set Survey Defaults
Set default survey dimension parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main SurveyDimSetup

This function allows you to set the parameters of new and existing
survey dimensions.
The following dialog box is displayed:

Survey Dimension Orientation

This section allows you to specify how the survey dimension will be
calculated and placed on the drawing.

10-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 " 338
° 23 Text follows bearing direction
'40 25.1 '40"
°41
33 24.6
The dimension text will always follow

24
25. 0'40"
the bearing direction, even if this means

0
1

°
36. 3'20"

5
2
15 0°5 that it is sometimes upside down.

338
0" °23 Text is always upright
1'4 25.1 '40"
°4
33 24.6
The dimension text will always be the
25. 0' 40"

150
°5 right way up, regardless of the bearing
2
°5

36. 3' 20" direction.

240

Survey Dimension Format

The following options are available. Check the one you want to use.

0"
10°25'2 Bearing on top, Distance on bottom.
40.9

40.9 m Distance on top, Bearing on bottom.

0
10.25.2

0 40.9 m Both bearing and distance on top.

10.25.2

40.9 m Distance only.

Bearing direction is measured counter-clockwise

Check this option if the bearing direction must be measured counter-
clockwise.

Round to ... seconds

This option allows you to specify the rounding off in seconds of the
bearing angle. If you specify a value of 0 angular decimals will be
used as shown below.

8.55"
10°25'1 Round to 0 seconds.
40.9 m

Settings Menu 10-47

 9"
10°25'1 Round to 1 second.
40.9

0"
10°25'2 Round to 10 seconds.
40.9

The number of decimal places is set in the Angular Format option of

the Drawing Settings.

10-48 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Set Arrow Defaults
Determine or change the way in which arrows are drawn

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main ArrowDef

This function allows you to set the style of new arrows or change the
style of existing arrows created by Annotate ► Add Arrow and
Annotate ► Add Balloon. Double-click on an arrow to change it’s style.
All subsequently drawn arrows will also be drawn using the newly
selected defaults. It does not change the style of dimension arrows.
The following dialog box is displayed:

Arrow Style
This option allows you to set the style of the arrowhead to one of the
following:

length Arrow
The arrowhead is drawn in the
width
conventional manner.

length
Blob
The arrowhead width is set to zero and
the arrowhead is drawn as a blob with
the diameter equal to arrowhead length.

Settings Menu 10-49

 Slash
The arrowhead length is set to zero and
width
the arrowhead is drawn as a slash with
the length equal to the arrowhead
width.

Arrowhead Length

length
This defines the length of the arrowhead
in the specified units.

Arrowhead Width

width This defines the width of the arrowhead.

Pen
This button allows you to set the pen (colour) of new arrows. Select a
colour from the colour palette that is displayed.

The arrow defaults loaded when you enter AllyCAD or select the File
► New option are stored in the STARTUP.DRG.

10-50 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Set Balloon Defaults
Set default balloon parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Main FitBalln

This function allows you to specify the default balloon size, the
number of text lines, and whether an arrow is to be added or not. All
balloons drawn subsequently will use these settings.
The line style of the circle enclosing the balloon text is defined by the
Line defaults.
The text style of the text inside the balloon is determined by the Text
defaults.
The arrow style is determined by the Arrow defaults.

Add Arrows to Balloons

A If this box is checked, arrows will be added to

balloons.

If the box is not checked, arrows will not be

B added to balloons.

Settings Menu 10-51

Two Rows of Text on Balloon

Check this option if you want two rows of text

C in the balloon. You will still be able to create
D balloons with one row of text by entering a
blank instead of text for the second row.

E If you want one row of text in the balloon,

don't check the box.

Balloon Fixed Size

Specify the number of characters that the balloon will accommodate.

If you select "1", the balloon will

F accommodate 1 character in
width.

If you select "2", the balloon will

accommodate 2 characters in
G1 G width, even if you only type one
character.

If you select "3", the balloon will

accommodate 3 characters in
H10 H width, even if you only type 1 or 2
characters.

10-52 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 If you select "4", the balloon will
accommodate 4 characters in
I100 I width, even if you type less than
4 characters.

If you type "0" the balloon will

accommodate whatever you type
VARIABLE in, up to a maximum of 69
characters.

The balloon defaults that are loaded each time you enter AllyCAD or
select the File ► New option are stored in the STARTUP.DRG.

Settings Menu 10-53

DXF/DWG Conversion Settings
Define how DXF and AutoCAD DWG files will be converted to AllyCAD
drawings, and vice versa

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DXFSettings

This function allows you to specify translation parameters for the

DXF/DWG import and export functions.

From DXF/DWG Conversion Settings

This dialog box defines how AutoCAD fonts and pens will be
converted to AllyCAD fonts and pens when you load a DXF or DWG
file using Open in the File Menu.

This section defines how DXF/DWG stroke fonts must be converted

into AllyCAD fonts.
The list of fonts is stored in the FromDXFFonts section of the CAD.INI
file in your user directory. You can add further fonts by opening the
CAD.INI file in your user directory into a word processor and adding
the required font names to the existing listing.
If the DXF/DWG file contains an unknown AutoCAD font add
"UNKNOWNNAME" as the font name in the For DXF Font section of
the dialog box. Then select the AllyCAD font you want to convert it to
in the Use AllyCAD Font section.

10-54 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If you are using a pen plotter you should translate DXF and DWG
fonts into the equivalent Windows pen plotter fonts, i.e. Modern,
Roman, and Script.
Refer to the Defaults chapter for more details.

To DXF/DWG Conversion Settings

This dialog box defines how AllyCAD fonts will be converted to
AutoCAD fonts when you create a DXF/DWG file with File ► Save As.
It also allows you to specify the version of the AutoCAD DXF/DWG
file.

The list of fonts is stored in the ToDXFFonts section of the CAD.INI

file in your user directory. You can add further fonts by opening the
CAD.INI file in your user directory into a word processor and adding
the required font names to the existing listing.
The pens and line types are mapped across exactly.

Settings Menu 10-55

AllyCAD DOS Conversion Settings
This function defines how linetypes and pens are converted in going to and
from AllyCAD for DOS files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DosCadSettings

This option allows you to map the 16 pens in AllyCAD for DOS to the
255 pens in AllyCAD. Similarly you can map the DOS line styles to
AllyCAD.

10-56 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Virtual Memory Settings
Specify at what point AllyCAD starts to use virtual memory

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SetVMem

You can configure AllyCAD to use Windows virtual memory or to use

it's own virtual disk swapping technology.

Temp Path
Specify the where temporary drawing files must be stored. If you are
working on a network be sure to specify a local hard drive for
optimum performance.

Allocate
AllyCAD will ask the operating system for the specified amount of
memory and then start to save its temporary files to disk. This can
be more efficient than the Windows swap file for large drawings.
If you experience a lot of disk thrashing, i.e. AllyCAD seems to be
accessing the hard disk continuously, reduce the allocated memory.

Settings Menu 10-57

Digitizer Settings
Set up a digitizer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SetDigitizer

AllyCAD can use a digitizer to accurately digitize existing drawings

such as maps and plans.
The digitizer is not meant to replace normal menu selection,
accelerators and icons.

Setting up standard digitizers

AllyCAD has built-in support for the following digitizers:

Digitizer Type Default Format String

None
Summa Graphics MM Binary Binary
Summa Graphics Large ASCII XXXXXX,YYYYYY,FP,TCL
DigiPad 5 PXXXXX YYYYYCL
Calcomp 2200 XXXXX,YYYYY,PCL
Calcomp 9000 AsPXXXXXYYYYYCL
Houston Instruments 8000 XXXXX,YYYYY,PCL
Old Summa graphics TPXXXXXXXYYYYYCL
Altek P XXXXX YYYYYCL
Generic ASCII XXXXX,YYYYY,PCL

10-58 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If your digitizer is not included on the list, look in your digitizer
manual to see what standard tablet it emulates. This will probably be
one of the Summa Graphics range.
When you select a digitizer from the list, the corresponding default
format string is automatically placed in the Format String box. Leave
the Init String box blank.
Select the Com Port your digitizer is connected to, as well as the
Baud Rate, Data Bits, Parity and Stop Bits. You will find the correct
values for Baud Rate etc. in your digitizer manual.

Setting up non-standard digitizers

If your digitizer doesn't emulate any of the ones on the list, select the
"Generic ASCII" digitizer type and consult your digitizer manual for
the ASCII string that the tablet sends to your computer.
Enter this string in Format String box. Note that when AllyCAD reads
the format string, it only recognizes the following characters:
XXXXX The X coordinate (can be positive or negative). Be
sure to put in the correct number of Xs for the number
of digits the tablet sends you.
YYYYY The Y coordinate, as above.
P The Pen byte (which button was pressed).
C Carriage Return.
L Line Feed.

If your digitizer is non-standard, you might also need to send it an

initialization string (Init String) just after the com port is opened.
AllyCAD expects the digitizer to be in Switched Stream mode (i.e.
coordinates are transmitted continuously when a digitizer button is
held down, but no coordinates are transmitted when no button is
pressed). Refer to your digitizer manual for the correct initialization
codes.
Select the Com Port your digitizer is connected to, as well as the
Baud Rate, Data Bits, Parity and Stop Bits. You will find the correct
values for Baud Rate etc. in your digitizer manual.

Digitizer Test
This option allows you to test the digitizer settings. When you click
on Test, the message
Move Puck/Pen over tablet for 5 seconds without pressing a
button

Settings Menu 10-59

is displayed. Click on OK.
The Digitizer Test dialog is displayed. Move the puck or pen over the
digitizer without pressing any buttons. Nothing may appear to
happen, but after a short while the message
Now you can press digitizer buttons to check the pen signals

is displayed. Click on OK. The Digitizer Test dialog box is displayed

again. When you click a button, coordinates are displayed in the
Raw Data section.
If no coordinates appear, or if unintelligible coordinates appear, the
digitizer has been set up incorrectly. Ensure you have selected the
correct type of digitizer, parity, data bits etc.
Once you are getting sensible coordinates, note that as you press
each button, a number appears next to the word Pen in the Raw
Data section of the dialog box.
On a four button Summa Graphics puck the numbers of the four
buttons will be 1, 2, 3 and 4. However, some digitizers use other
numbers, for example 1, 2, 4 and 8. Check which numbers your
digitizer uses, as you will need this information to assign CAD
commands to the digitizer buttons.
When you have finished testing, click on OK.

Setting the Scale

To link the scale of the drawing or map you are digitizing to the CAD
drawing, you need to enter three distinct points on the digitizer, then
enter three corresponding points on the drawing.
Suppose you are going to digitize a map drawn at a scale of 1:50. If
you measure the map with a ruler it measures 200mm x 100mm.
Before you start setting up your digitizer, set AllyCAD's scale to 1:50
and draw a rectangle measuring (200mm x 50) x (100mm x 50) on
the screen.
Then go to Digitizer Settings. You will have to do the Test (see above),
then click on the Scale button.
1. AllyCAD prompts for the first scale point on the tablet. Click with
your puck on the bottom left corner of the map on the digitizer.
2. AllyCAD prompts for the second scale point on the tablet. Click
with your puck on the top right corner of the map on the
digitizer.

10-60 AllyCAD Reference Manual

3. AllyCAD prompts for the third scale point on the tablet. Click
with your puck on the bottom right corner of the map on the
digitizer.
4. AllyCAD prompts for the first scale point on the screen. Click
with your mouse on the bottom left corner of the rectangle you
drew in AllyCAD.
5. AllyCAD prompts for the second scale point on the screen. Click
with your mouse on the top right corner of the rectangle you
drew in AllyCAD.
6. AllyCAD prompts for the third scale point on the screen. Click
with your mouse on the bottom right corner of the rectangle you
drew in AllyCAD.
The scale of the map on the digitizer will now correspond to the scale
in AllyCAD. Further, if you have placed the map on the digitizer at a
slight angle, this will not matter as the angle will be correct in
AllyCAD.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter min distance between digitized points

Type a distance and press [Enter] or click on . Any point within this
minimum distance will be ignored. The minimum distance you
choose will depend on the drawing or map you are digitizing.
Depending on your scale, it could be anything from a millimetre to
kilometres.

This minimum distance affects all commands, even the Done

command. If you have drawn the last point of a line and you are
going to use the Done button on the puck to finish the line, you
must move the puck away from the last point of the line before
pressing Done.

Mapping CAD commands to digitizer puck buttons

Each button on the digitizer puck can have a command associated
with it. By default the commands are:
• [Enter] on button 1
• Line (Chained) on button 2
• Done on button 3
• Jump Point on button 4
Commands are defined at the end of the CAD.MEN file, as follows:
DIGITIZER

Settings Menu 10-61

 BEGIN
BUTTON "1" {#enterpt;}
BUTTON "2" {line;}
BUTTON "3" {done;}
BUTTON "4" {#jumppt;}
END

The example above assumes that your digitizer numbers its puck
buttons 1, 2, 3 and 4. If it doesn't, substitute the appropriate
numbers (see Digitizer Test).
Refer to Functions in the CAD.MEN section for more details.

Using the digitizer

After you have selected a digitizer in the Digitizer Setup dialog box,
AllyCAD will attempt to open the digitizer COM port on startup. If
this port open fails (for example if you have disconnected the
digitizer), then AllyCAD will display the Digitizer Settings dialog box
on startup.
You can cancel this, or, if you have disconnected your digitizer
permanently or semi-permanently, change the digitizer type to None.
Now you are ready to use your digitizer. You can use the digitizer and
the mouse at the same time and enter commands from either.

Refer to the Tools ► Tidy Polygons and Tools ► Line To PolyLine

functions as this can help tidy up digitized input.

10-62 AllyCAD Reference Manual

System Settings
Set the system settings

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SystemDef

This function allows you to set a number of options that control the
operation of AllyCAD.

System Settings
Here you toggle the following options:

Ask Logon Name at Startup

This can be useful if several users are using AllyCAD from the same
machine, and you want to ask the logon name each time. If just one
user is using the system, then switch this option off.

Settings Menu 10-63

Write a Log file
This can be useful for diagnostic purposes, as it records each
function executed into a log file. If you are having inexplicable
problems with AllyCAD, switch this option on, and send your dealer
a copy of the log file. Writing a log file can slow down your system
slightly.

Open Creates a new window

If this option is switched off the File  Open function will reuse old
windows and clear out existing drawings before loading new ones.

Compile Macro Automatically

AllyCAD now includes a compiled macro language with arrays and
subroutines. This is very similar to the old compiled macro language
issued with the DOS version. The advantages of compiled macros are
security for the macro issuer, and of course the subroutines.
If this button is on, then AllyCAD will attempt to compile the macro
before running it. If a compiled macro already exists, and its date is
later than the date of the macro file, then it will not be recompiled,
but the compiled version will be run.

Create 16 Bit compatible drawings

This restricts the maximum object size to 8000 bytes to create
drawings that can be read by the DOS version of AllyCAD. It only
affects objects created after this switch is turned on, it will not affect
objects in a drawing that have already been created.
You could make all the objects in a drawing smaller by switching on
this option then running File ► Repair Drg File on the drawing in
question.

Pop up Done button

The red Done button pops up whenever the cursor is waiting for a
point from the user. Some users do not like this, so you can switch it
off here.

Mouse cursor to default dialog button

If this option is checked the mouse cursor will always appear on the
default dialog button, which is usually the OK button.

10-64 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Open copy if drawing already in use
If you try to open a drawing that is already being used by someone
else the following warning message will appear if this option is
checked:
“File <filename> was opened by <username> on machine
<machine name> at <date>. Do you want to open a copy of the
drawing?”

Select “Yes” to load a copy of the drawing you wish to open.

Redraw in layer order

Select this option if you want the redraw to occur in layer order as
opposed to the redraw to occurer in pattern order (which usually
happens). This may hide patterns which were previously previously
seen (and visa versa) with the usual redraw pattern order.

Verify drawings on save

Select this option if you want the drawing verified when you save it to
disk. This does a CRC check (Cylic Redundancy Check) of the
drawing data before saving it to disk and then compares this value
with the one the disk to check for corruption.

Enable DWG Wizard

Select this option if you want the AutoCAD export/import wizard to
appear when you are saving the drawing as *.dwg or *.dxf. The DWG
Wizard automatically corrects the coordinates when saving Southern
Hemisphere drawings to AutoCAD and allows you to open a *.dwg or
*.dxf drawing without having to

Zoom out factor for long pan

In this box you can also set a different default factor for zooming out
by typing in a new number. Numbers between 10 and 20 prove
useful for most drawing types.

Default Editor
In this box you can set a different editor by typing the new name.
This editor is used for the edit macro function

Settings Menu 10-65

Tiled Bitmaps
AllyCAD can handle very large bitmaps (we have successfully loaded
600 Mb TIFF files) and after tiling can load, zoom and pan within a
few seconds.
The tiling can take a while, but is only done the first time you load a
new bitmap. The tiling process produces a new file with the same
name as the bitmap file, but with an extension of ".BBF".
AllyCAD can load any of the following types of bitmaps:

Bitmap Type Extension

LEAD *.cmp
CALS *.cal
GEM Image *.img
GIF *.gif
IBM IOCA *.ica
JPEG *.jpg;*.jff;*.jtf
Macintosh PICTURE *.pct
MacPaint *.mac
Microsoft Paint *.msp
Photo CD *.pcd
PCX *.pcx
PostScript Raster *.eps
SUN Raster *.ras
TGA *.tga
TIF *.tif
Windows Metafile *.wmf
Windows & OS/2 *.bmp
Winfax *.fxs
WordPerfect *.wpg

This page allows you to set parameters affecting the bitmap tiling.

Bitmap threshold size for tiling (kb)

Any bitmap that is smaller than this size will be handled as a single
entity and not tiled.

10-66 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Use Tile Compression
This compresses each tile during preprocessing which results in a
smaller BBF file. The redraws will be slower as each tile has to be
decompressed at run time.

Path for tiled file

This specifies the directory where the BBF file will be placed. If you
give a "." (period) as the path, then the BBF file will be placed in the
same directory as the original bitmap.

Tips for Tiling

Use the largest fastest machine in your office with as much RAM as
you can find - 64 or 128 MB ram does not hurt. You will require disk
space equal to twice the size of the bitmap file you are tiling.

Settings Menu 10-67

Set Current Layer
Change the current layer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

NewLayer

Whatever you draw is placed on the current layer. Use this function
to make another layer current.

Click on the layer that must become the current layer. The new
current layer will be highlighted. Click on OK to exit.
When you start a new drawing with AllyCAD, only one layer, "0", will
exist. To add further layers or to rename layers refer to Layer
Control.

You can save default layers in STARTUP.DRG.

10-68 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Set Visible Layers
Select which layers should be displayed on the screen

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File ShowLayer

The current layer (the layer you are working on) is marked by an
asterisk. If you only want to display the current layer, click on the
[Current Only] button.

If you want all layers to be displayed on the screen, click on the [All]
button.
You can change the current layer by clicking on the [Set Current
Layer] button.
If you only want to display a few layers, ensure that the layers you
want to display are highlighted. To highlight a layer, click on it. To
highlight more than one layer, press [CTRL] while you click on the
layers you want to display. If a layer that you do not want to see on
the screen is highlighted, press [CTRL] and click on it. The highlight
will disappear.

The current layer is always displayed, whether you highlight it or

not.

Settings Menu 10-69

Layer Settings
Add layers, edit layer names and magnifications, lock layers, highlight layers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left File EditLay

The Layer Settings dialog lists the layers defined on your drawing in
a table as shown below. For each layer, it shows the layer's name,
whether it is visible, whether it is locked, the layer magnification
factor, the pen, line type and line width associated with the layer if
you are using the ByLayer line style.
The current layer text is displayed in blue. Everything you draw is
drawn onto the current layer.

Layer Name
The layer name will automatically appear in upper case. It can be up
to 31 characters long.

Visible Layers
Visible layers are the layers that are actually displayed on the screen.
They are marked by the word "Yes". To toggle the layer visibility
simply right click in the Vis column.

10-70 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Locked Layers
AllyCAD's functions will not work on locked layers. For example, you
cannot select or accidentally move entities on a locked layer. Locked
layers are marked by the word "Yes" in the Lock column. To toggle
the layer lock status simply right click in the Lock column.

Layer Magnification
Normally, layer magnification is 1. However, each layer can be
assigned a different magnification with respect to the scale of the
drawing. For example, suppose the drawing is at a scale of 1:10. If
you assign a magnification of 2 to a layer, anything drawn on that
layer subsequently will be twice the size, i.e. at a scale of 1:5. If you
assign a magnification of 0.5 to a layer, anything drawn on that layer
subsequently will be half the size, i.e. at a scale of 1:20. This allows
you to have several scales on one drawing.

Pen, Line Type, and Width

This is the pen, line type and line width that will be used if you draw
By Layer.

To Edit a Layer
Simply type in a new layer name and change any of the other layer
settings in the table.

To Add a Layer
By default, AllyCAD has just one layer, "0". You can add up to a total
of 65,000 layers.
To add a layer, simply scroll to an empty row below the currently
displayed layers, right click and fill in the new layer details.

To Delete a Layer
Position the cursor on the layer to be deleted and right click with
your mouse. A menu list will be displayed. Select the Delete layer
option. The layer data will be displayed in a faded gray colour to
show that it is marked for deletion. The layer and all its contents will
only be deleted when you close the Layer Settings dialog with the OK
button. If don’t want your changes to be click the Cancel button.

Settings Menu 10-71

You cannot undo a layer delete once the OK button is clicked. To
delete layers with nothing on them, you can also use the
File ► Purge Redundant Elements function.

To Set the Current Layer

Position the cursor on the layer to be active and right click with your
mouse. A menu list will be displayed. Select the Make Current layer
option. The layer data will be displayed in a blue colour to show that
it is the current layer.
The current layer is also displayed above the top right of the Drawing
Area.

Setting Visible Layers

Visible layers are the layers that are actually displayed on the screen
and are marked by a "Yes" in the Vis column of the layer list. If you
want all layers to be displayed on the screen, click on the All Layers
button.
If you only want to display the current layer (the layer you are
working on), click on the Current Only button.
To turn an individual layer or a specific group of layers on or off
simply right click in the Vis column of the relevant layer.

The current layer cannot be switched off and is always visible.

Layer Highlight
This section controls how layers will be highlighted on the screen.

None
If you check this option, no layer will be highlighted.

Pen 8
If you check this option, all the layers except the current layer (the
one you are working on) are drawn in a dotted line type. This option
is useful for drawing in the current layer with reference to the other
layers, but without these other layers being intrusive.

10-72 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rainbow
If you check this option, each layer except the current layer is drawn
in a different colour. The colours used are the colours assigned to
each layer in the Layer Settings dialog. Rainbow is useful for
isolating items that have been drawn in an incorrect layer.

Operate on
This option determines whether you can work on all the layers or
only on a subset of layers.
All Unlocked Functions will operate on all layers that have not been locked
Current only Functions will only operate on the current layer

Pen and Line Type By Layer

You can optionally set pens and line types By Layer. This means that
you assign a particular colour and line type to each layer. Entities
are displayed using the pen and line type associated with the layer
you are drawing on.
To set pens By Layer, click on the Pen button in the following
functions.

Line Defaults set line color by layer

Parallel Defaults set parallel line color by layer
Polyline Defaults set polyline color by layer
Set Text Defaults set text color by layer
Set Dim Defaults set dimension witness line and text color by layer
Set Arrow Defaults set arrow color by layer

The colour palette will be displayed. At the bottom of the palette is a

By Layer button. Click on this button to make AllyCAD draw the
relevant element according to the pen, line type and width specified
in the Layer Settings dialog.
To set line types By Layer, click on the Line Type display in the
following functions:

Line Defaults set line type by layer

Parallel Defaults set parallel line type by layer
Polyline Defaults set polyline line type by layer

Settings Menu 10-73

Scroll right to the bottom of the list of line types, where you will find
the By Layer option. Click on this to make AllyCAD draw the relevant
element By Layer
You can also use the Line Type Display at the top right of the screen
to set line type By Layer.

10-74 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ToolKit Menu
The ToolKit contains a collection of functions that
automate and expedite common tasks for a variety of
disciplines.
The functions are grouped into the following
categories:
• General
• Architectural
• Civil
• Mechanical
• Structural
• Survey

Perimeter Menu 11-1

General Toolkit
This section contains general purpose toolkit
functions.

11-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Calculator
This tool opens the standard windows calculator

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

For convenience the standard windows calculator is launched when

the "Calculator" option in the above menu is selected.

Perimeter Menu 11-3

Batch Print
This tool is for batch printing of AllyCAD drawings

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

Before batch printing uncheck the Open Creates a new window

option in the System Settings.

Procedure

AllyCAD will display the standard Windows File Open dialog. Select
any drawing from the directory containing the AllyCAD drawings and
click Open.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Would you like to edit list file?

Select Yes if you would like to add or remove drawings from the
drawing list. Select No if you would like all of the AllyCAD drawings
printed in the specified directory.
If you selected Yes AllyCAD will display the following prompt:
Save & Close notepad when finished editing before clicking
OK

Ensure that you have saved any editing changes first as the AllyCAD
will start printing as soon as you click on OK.

11-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

File Converter
Convert files between DRG, DWG, DXF and CEX formats

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

Before batch printing uncheck the Open Creates a new window

option in the System Settings.

Procedure
AllyCAD will display a list of files that can be
converted. Select the file type you wish to convert.

The standard File open dialog will be displayed.

Select any drawing from the directory containing
the required files and click Open.
Select the destination file type or select the Edit
List File option if you would like edit the list of
conversion drawings. If you edit the drawing list
the following message will be displayed:
Save & Close Notepad when finished editing
before clicking OK.

As soon as you click OK the program will start

batch converting.
AllyCAD will load every drawing in the file list and save it in the
specified format.

Perimeter Menu 11-5

Read Excel Table
Read a table from MS Excel and write the data into AllyCAD

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

The default column width is calculated based on the drawing scale,

layer magnification and units.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Set text defaults?

Select Yes to change the existing text defaults and No to use the
current default settings.
The standard File Open dialog will be displayed. Browse to select the
Excel file you want to copy to the drawing. A message box will be
displayed with:
"<filename>.xls

Allow enough time for the Excel spreadsheet to open before clicking
OK. AllyCAd will prompt:
Enter row for first cell number to read from (eg 6)

Enter the number of the first row you want data copied from.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Enter column for first cell number to read from (eg A)

Enter the number of the first column you want data copied from.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter row for last cell number to read from (eg 20)

Enter the number of the last row you want data copied from. AllyCAd
will prompt:
Enter column for last cell number to read from (eg AB)

Enter the number of the last column you want data copied from. Now
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position for table

Indicate the position on the drawing where you would like the Excel
data to be placed. AllyCAD will prompt:

11-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Enter column width (all columns will be same width)

Enter the width of the data column. The data will be placed in the
drawing as text items using the current text defaults.

Layer Info on Plot

Write date of plot and visible layers onto drawings

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

Select the visible layers using Settings ► Layer Settings.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position for the plots drawing status

Indicate the position you want the date/layer information placed on

the drawing. A list similar to that below will be placed on the drawing
using the current text defaults.
SURV_PHOTO_CONTROL
SURV_TREE_SYMB
SURV_CADAST_BOUND
SURV_STORMWATER
SURV_WATER
SURV_FENCES
SURV_PATHS
SURV_FLUVIAL
SURV_FLOODLINES
SURV_WALLS
SURV_TREES
SURV_SUB_STRUCTURES
SURV_BUSH_SYMB
SURV_SIGNS
SURV_BANKS
SURV_STRUCTURES
SURV_BUILDING_HATCH
SURV_BUILDINGS
SURV_SERVICE
SURV_ROADS
SURV_SPOT_HEIGHTS
SURV_CONTOURS_INDEX
SURV_CONTOURS_INTER
SURV_TEXT
SURV_CADAST_POINTS
SURV_CONSTR_CLASS
0
Visible layers on this plot are
Drawing plotted on 2002-06-13 at 15:18

Perimeter Menu 11-7

Divide an Angle
Equally divide an angle into multiple parts

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

This function divides an angle formed by two lines into a specified

number of equal angles. In the example below the angle between the
outer two lines has been divided into 4 equal sections.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select first line (Space to exit)

Click next to the first line.

Select second line (Space to cancel)

Click next to the second line.

Enter required number of divisions

Enter the number of divisions.

AllyCAD will prompt:
Divide the obtuse angle ? (Press No to divide the included
angle)

Click No to divide the included angle and Yes to divide the obtuse
angle.

11-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If the error message
Indicated lines do not intersect

Is displayed check that the lines subtending the angle are two
separate lines and not one polyline.

Divide a Line
Divide a line into equal segments

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

This function divides or marks a line into equal segments with or

without a tick or a circle indicating the segments.

Procedure
AllyCAD will display the following options list:

Divide Only Divide the selected line into equal segments only.
Divide+Circle Divide the selected line into equal segments marked with
a circle.
Divide+Tick Divide the selected line into equal segments marked with
a tick.
Circle No Divide Mark the selected line with a circle into equal segments.
Tick No Divide Mark the selected line with a tick into equal segments.

Select the divide option you require. AllyCAD will prompt:

Select line to be divided

Select a line you wish to divide into segments. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter number of divisions

Enter the number of division you would like. The line will be divided
according to the submenu option selected:

Perimeter Menu 11-9

Divide Only
This option divides the line into equal segments without marking it.

Divide + Circle
This option divides the line into equal segments and marks it with
circles.

AllyCAD will ask:

Enter circle diameter

Enter the diameter of the circle in drawing units.

Divide + Tick
This option divides the line into equal segments and marks it with
ticks.

AllyCAD will ask:

Enter tick size

Enter the length of the tick in drawing units.

Circle No Divide
This option marks the line with circles in equal segments without
dividing it.

AllyCAD will ask:

Enter circle diameter

Enter the diameter of the circle in drawing units.

Tick No Divide
This option marks the line with ticks in equal segments without
dividing it.

11-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD will ask:
Enter tick size

Enter the length of the tick in drawing units.

Perimeter Menu 11-11

Total Line Length
Add the lengths of lines in a layer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

This function totals the lengths of all the lines in a specified layer.
This is extremely useful to determine the total length of say,
electrical cable or sewer pipe.

Procedure
AllyCAD will display the following option list.

Total Length of Lines in a Select this option to display the total line length in a
Layer particular layer.
Write as ASCII File Select this option to write the total line length to an
ASCII file.
View ASCII File Select this option to view the above ASCII file.

Select the option you require. AllyCAD will prompt:

Select new layer or use existing layer ?

If you select Yes the Layer Settings dialog will be displayed so that
you can select a new layer. If you select No the total length of the
lines in the current layer will be calculated.
A message box is displayed with:

If you would like to write the results to an ASCII file select the Write
as ASCII File option.
Select the View ASCII File option if you would like to view the ASCII
file created by the previous option.

11-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The following data will be written to the ASCII file:
Total Line length for layer BLOCK_BOUNDARY is

No. Y_Start X_Start Y_End X_End Length

1 75674.781 21367.937 75610.267 21443.570 99.410
2 75946.649 21067.680 75982.848 21162.821 101.795
3 75982.848 21162.821 75980.369 21168.327 6.038
4 75980.369 21168.327 75895.344 21200.683 90.973
5 75780.053 21318.219 75727.053 21464.725 155.798
6 75727.053 21464.725 75721.426 21467.824 6.424
7 75721.426 21467.824 75666.578 21455.851 56.140
8 75666.578 21455.851 75663.305 21449.932 6.764
9 75663.305 21449.932 75706.361 21330.926 126.555
10 75674.777 21367.949 75646.156 21447.059 84.128
11 75646.156 21447.059 75640.523 21450.173 6.436
12 75640.523 21450.173 75610.265 21443.569 30.970
13 75633.824 21466.214 75614.170 21461.920 20.118
14 75614.170 21461.920 75607.227 21464.263 7.328
15 75607.227 21464.263 75508.974 21579.433 151.386
16 75508.974 21579.433 75511.773 21587.766 8.791
17 75511.773 21587.766 75584.975 21603.738 74.924
18 75584.975 21603.738 75590.608 21600.629 6.434
19 75590.608 21600.629 75637.092 21472.132 136.646
20 75637.092 21472.132 75633.824 21466.214 6.760
21 75454.511 21654.926 75451.699 21646.568 8.818
22 75451.699 21646.568 75492.459 21598.782 62.808
23 75492.459 21598.782 75499.411 21596.442 7.335
24 75499.411 21596.442 75580.321 21614.102 82.815
25 75580.321 21614.102 75583.588 21620.021 6.761
26 75583.588 21620.021 75563.900 21674.436 57.867
27 75563.900 21674.436 75558.277 21677.545 6.425
28 75584.313 21683.229 75581.050 21677.303 6.765
29 75581.050 21677.303 75654.241 21475.001 215.135
30 75654.241 21475.001 75659.879 21471.894 6.437
31 75659.879 21471.894 75714.727 21483.865 56.139
32 75714.727 21483.865 75717.994 21489.780 6.757
33 75717.994 21489.780 75665.169 21635.786 155.268
34 75665.169 21635.786 75652.520 21693.741 59.319
35 75652.520 21693.741 75647.432 21697.007 6.046
36 75672.495 21702.471 75669.230 21697.385 6.044
37 75669.230 21697.385 75681.641 21640.541 58.183
38 75681.641 21640.541 75687.268 21637.437 6.426
39 75687.268 21637.437 75811.676 21664.585 127.336
40 75811.676 21664.585 75876.011 21598.166 92.469
41 75876.011 21598.166 75861.560 21584.169 20.118
42 75861.560 21584.169 75718.714 21553.000 146.207
43 75718.714 21553.000 75715.452 21547.073 6.765
44 75715.452 21547.073 75735.139 21492.658 57.867
45 75735.139 21492.658 75740.773 21489.551 6.434
46 75740.773 21489.551 75887.792 21521.640 150.480
47 75887.792 21521.640 75938.909 21571.192 71.192
48 75938.909 21571.192 75939.016 21578.455 7.264
49 75939.016 21578.455 75793.365 21728.850 209.363

TOTAL LENGTH 10361.319 m

Perimeter Menu 11-13

Hide Layer
Switch off a layer by indicating an object in that layer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

This function allows you to switch off a layer in a drawing by simply

clicking on an entity. The layer containing the entity will then be
switched off.
This is very handy when you receive a complex drawing and only
want to view certain sub-sets of the data. You could for instance
switch off the title block and annotations by simply clicking on those
elements.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Hidden layer information?

Answer Yes to display information about which layer you have just
hidden. Answer No to hide the layer with no prompt.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select object in layer to hide

Select an object in the layer which you wish to hide or else press the
[Space Bar].

11-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Line/Pen by Layer
Convert line and/or pen from ByLayer to standard

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

This tool converts all line types and pens that have been drawn
ByLayer to normal line and pen numbers. This is mainly used on
imported AutoCAD drawings.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Convert all linetypes(255) and pens(256) by layer to normal
line and pen number?

If "Yes" is selected all pens with linetype 255 will be converted to the
linetype in the layer settings dialog and all pen with colour 256 will
be converted to the pen colour in the layer settings dialog (see Layer
Control).

Perimeter Menu 11-15

Draw Centrelines
Draw two intersecting lines (“+” Lines)

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

This function draws two perpendicular lines of variable length.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter lengths of horizontal and vertical lines

Enter the length of the horizontal line and the length of the vertical
line, separated by a space. Then press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Click to place CL (spacebar to exit)

Place the CL on the drawing using the mouse. The CL will be drawn
on the current layer using the current pen colour and linetype.
You will be prompted to place the CL repeatedly until you press the
[Space Bar].

11-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Draw Chamfered Rect
Draws a rectangle with all four corners chamfered by a user-defined amount

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter chamfer value

Enter the value for the chamfer that you wish to apply to the
rectangle’s corners. Then press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position of rectangle 1st corner (spacebar to exit)

Use the mouse to indicate the position of the first corner of the
rectangle.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position of rectangle 2nd corner

Use the mouse to indicate the position of the opposite corner of the
rectangle.
A chamfered rectangle will be drawn in the current pen colour and
linetype, on the current layer. The chamfered rectangle will be
grouped into an object called “CHAMFERECT”.
This function will repeat until you press the [Space Bar] or [Esc].

Perimeter Menu 11-17

Draw Filleted Rect
Draws a rectangle with all four corners filleted by a user-defined radius

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter fillet radius

Enter the radius of the fillet that you wish to apply to the rectangle’s
corners. Then press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position of rectangle 1st corner (spacebar to exit)

Use the mouse to indicate the position of the first corner of the
rectangle.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position of rectangle 2nd corner

Use the mouse to indicate the position of the opposite corner of the
rectangle.
A filleted rectangle will be drawn in the current pen colour and
linetype, on the current layer. The filleted rectangle will be grouped
into an object called “FILLETRECT”.
This function will repeat until you press the [Space Bar] or [Esc].

11-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Set Layer from Element
Switches the current layer to that of the indicated drawing element

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

General Shift-L

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate an element in the layer you want to change to

Use the mouse to click on a drawing element (line, arc, object etc)
that is on the layer you wish to switch to.
The current layer will be set to the indicated element’s layer.

Perimeter Menu 11-19

Architectural Toolkit
The Architectural ToolKit facilitates the drawing of building plans and
elevations

Architectural Toolkit Functions:

1. Architectural Toolkit Setup

2. Draw Walls

3. Add Roof Line to Plan

4. Place Symbols

5. Draw Elevations

6. Add Roof Line to Plan

7. Draw Cross Sections

8. Draw Stairs

Please make sure that the drawing units are set to "mm"
(millimeters) before using the architectural toolkit functions. In
order to draw house plans the functions must be followed from left
to right on the architectural toolbar or top to bottom in the
architectural menu.

11-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Architectural Setup Dialog
The Architectural Toolkit Setup dialog is used to setup the path for your
Architectural Specification file (Archspecs.ini) as well as the root of the
Symbol File (e.g. C:\AllyCAD 34\Symbols).

Initialization file path This tells the Architectural Toolkit where to store it's
settings data. The architectural toolkit will not work
correctly if this file has not been specified. AllyCAD is
supplied with a standard file "ArchSpecs.ini" situated in
your CAD user directory.
If you wish to switch to an alternate initialization file, you
can browse for it by clicking on the browse button […].
Symbol file path This tells the Architectural Toolkit where the symbol
libraries are stored. The architectural toolkit will not work
correctly if this file has not been specified. AllyCAD is
supplied with a standard symbol libraries in the directory
"C:\AllyCAD34\Symbols" situated in your CAD user
directory.
If you wish to switch to an alternate symbol root
directory, you can browse for it by clicking on the browse
button […]. However the architectural toolkit requires a
"Symbol" root directory as well as "Doors" and
"Windows" child directories otherwise it will not work
properly.
Set building standards... Press this button to display the Building Standards Setup
Dialog.

Perimeter Menu 11-21

Draw Walls
Draw plan views internal (consists of only one wall and no cavity)and external
(two walls separated by a cavity) walls

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

Procedure
When you select the draw wall function from the toolbar or menu,
the Wall Setup dialog will be displayed:

The wall setup dialog with external wall selected

11-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The wall setup dialog with internal wall selected
Select the wall from the drop-down list, or fill in the relevant data.
Select the drawing method, justification drawing, drawing direction,
wall type and wall end finish. These options are explained below.
Press OK to draw the specified wall.

Drawing method:
The "Draw fresh" is used to draws walls where no track or perimeter
line exists, whereas the "Track line or perimeter" drawing method is
used to track an existing line or perimeter.

Justification:
Selecting "Outside" justification will draw walls outside of the setting
out, tracking or perimeter line whereas "Inside" justification will draw
walls inside of the setting out, tracking or perimeter line. An example
of this is shown below:

Perimeter Menu 11-23

 The figure on the left shows a line drawn with outside
justification.

The figure on the left shows a line drawn with inside

justification.

Note: The justification is influenced by the drawing direction i.e. if

you specify outside justifcation and a clockwise drawing direction
but then draw the line anticlockwise the justification will be inside.
Hence stick to the drawing direction you have specified in the
dialog.

Drawing direction:
An "anticlockwise or clockwise" is used to specify the direction in
which you draw your walls. This is used to determine whether the
line is inside or outside justified as mentioned above. The drawing
direction is illustrated in the figures below:

A wall drawn using an anticlockwise drawing direction.

11-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 A wall drawn using an clockwise drawing direction.

Adding and Deleting Walls

You may add your own wall definitions by clicking on the "Add"
button, and then entering the relevant data. The wall definition will
then be saved when you click on OK, or select another wall definition
from the list.

If you modify an existing wall definition, you will be asked to save it.
Select "No" to avoid changing the original wall definition.

Drawing a Wall Using the Draw Fresh Drawing Method

If the "Draw fresh" radio button was checked then AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate starting position of wall (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate the position where you want start drawing the wall,
remembering to take into account your drawing direction.
Enter next point of line

Indicate the position of the corner of the next wall moving in a

clockwise direction or anticlockwise direction depending on the
drawing direction that you have selected in the dialog. AllyCAD will
continue with this prompt until you press the space bar and then the
first promp will appear again. Press the spacebar to exit the function
or start drawing another wall repeating the above steps.

Note: If you don't stick to the drawing direction you have specified
in the dialog then the wall justification will be incorrect.

Drawing a Wall Using the Track Line or Perimeter Method

If the "Track line or perimeter" radio button was checked then
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position outside perimeter (else spacebar to exit)

Perimeter Menu 11-25

Click outside the perimeter. If you have selected outside justification
the wall will be drawn outside the perimeter otherwise if you are
tracking a line the wall will appear on the same side of the tracking
line. If you have selected inside justification the wall will be drawn
inside the perimeter otherwise the wall will be drawn on the
opposite side of the tracking line. The following perimeter menu will
now appear on the control bar.

Select the auto button and then click on the Accept button in the
perimeter menu. The first prompt will appear again click outside
another perimeter or near another tracking line or press the
spacebar to exit the function.

If you don't click outside the perimeter or on the correct side of the
tracking line the wall justification will be incorrect.

The following figure illustrates the options available for drawing a

wall around a perimeter:

This figure shows

perimeter tracking
with outside
justifcation.

11-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 This figure shows
perimeter tracking
with inside
justifcation.

The following figure illustrates the options available for tracking a

line:

This figure shows line tracking with outside justifcation.

Here the wall is drawn on the same side as the indicated
with the mouse.

This figure shows line tracking with inside justifcation.

Here the wall is drawn on the opposite side as the
indicated with the mouse.

Perimeter Menu 11-27

Add Roof Line to Plan
Add a roof line to the plan

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

This function is used to add a roof line to a plan. The roof line is
used to draw the roof elevation and cross-sections.

Procedure
When you select the add roof line function from the toolbar or menu,
the Roofline Setup Dialog will be displayed:

Select the drawing pen colour, linetype, layer name and eaves
overhang.
Press OK to draw the specified roof line.

Add roof line (black dashed line) to

plan

Once the OK button on the Roof Line Setup Dialog is clicked the
perimeter menu will be displayed.

11-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

This is shown below:

Click on the autoperimeter button

and then click outside the drawing
plan as shown on the left.

Perimeter Menu 11-29

Place Symbols
Insert door and window symbols

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

This architectural submenu is used to place symbols on the plan

view.

Procedure

By clicking on the place symbols icon the

legend window will be launched which
contains the symbol library tree shown on
the left.

By clicking on the + sign the directory in the

symbol tree will be expanded to show a list of
related symbol libraries <symbol
library>.DRG. Select the symbol library you
require.

AllyCAD will then load the symbol and update the control bar to
show the following:

11-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Select one of the window symbols from the drop down list on the left
or click the [View] button to view a window containing the window
symbols. Simply find the symbol you want and click on it.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter position for symbol

The cursor will now display the symbol. Position the symbol and
click or press [Enter].

Refer to the Symbol section for additional information about

snipping, rotating and mirroring the symbol before placing it.

Perimeter Menu 11-31

Draw Elevations
Draw north, east, south and west elevations.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

This function is used to draw elevations from the existing plan view.

Procedure
When you select the draw elevation function from the toolbar or
menu, the Elevation Setup Dialog will be displayed:

The elevation setup dialog

Select the drawing pen colour, linetype, layers, eaves height and
window to door height
Press OK to draw the specified roof line.
Once the OK button on the dialog has been clicked the following
prompt will appear:
Indicate face on plan for adding elevation (else spacebar to
exit)

Click near the wall on the plan from which the elevation is to be
drawn or press the spacebar to exit this function. AllyCAD will then
prompt:
Enter roofline position of elevation (else spacebar to exit)

11-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The cursor will be in ortho hold mode. Select a position opposite the
face on the plan you have selected where you would like the elevation
drawn or press the spacebar to exit the function. Now AllyCAD will
prompt:
Select window/door to go to elevation (spacebar to end
selection)

Click on the windows and door symbols in the selected face on the
plan and they will be inserted into the elevation. When you have
finished selecting doors and windows press the spacebar. AllyCAD
will prompt:
Select outside walls for elevation (spacebar to end
selection)

Click near the walls in the corresponding plan view and they will
appear in the elevation. When you have finished selecting the walls
press the spacebar to end the selection. AllyCAD will then return to
the original prompt (step 3). Click on the drawing and repeat steps 3
to 7 or press the [Spacebar] to exit the function.

Perimeter Menu 11-33

Add Roof to Elevation
Add a roof to an elevation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

This architectural submenu is used to draw a roof on an elevation.

Procedure

Before selecting the draw roof function from the toolbar or menu
first make sure that the roof line is switched on as shown in the
figure below:

Figure showing the Layer Settings Dialog with the roof line layer
switched on.

11-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

When you select the draw roof function from the toolbar or menu,
the following Roof Setup Dialog will be displayed:

Select the drawing pen colour, linetype, layer names and roof pitch.
Press OK to draw the specified elevation line.
Once the OK button on the dialog has been clicked the following
prompt will appear:
Indicate face on plan for adding roof (else spacebar to
exit)

Click near the wall on the plan from which the elevation is to be
drawn. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select roof line on elevation (else spacebar to exit)

The cursor will be in ortho hold mode. Select a roof line on an existing
elevation opposite the face on the plan you have selected. AllyCAD
will now prompt:
Select roof lines for this view (else spacebar to exit)

Select any of the roof lines on the plan which will appear in the
elevation. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select height of side gable (else spacebar for facing gable)

Select a roof line perpendicular to the roof line which you have just
selected which can be used to calculate the height of the roof gable, if
none is selected a facing gable will be drawn.
AllyCAD then return to the first prompt again. If there is more than
one gable repeat steps 6 and 7 otherwise press the spacebar to exit
the function.

Perimeter Menu 11-35

Drawing Cross Sections
Draw a cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

This function draws horizontal and vertical cross sections from the
existing plan view.

Procedure
When you select the draw cross section function from the toolbar or
menu, the Cross Section Setup Dialog will be displayed:

11-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

1. Select the drawing pen colour, linetype, layers. Either accept the
current values or enter new values for the cross section.
2. Press OK to draw the specified cross section.
3. Once the OK button on the dialog has been clicked the following
prompt will appear:
Indicate position of cross section (else spacebar to exit)

4. Indicate the position on the drawing you want the cross section
drawn (shown in the figure above) otherwise press the spacebar
to exit the function. After specifying the cross section position the
following prompt will appear:

Drawing Wall Cross Sections:

Indicate inside face of close external wall (else spacebar
to exit)

The cross indicates the place the user must click to indicate the
inside face of the external wall.

Perimeter Menu 11-37

5. Click near the external wall closest to the start of the cross
section on the plan view (shown in the figure above) otherwise
press the spacebar to exit the function. After specifying the
external wall position the following prompt will appear:
Indicate face of internal wall (else spacebar for far
external wall)

6. Click near the internal wall on the plan view otherwise press the
spacebar if you have no internal walls or have finished selecting
internal walls. The prompt will keep on appearing as long as you

11-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 click near an internal wall. Once you press the spacebar to select
an external wall the following prompt will appear:
Indicate inside face of far external wall (else spacebar to
exit)

The cursor in the figure below indicates the place where the user
must click to indicate inside face of the far external wall

7. Click near the external wall furtherest from the start of the cross
section on the plan view otherwise press the spacebar to exit the
function. After specifying the external wall position the following
prompt will appear:
Indicate side of line you would like arrow heads placed
(else spacebar to exit)

The cursor in the figure below indicates the place where the user
must click to indicate the side of the section line the arrow heads
need to be placed.

Perimeter Menu 11-39

8. Click near the side of the section line on the plan view where you
want the arrow heads drawn on the section line otherwise press
the spacebar to exit the function.

Drawing Truss Cross Sections

After specifying the arrow head position the following prompt will
appear:
Select side truss height for truss only (else spacebar for
facing and/or side truss)

9. Click near the line perpendicular to the truss you want drawn on
the plan so that the height of the truss can be calculated else
press the spacebar if you want a facing truss or a facing and side
truss drawn. If you specify the truss height AllyCAD will return
to the start of the function and you can start another cross
section or exit the function otherwise AllyCAD will prompt:
Select facing truss for facing and side truss (else spacebar
for facing truss only)

10. Click on the plan view near the roof line which represents the
facing truss in the cross secion or press the spacebar if your

11-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 cross section contains a facing gable only. If you pressed the
spacebar AllyCAD will draw a facing gable over the entire cross
section and return to the original prompt (step 3).
If you clicked near the facing gable roof line AllyCAD will
calculate whether you have a side gable on the side closest to the
start of the cross section on the and give the prompt shown in
step 11.
If AllyCAD calculates that you have a side gable furtherest from
the start of the cross section it will give the prompt shown in step
12.
Select close side truss height (else spacebar for
default(facing) height)

The cursor in the figure below indicates the place where the user
must click to indicate the close side truss height

11. Click near the line perpendicular to the truss you have selected
closest to the start of the cross section on the plan so that side
truss height can be calculated otherwise if you press the
spacebar the side truss will have the same height as facing gable.

Perimeter Menu 11-41

 AllyCAD will draw the truss and return to original prompt (step
3) and you can start another cross section or exit the function.
Select far side truss height (else spacebar for
default(facing) height)

The cursor in the figure below indicates the place where the user
must click to indicate the far side truss height.

12. Click near the line perpendicular to the truss you have selected
furtherest from the start of the cross section on the plan so that
side truss height can be calculated otherwise if you press the
spacebar the side truss will have the same height as facing gable.
AllyCAD will draw the truss and return to original prompt (step
3) and you can start another cross section or exit the function.

11-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The figure below shows the different options available when drawing
truss cross sections. The trusses were created drawing a horizontal
cross section from left to right.
They are (starting clockwise from the top left):
• A truss with a facing and far side gable,
• A truss with facing , close side and far side gable,
• A truss with a side gable only,
• A truss with a facing gable only
• A truss with a facing and close side gable.

The terms close and far refer points closer or farther from the cross
section starting point on the plan view.

Perimeter Menu 11-43

Drawing Stairs
Draw elevations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Architectural

This function is used to add plan and elevations of staircase to the

existing drawing.

Procedure

When you select the draw stairs function from the toolbar or menu,
the Stairs Setup Dialog will be displayed:

The stairs setup dialog consists of three tabbed pages: general,

railings and treads. These are discussed in detail in Stairs Setup
Dialog
Select the drawing pen colour, linetype, layers and arrow head
dimension on the general page. Select a railing from the drop-down
list, or fill in the relevant data on the railings page and select a tread
from the drop-down list, or fill in the relevant data on the treads
page.

11-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Before closing the dialog select the stair type. If you want straight
stair section drawn select the straight section button or if you want
landings drawn select the landing button. These choices are
discussed in detail below:

Drawing Straight Stair Sections:

To draw stair straight sections select the straight section stair type on
the general setup page. On the railing setup page select a railing from
the drop-down list or fill in the relevant data. On the treads setup
page select a tread from the drop-down list or fill in the relevant
data. The treads setup page is only used when drawing straight
sections and is shown below:

Firstly measure length needed for staircase in the plan view and the
height needed for the straight section in the elevation which you are
going to place the stair section. Make the necessary adjustments in
the treads setup page by adjusting the number of treads, rise, going
and tread width and checking that the staircase length and height
correspond to the length and height you have just measure in the
plan and elevation views.
Once you click the OK button on the Stairs Setup Dialog. AllyCAD
will give the following prompt:
Indicate base of staircase on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Perimeter Menu 11-45

If you are drawing a plan view of a straight section, indicate the
position of the base of the staircase on the plan view. If you are
drawing a elevation indicate the position of the base of the staircase
on the existing straight section plan view. Press the spacebar if you
want to exit the function. Once you have indicated the base of the
staircase AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate direction of top of staircase on plan (else
spacebar to exit)

The cursor will now locked in ortho hold mode. Indicate the direction
you want the staircase drawn by moving in this direction away from
the staircase base point and click on the drawing otherwise press the
spacebar if you want to exit the function. Once you have indicated
the direction you want the staircase drawn AllyCAD will give the
following prompt:
Indicate base of staircase on elevation (else spacebar for
plan)

The cursor will jump to the base of the staircase on the plan and will
still be locked in ortho hold mode. If you want to draw a plan view
press the spacebar and a plan view of the straight section will be
drawn. If you want to draw an elevation indicate the place in the
elevation where you want the base of the staircase placed and an
elevation view of the straight section will be drawn. A plan and
elevation view of the straight section is shown in the figure below.
Once the elevation and plan views have been drawn AllyCAD will
return to original prompt (step 4) and you can start another staircase
view or exit the function.
The figure on the left shows a
plan view of a straight section.
The blue arrow indicates the
base of the staircase on the
plan and the black arrow
shows the direction of the
staircase.

11-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 The figure on the left shows an
elevation view of a straight
section.
The elevation is drawn upside
down so that it has the correct
orientation in the existing
elevations of the drawing.

AllyCAD automatically inserts the staircase into the correct layer

(specified in the dialog).

Drawing Landings:

There are 3 types of landing dimensions and shapes are specified on

the drawing plan view, viz. U-shaped, L-shaped and Z-shaped
landings.
To draw stair straight sections select the landing stair type on the
general setup page. On the railing setup page select a railing from the
drop-down list or fill in the relevant data. Only the tread width on the
tread setup page is used to draw landings.

The landing dimensions are specified by clicking on the plan view of

the drawing not on the dialog as for the straight sections.

Once you click the OK button on the Stairs Setup Dialog. AllyCAD
will give the following prompt:
Indicate start of landing on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate the start of the landing on the plan otherwise press the
spacebar to exit the function. If you click on the drawing to indicate
the start of the landing AllyCAD will give the following prompt:
Indicate corner of the landing on plan (else spacebar to
exit)

Perimeter Menu 11-47

Indicate the corner of the landing on the plan otherwise press the
spacebar to exit the function. If you click on the drawing to indicate
the corner of the landing AllyCAD will give the following prompt:
Indicate end of landing on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate the end of the landing on the plan otherwise press the
spacebar to exit the function. Depending on where you click in
relation to the start and end points of the landing AllyCAD will draw
either U-shaped, L-shaped and Z-shaped plan view of the landing. If
you click on the drawing to indicate the end of the landing AllyCAD
will give the following prompt:
Indicate base of landing on elevation (else spacebar for
plan)

The cursor will jump to the base of the staircase on the plan and will
still be locked in ortho hold mode. If you want to draw a plan view
press the spacebar and a plan view of the landing will be drawn. If
you want to draw an elevation view, indicate the place in the
elevation where you want the base of the staircase placed and an
elevation view of the landing will be drawn. Once the elevation and
plan views have been drawn AllyCAD will return to the original
prompt (step 4) and you can start another staircase view or exit the
function.

AllyCAD automatically inserts the staircase into the correct layer

(specified in the dialog).

11-48 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The figures below show the U, L and Z-shaped landing plan views
with their corresponding south elevations.

The elevation is drawn upside down so that it has the correct

orientation in the existing views of the drawing.

U-shape landing
The figure on the left shows a U-
shape landing with its corresponding
elevation in the south view.
The labels s,c and e indicate the
points in the plan view where the
user specified the start, corner and
end points respectively.

L-shape landing
The figure on the left shows a L-shape
landing with its corresponding
elevation in the south view.
The labels s,c and e indicate the
points in the plan view where the
user specified the start, corner and
end points respectively.

Perimeter Menu 11-49

 Z-shaped landing
The figure on the left shows and Z-
shape landing with its corresponding
elevation in the south view.
The labels s,c and e indicate the
points in the plan view where the
user specified the start, corner and
end points respectively.

11-50 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Civils Toolkit
The Civils ToolKit lets you draw cut and fill bank
lines between two lines or arcs with a couple of
clicks, and can be used to draw a pipe network
layout very quickly.

Perimeter Menu 11-51

Cut and Fill Lines
Draw cut and fill bank lines

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Civil

This tool draws cut and fill lines between two straight lines or two
arcs.

Between Lines Between Arcs

Procedure
AllyCAD will display the following list of options:

Lines Add cut/fill lines between an existing shoulder line and an

existing toe line.
Arcs Add cut/fill lines between an existing shoulder arc and an existing
toe arc.
Set Defaults Set the layer, pens, line spacing and ratio of short bank line to
long bank line.
Exit Terminate the funcion.

Lines
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate shoulder line (Spacebar to cancel)

Select the shoulder line with the cursor. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate toe line (Spacebar to cancel)

Select the toe line with the cursor. The bank lines will be drawn
according to the current cut and fill settings.

Arcs
AllyCAD will prompt:

11-52 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Indicate shoulder arc (Spacebar to cancel)

Select the shoulder arc with the cursor. AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate toe arc (Spacebar to cancel)

Select the toe arc with the cursor. The bank lines will be drawn
according to the current cut and fill settings.

Perimeter Menu 11-53

Sewer Capture Toolkit
Draw sewer manholes and pipes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Civil

This function is a tool to draw manholes with connecting pipes with

labels for the manholes. You are able to offset the manholes from
existing lines in the drawing.

Procedure
AllyCAD will ask:
Use current defaults? (else set defaults)

Select Yes to set the defaults or No to use the existing settings. Refer
to the Set Defaults section for more details.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Pick or add a layer for the manholes and pipes

Select or create a layer from the Layer Settings dialog. Set the layer
to be the Current Layer.
AllyCAD will prompt:

11-54 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Indicate position for first manhole on correct side of
boundary

Click on the correct side of the boundary line where you would like
the manhole to be placed. The cursor will snap to the boundary line
at this point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Press left or right arrow key - enter offset - enter manhole
position

The left or right arrow indicates the direction of offset. Enter the
distance for the offset and press [Enter]. Press [Enter] again to fix the
point where the manhole will be placed.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter name for first manhole

Enter a name for the first manhole e.g. a typical manhole name will
be “MH 123”.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position for manhole label (spaceber for no label)

If you would like a label and arrow pointing to the manhole, indicate
the cursor position with you would like the manhole label to be
placed. Otherwise press the [Spacebar] if you don't want annotation.
If you place a label proceed AllyCAD will ask:
Add an arrow?

If you want to add an arrow pointing from the label to the manhole
select Yes. AllyCAD will ask you to indicate the tail and then the
head of the arrow in the following two prompts:
Indicate position for tail of arrow

Indicate the position of the tail of the arrow.

Indicate position for arrow head

Indicate the arrowhead position.

Now AllyCAD will ask you to define the position of the next manhole
with the prompt:
Indicate next manhole position on correct side of boundary
(spacebar to exit)

Indicate the position of the next manhole and repeat the previous
steps. As you insert the next manhole a pipe will be inserted between
the two manholes. The pattern naming convention is as follows:

Perimeter Menu 11-55

"PIPE 123_124", where "123" is the suffix for the first manhole and
"124" is the suffix for the second manhole.
Press [Spacebar] to terminate the function.

Set Defaults
AllyCAD will ask for the following information:
Enter manhole diameter

Enter the diameter of the manhole in current units.

Enter manhole pen

Enter manhole pen color.

Enter pipe line type

Enter line type for pipe.

Enter pipe pen

Enter pen for pipe.

Enter manhole parent name

Enter parent name of manhole.

Enter pipe parent name

Enter parent name for pipe.

Enter manhole label text height (in mm)

Enter text height for the manhole label.

Enter manhole label text pen

Enter pen color for manhole label.

Add manhole label text bubble?

Select Yes to add a text bubble (circle) to the manhole label. Select
No to just add the manhole label.

11-56 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Mechanical Toolkit
The Mechanical Toolkit speeds up the drawing
of common mechanical components (such as
bolts, nuts and screws), and provides
functions for annotating welds, tolerances and
surface finishes. It also provides functions for
generating tables of coordinate, part, and
general information.

Please make sure that the drawing units are set to “mm”
(millimeters) before using the mechanical toolkit functions.

Perimeter Menu 11-57

Setup
Set up the common settings for the Mechanical Toolkit

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

This option allows the user to customize the appearance of bolts,

nuts and other mechanical toolkit components. This is especially
useful where industry or project standards must be followed.

Procedure
Select Setup from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. AllyCAD will display
the Mechanical Toolkit Setup dialog:

You can set the line colours and styles with which the mechanical
toolkit components will be drawn. The colours and styles for Solid
lines (outlines), Hidden lines and Center lines are specified
separately.
All configuration data for the Mechanical Toolkit is stored in a
“configuration file”. This is usually “ISO Mechspecs.ini” in your
AllyCAD user directory. The Mechanical Toolkit will not function if
this file is missing or incorrectly specified. It is advisable to make a
backup copy of this file before changing any Mechanical Toolkit
settings.
Should you have an alternative configuration file that you wish to
use with the Mechanical Toolkit, then click on the browse button […]
to specify it.
You can also set defaults for the mechanical toolkit annotation
functions (welding, tolerance and surface finish), by clicking on the
Annotation Setup button, which will display the Annotation Setup
dialog:

11-58 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Use this dialog to set the relative size of weld, tolerance and surface
finish annotations to your preferences.
The names of layers that the annotations will be drawn on are also
specified here. The layers will be created as needed when you draw
annotations. The annotations will be drawn using ByLayer colour, so
to change the colour of, for instance, your surface finish annotations,
you must change the colour of the surface finish layer using the
Layer Settings dialog.
The length and width of the leader arrowhead used by the weld
annotation is also configurable here.

Perimeter Menu 11-59

Hex Head Bolts
Draw Hex head bolts in side or plan view

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Draw side or plan views of hexagonal bolts of a specified diameter

and length. You may define your own bolts and save them for later
re-use. You may also draw multiple equispaced copies of the bolt in
one operation, spaced linearly or radially.

Side View Plan View

Procedure
Select Fasteners ► Hex Bolts in the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
The Hex Bolts dialog will be displayed:

Select a predefined bolt from the drop-down list at the top-left of the
dialog, or change the bolt dimensions to your needs.

11-60 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Select which view of the bolt you wish to draw (top view, side view, or
both views), and which linetype to use for the head and shaft of the
bolt.
If you wish to draw multiple copies of the bolt, then specify a Repeat
Number greater than 1 (but less than 1000). Choose whether to
repeat the bolt linearly or radially (polar), and specify the repeat
interval. In the case of a radial (polar) repeat, select whether the
spacing interval refers to the PCD (pitch circle diameter) of the circle
on whose circumference the bolts will be drawn (“PCD” option), or
just the spacing between the bolt centers (“Spacing” option).
You may add your own bolt definitions by clicking on the Add button,
and then entering the relevant bolt measurements. The bolt
definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another bolt
definition from the list.

If you modify an existing bolt definition, you will be asked to save it.
Select No to avoid overwriting the original bolt definition.

To draw the bolt, click on OK. If you have ticked the option to draw
the side view, AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the bolt position on the thread side of a line
(else spacebar to stop)

Indicate the position of the bolt side view. If the position indicated is
near a line, the bolt will be drawn aligned with that line, on the side
of the line that you have indicated.
If you have ticked the option to draw the plan (top) view, AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate the bolt centre for the plan view (else spacebar to
stop)

Indicate the position of the bolt plan view. AllyCAD will then ask:
Indicate point on bolt center line (spacebar to stop)

The bolt plan view will be rotated so that it’s center line goes through
the point you indicated. If you indicate the same point as the plan
view position, it will not be rotated.

Perimeter Menu 11-61

Hex Nuts
Draw Hex nuts in side or plan view

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Draw side or plan views of hexagonal nuts

Side View Plan View

Procedure
Select Fasteners ► Hex Nuts from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. The
Hex Nuts dialog will be displayed:

Select a predefined nut from the drop-down list at the top-left of the
dialog, or change the nut dimensions to your needs.
Select which view of the nut you wish to draw (top view, side view, or
both views), and which linetype to use for each view of the nut.

11-62 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If you wish to draw multiple copies of the nut, then specify a Repeat
Number greater than 1 (but less than 1000). Choose whether to
repeat the nut linearly or radially (polar), and specify the repeat
interval. In the case of a radial (polar) repeat, select whether the
spacing interval refers to the PCD (pitch circle diameter) of the circle
on whose circumference the nuts will be drawn (“PCD” option), or
just the spacing between the nut centers (“Spacing” option).
You may add your own nut definitions by clicking on the Add button,
and then entering the relevant nut measurements. The nut definition
will be saved when you click on OK, or select another nut definition
from the list.

If you modify an existing nut definition, you will be asked to save it.
Select No to avoid overwriting the original nut definition.

To draw the nut, click on OK. If you have ticked the option to draw
the side view, AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the nut position on the thread side of a line (else
spacebar to stop)

Indicate the position of the nut side view. If the position indicated is
near a line, the nut will be drawn aligned with that line, on the side
of the line that you have indicated.
If you have ticked the option to draw the plan (top) view, AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate the nut centre for the plan view (else spacebar to
stop)

Indicate the position of the nut plan view. AllyCAD will then ask:
Indicate point on nut center line (spacebar to stop)

The nut plan view will be rotated so that it’s center line goes through
the point you indicated. If you indicate the same point as the plan
view position, it will not be rotated.

Perimeter Menu 11-63

Socket Screws
Draw socket (cap) screws in side or plan view

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Draws various types of cap screw in side or plan view at any angle.
The dimensions for drawing the screws are stored in an editable text
file.

Plain Cap Screw

Side View Plan View

Low Head Cap Screw

Side View Plan View

Shoulder Cap Screw

Side View Plan View

Flat Head Cap Screw

Side View Plan View

11-64 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Procedure
Select Fasteners ► Socket Screws from the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
AllyCAD will display the Socket Screws dialog:

Select a predefined screw from the drop-down list at the top-left of

the dialog, or change the screw dimensions to your needs.
Select which view of the screw you wish to draw (top view, side view,
or both views), and which linetype to use for the head and shaft of
the screw.
If you wish to draw multiple copies of the screw, then specify a
Repeat Number greater than 1 (but less than 1000). Choose whether
to repeat the screw linearly or radially (polar), and specify the repeat
interval. In the case of a radial (polar) repeat, select whether the
spacing interval refers to the PCD (pitch circle diameter) of the circle
on whose circumference the screws will be drawn (“PCD” option), or
just the spacing between the screw centers (“Spacing” option).
You may add your own screw definitions by clicking on the Add
button, and then entering the relevant screw measurements. The
screw definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another
screw definition from the list.

If you modify an existing screw definition, you will be asked to save

it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original screw definition.

Perimeter Menu 11-65

To draw the screw, click on OK. If you have ticked the option to draw
the side view, AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the screw position on the thread side of a line
(else spacebar to stop)

Indicate the position of the screw side view. If the position indicated
is near a line, the screw will be drawn aligned with that line, on the
side of the screw that you have indicated.
If you have ticked the option to draw the plan (top) view, AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate the screw centre for the plan view (else spacebar
to stop)

Indicate the position of the screw plan view. AllyCAD will then ask:
Indicate point on screw center line (spacebar to stop)

The screw plan view will be rotated so that it’s center line goes
through the point you indicated. If you indicate the same point as
the plan view position, it will not be rotated.

11-66 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rivets
Draw rivets in side or plan view

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Draws various types of rivet in side or plan view at any angle. The
dimensions for drawing the rivet are stored in an editable text file.

Snap Head

Side View

Pan Head

Side View

Mushroom Head

Side View

Flat Head

Side View

Perimeter Menu 11-67

Countersunk Head

Side View

Procedure
Select Fasteners ► Rivets from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. AllyCAD
will display the Rivets dialog:

Select a predefined rivet from the drop-down list at the top-left of the
dialog, or change the rivet dimensions to your needs.
Select which view of the rivet you wish to draw (top view, side view,
or both views), and which linetype to use for the head and shaft of
the rivet.
If you wish to draw multiple copies of the rivet, then specify a Repeat
Number greater than 1 (but less than 1000). Choose whether to
repeat the rivet linearly or radially (polar), and specify the repeat
interval. In the case of a radial (polar) repeat, select whether the
spacing interval refers to the PCD (pitch circle diameter) of the circle
on whose circumference the rivets will be drawn (“PCD” option), or
just the spacing between the rivet centers (“Spacing” option).

11-68 AllyCAD Reference Manual

You may add your own rivet definitions by clicking on the Add
button, and then entering the relevant rivet measurements. The rivet
definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another rivet
definition from the list.

If you modify an existing rivet definition, you will be asked to save

it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original rivet definition.

To draw the rivet, click on OK. If you have ticked the option to draw
the side view, AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the rivet position on the thread side of a line
(else spacebar to stop)

Indicate the position of the rivet side view. If the position indicated is
near a line, the rivet will be drawn aligned with that line, on the side
of the rivet that you have indicated.
If you have ticked the option to draw the plan (top) view, AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate the rivet centre for the plan view (else spacebar
to stop)

Indicate the position of the rivet plan view. AllyCAD will then ask:
Indicate point on rivet centre line (spacebar to stop)

The rivet plan view will be rotated so that it’s center line goes
through the point you indicated. If you indicate the same point as
the plan view position, it will not be rotated.

Perimeter Menu 11-69

Drilled Holes
Draw a side or plan view of a drilled hole

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Mechanical

Draws side and plan views of through or blind drilled holes of any
diameter at any angle. Tapped holes may also be drawn.

Procedure
Select Drill Holes from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. AllyCAD will
display the Drilled Holes dialog:

Select a predefined drilled hole from the drop-down list at the top-left
of the dialog, or change the drilled hole parameters to your needs.

To specify a countersunk hole

Enter a non-zero value for the “Countersink depth”, and set
“Counterbore dia” to zero.

To specify a counterbored hole

Enter the diameter of the counterbore in “Counterbore dia”, and enter
the depth of the counterbore in “Countersink depth”.

11-70 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Select which view of the hole you wish to draw (top view, side view,
or both views), and which linetype to use for the side view and top
view of the hole.
If you wish to draw multiple copies of the hole, then specify a Repeat
Number greater than 1 (but less than 1000). Choose whether to
repeat the hole linearly or radially (polar), and specify the repeat
interval. In the case of a radial (polar) repeat, select whether the
spacing interval refers to the PCD (pitch circle diameter) of the circle
on whose circumference the holes will be drawn (“PCD” option), or
just the spacing between the hole centers (“Spacing” option).
You may add your own hole definitions by clicking on the Add button,
and then entering the relevant hole measurements. The rivet hole
definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another hole
definition from the list.

If you modify an existing hole definition, you will be asked to save

it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original hole definition.

To draw the drilled hole, click on OK. If you have ticked the option to
draw the side view, AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the hole position on the shaft side side of a line
(else spacebar to stop)

Indicate the position of the drilled hole side view. If the position
indicated is near a line, the drilled hole will be drawn aligned
perpendicular to that line, on the side of the line+ that you have
indicated.

Drilled Hole Side View

Through Hole Blind Hole

Perimeter Menu 11-71

If you have ticked the option to draw the plan (top) view, AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate the hole centre for the plan view (else spacebar to
stop)

Indicate the position of the drilled hole plan view. AllyCAD will then
ask:
Indicate point on hole center line (spacebar to stop)

The drilled hole plan view will be rotated so that it’s center line goes
through the point you indicated. If you indicate the same point as
the plan view position, it will not be rotated.

Drilled Hole Plan View

11-72 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Draw Slots
Draws a plan view of a slot

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Mechanical

Procedure
Select Draw Slots from the Mechanical Toolkit menu, or right-click on
the “Holes” icon in the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter the length, width and rotation of the slot

Type in the length, width, and rotation of the slot separated by

spaces. The length specified must be the total length of the slot, not
the distance between centerlines. The rotation must be specified in
degrees.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Do you want to draw the slot with centerlines?

Click on “Yes” if you want the slot to be drawn with centerlines, or

“No” if you do not want centerlines to be drawn.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Click to place the slot (spacebar to exit)

Use the mouse to indicate where you want to place the slot on your
drawing. The “left hand” centre of the slot will be aligned with the
indicated position.
The slot will be drawn on the current layer using the current pen and
linetype.
You will be repeatedly asked to place the slot until you press [Space
Bar].

Perimeter Menu 11-73

Concentric Circles with Centre Lines
Draw multiple concentric circles with centre lines

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Mechanical

Draw any number of concentric circles with a center line cross.

Procedure
Select Draw Circles + CL from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. AllyCAD
will prompt:
Enter circle diameters with spaces between

Enter the circle(s) diameters with a space between each of them (eg:
“20 35 64”).
Enter circle centre for plan view (space bar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor the position of the circle(s) centre. AllyCAD
will now prompt:
Enter a point on the circle centre line (space bar to exit)

Indicate a point through which the circle center line will run. To
avoid rotating the center line, click on the same spot you did when
indicating the circle center.
The circles are drawn on the current layer, using the Solid linetype
and colour as defined in the Mechanical Toolkit Setup dialog.
The centerlines are drawn on the current layer, using the Centreline
linetype and colour as defined in the Mechanical Toolkit Setup
dialog.

11-74 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Add CL to Circle
Adds centerlines to existing circles or arcs in the drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Mechanical Shift “+”

Procedure
Select Add CL to Circle from the Mechanical Toolkit menu, or right-
click the “Concentric circles with CL” icon in the Mechanical Toolkit
toolbar, or press “+” on the numeric keypad while holding down
“Shift”.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Click on the circle you want to add centre lines to
(spacebar to exit)

Use the mouse to indicate the circle or arc which must receive the
centrelines.
The centerlines are drawn on the current layer, using the Centre Line
linetype and colour defined in the Mechanical Toolkit Setup dialog.
This function repeats until the [Space Bar] is pressed.

Perimeter Menu 11-75

Shafts
Draws a side view of user-defined shafts

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Shaft definitions may be saved for later re-use.

Tip: Use the Concentric circles function to generate an axial view of a
shaft.

Procedure
Select Draw Shafts from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. The shaft dialog
will be displayed:

Select a pre-defined shaft from the drop-down list, or specify your

own parameters.
The shaft is split up into a variable number of “sections”. The length,
diameter, left trim and right trim for each section must be specified.
The “trim” can be either a fillet or a chamfer. If you do not wish to
have a left or a right trim for a specific section, enter a value of 0
(zero) for the relevant trim in that section.
The left and right ends of the shaft may be specified as “open-ended”
by selecting or deselecting the relevant “Open End” checkboxes.

11-76 AllyCAD Reference Manual

To insert a new shaft section, right-click on the row before which
you wish to insert a section, and select “Insert a section”.
To delete a shaft section, right-click on the row which you want to
remove and select “Delete this section”.
You may add your own shaft definitions by clicking on the Add
button, and then entering the relevant shaft measurements. The
shaft definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another
shaft definition from the list.

If you modify an existing shaft definition, you will be asked to save

it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original shaft definition.
The “EMPTY_SHAFT” definition is intended as a template for
creating your own shafts from scratch. You cannot overwrite it.

Click OK to draw the shaft.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter center left point of shaft (spacebar to exit)

Indicate the location of the shafts left center point.

Enter a point on the shaft’s center line (spacebar to exit)

Indicate a point through which the shaft’s center line will run. To
avoid rotating the shaft, click on the same spot you did when
indicating the shaft center left point.

Perimeter Menu 11-77

Gears
Draw spur gears with optional center hole and keyway

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Gear definitions may be saved for later re-use.

Procedure
Select Draw Gears from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. The gears dialog
will be displayed:

Select a pre-defined gear from the drop-down list, or specify your

own parameters.
If you specify a shaft diameter of 0 (zero), then the shaft and keyway
will not be drawn.
If you specify a key width of 0 (zero), then the keyway will not be
drawn.
You may add your own gear definitions by clicking on the Add
button, and then entering the relevant gear measurements. The gear
definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another gear
definition from the list.

If you modify an existing gear definition, you will be asked to save

it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original gear definition.

Click OK to draw the gear.

11-78 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter center point of gear (spacebar to exit)

Indicate the location of the gear centre.

Perimeter Menu 11-79

Links
Draw one of three types of mechanical links

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Link definitions may be saved for later re-use.

Procedure
Select Draw Links from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. The links dialog
will be displayed:

Select a pre-defined link from the drop-down list, or specify your own
parameters.
You may add your own link definitions by clicking on the Add button,
and then entering the relevant link measurements. The link
definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another link
definition from the list.

If you modify an existing link definition, you will be asked to save it.
Select No to avoid overwriting the original link definition.

Click OK to draw the link.

11-80 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter left center point of link (spacebar to exit)

Indicate the location of the link’s left hole centre.

Enter a point on the link centre line (space bar to exit)

Indicate a point through which the link’s center line will run. To
avoid rotating the link, click on the same spot you did when
indicating the link center.

Perimeter Menu 11-81

Flanges
Draw 2-hole, 3-hole or n-hole flanges

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Draw various flanges. Flange definitions may be saved for re-use.

Procedure
Select Draw Flanges from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. The flanges
dialog will be displayed:

Select a pre-defined flange from the drop-down list, or specify your

own parameters.
You may add your own flange definitions by clicking on the Add
button, and then entering the relevant flange measurements. The
flange definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select
another flange definition from the list.

If you modify an existing flange definition, you will be asked to save

it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original flange definition.

Click OK to draw the flange.

11-82 AllyCAD Reference Manual
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter center point of flange (spacebar to exit)

Indicate the location of the flange centre.

Enter a point on the flange centre line (space bar to exit)

Indicate a point through which the flange’s center line will run. To
avoid rotating the flange, click on the same spot you did when
indicating the flange center.

Perimeter Menu 11-83

Rect to Round Duct
Draw and develop a rectangular to round duct

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

This tool draws front, plan, end and development views of rectangle
to a round duct:

20.0
OR=
75.0

END

PLAN

s y
t x
u v w

z
r
50.0

SIDE PATTERN

o p

100.0

Procedure
Select Rect to Round Duct from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. AllyCAD
will display this dialog:

11-84 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Enter the relevant dimensions in this dialog, and click on OK.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Position cursor at lower left of drawing

Indicate where you would like the drawing to be placed.

Perimeter Menu 11-85

Coordinate Table
Generate and draw a table of coordinates.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

The table of coordinates may be saved as a text (.CSV) file.

Procedure
Select Draw Tables ► Coord Table from the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
The coordinate table dialog will be displayed:

Set the options you want for this coordinate table:

• Tick “Include diameter” if you want the “Diameter” column to
be drawn
• Tick “Draw frame” if you want a frame to be drawn around
your coordinate table
• Specify the number of decimal places (0 to 6) to display for
the coordinates
Click on Add Coords. You will be taken back to the drawing, and
asked to specify the individual coordinates and their respective
labels. Use the CAD “jump” functions to accurately specify
coordinates.
If the coordinate is at the center of a circle (eg: a hole), that circle’s
diameter will be associated with the coordinate.

11-86 AllyCAD Reference Manual

When you have finished adding coordinates, press the spacebar to
return to the dialog.
You will see the coordinates tabulated in the dialog. Adjust the
column widths to your satisfaction by dragging the column
separators.
Click OK to draw the coordinate table. You will first be asked if you
want to save the coordinate table to a file, and if so you will be asked
for the path to save to file to.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Click to place coordinate table

Indicate the location of the top left corner of the coordinate table.
The table will be drawn as a grouped object called “COORD_TABLE”,
so you will be able to reposition it as one entity by dragging it with
the mouse.
Notes:
• The frame for the coord table is drawn in the current pen
colour
• The text in the coord table is drawn using the font, size and
colour of the current “text defaults”.

Perimeter Menu 11-87

Parts List Table
Generate and draw a table of part information.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

The parts list may be saved as a text (.CSV) file.

Procedure
Select Draw Tables ► Parts List from the Mechanical Toolkit menu. The
parts list dialog will be displayed:

Set the options you want for this parts list:

• Tick “Draw frame” if you want a frame to be drawn around
your parts list table
If you require more columns for your part list, click on the “Add
Column” button. You will be prompted to enter a name for the new
column. You may add up to 8 columns.
Once you are happy with your columns, click on the “Add Parts”
Button. You will be taken back to the drawing, and asked to indicate
the individual part’s labels, and prompted to enter a text value for
the description of each part, as well as a text value for each of the
other columns you have added.
When you have finished adding parts, press the spacebar to return
to the dialog.

11-88 AllyCAD Reference Manual

You will see the parts list displayed in the dialog. Adjust the column
widths to your satisfaction by dragging the column separators.
Click OK to draw the parts list table. You will first be asked if you
want to save the parts list to a file, and if so you will be asked for the
path to save to file to.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Click to place parts table

Indicate the location of the top left corner of the parts table.

The table will be drawn as a grouped object called “PART_LIST”, so

you will be able to reposition it as one entity by dragging it with the
mouse:

Example parts list table output

Notes:
• The frame for the parts list table is drawn in the current pen
colour
• The text in the parts list table is drawn using the font, size
and colour of the current “text defaults”.

Perimeter Menu 11-89

User Table
Generate and draw a general-purpose table of data.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

The user table is a flexible tool which may be used to create and
display tabular data with an arbitrary number of rows or columns.
Data may be imported from text files (.CSV). Data may also be
exported as CSV files.

Procedure
Select Draw Tables ► User Table from the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
The user table dialog will be displayed:

The actions available from the dialog’s menu are:

• Import data from a CSV (text) file.

• Export the data in the grid to a CSV (text) file.

• Remove excess columns (empty) from the RHS of the grid.

• Remove excess rows (empty) from the bottom of the grid.

• Clear all data from the grid.

Columns may be inserted or deleted by right-clicking on the first
row.

11-90 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rows may be inserted or deleted by right-clicking on the first
column.
Use the “Add Column” button to add a column to the RHS of the grid.
Use the “Add Row” button to add a row to the bottom of the grid.
The contents of each “cell” in the grid may be edited by double-
clicking the particular cell.
In addition, you may use the clipboard to copy data from a text file
(comma or tab delimited) or a spreadsheet, and then paste it into the
grid, like so:
1. In your text file or spreadsheet, select the range of data that
you want to copy. Click on the right mouse button and select
“Copy”. The data you have selected is copied to the Windows
Clipboard.
2. Go back to the User Table Dialog, and click once on the grid
cell that will become the top left cell of the pasted data.
3. Right-click on this same cell, and select “Paste Clipboard
Data”. The data will appear in the grid.
Click OK to draw the user table. You will not be prompted to save the
data in the grid, so make sure you have already exported it if you
need to save a copy of the data.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Click to place table

Indicate the location of the top left corner of the table.

The table will be drawn as a grouped object called “USER_TABLE”, so
you will be able to reposition it as one entity by dragging it with the
mouse:

Example user table output

Notes:

Perimeter Menu 11-91

 • The frame for the user table is drawn in the current pen
colour
• The text in the user table is drawn using the font, size and
colour of the current “text defaults”.

Annotate Welds
Draw weld specification annotations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

Commonly-used weld annotations may be saved for later re-use.

Procedure
Select Annotate ► Welds in the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
The Weld Annotation dialog will be displayed:

Select a predefined weld annotation from the drop-down list at the

top-left of the dialog, or change the weld annotation specs to your
needs.
You may add your own weld definitions by clicking on the Add
button, and then entering the relevant weld measurements. The weld
definition will be saved when you click on OK, or select another weld
definition from the list.

11-92 AllyCAD Reference Manual

If you modify an existing weld definition, you will be asked to save
it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original weld definition.

To draw the weld annotation, click on OK. AllyCAD will prompt:

Indicate the arrow head position for the Weld indicator

Indicate the position of the arrow tip of the annotation. AllyCAD will
prompt:
Indicate the position of the Weld indicator

Indicate the position of the beginning of the horizontal portion of the

annotation. AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the position of the weld symbol

Indicate where the weld symbols will be placed, on the same

horizontal as the weld indicator.
Indicate the position of tail

Indicate where the tail of the weld annotation will be placed, on the
same horizontal as the weld indicator.

Configuring Weld Annotations

The relative size of the weld annotation text, symbols, and arrow
head can be customized in the Annotation Setup dialog, which can
be accessed by clicking on Weld Setup in the Weld Annotation dialog
above. The layer that weld annotations will be drawn on can also be
specified there.
To change the font face used to draw the text in the weld
annotations, edit the Mechanical Toolkit configuration file (usually
“ISO Mechspecs.ini” in your AllyCAD user directory, and change the
setting called “WeldFont”.

Perimeter Menu 11-93

Annotate Tolerances
Draw geometric tolerance “feature control” annotations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

This function is used to create geometric tolerance annotations.

Procedure
Select Annotate ► Tolerances in the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
The Tolerance Annotation dialog will be displayed:

Create a “feature control” frame by selecting the required symbols

and entering the necessary data. A preview of what the feature
control frame will look like is shown in the preview window.
To draw the tolerance annotation, click on OK. AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the position of the tolerance annotation

Indicate the position where the bottom left of the first line of the
annotation will be placed.

Configuring Tolerance Annotations

The relative size of the tolerance annotation text and symbols, and
the layer that tolerance annotations will be drawn on, can be
customized in the Annotation Setup dialog. To get to the Annotation
Setup dialog, select Setup in the Mechanical Toolkit menu, then
clicking on the Annotation Setup button.
To change the font face used to draw the text in the tolerance
annotations, edit the Mechanical Toolkit configuration file (usually
“ISO Mechspecs.ini” in your AllyCAD user directory, and change the
setting called “ToleranceFont”.

11-94 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Annotate Surface Finishes
Draw surface finish annotations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Mechanical

This function allows you to annotate surface finish features of parts

in your drawing. Surface finish definitions may be saved for later re-
use.

Procedure
Select Annotate ► Surface Finish in the Mechanical Toolkit menu.
The Surface Finish Annotation dialog will be displayed:

Select a pre-defined surface finish annotation from the drop-down

list, or create a surface finish annotation by selecting the required
symbol and entering the necessary data. The horizontal extender line
will only be drawn if a note is specified, or if the roughness is
specified, or if a “lay direction” symbol is specified.
You may add your own surface finish definitions by clicking on the
Add button, and then entering the relevant surface finish
measurements. The surface finish definition will be saved when you
click on OK, or select another surface finish definition from the list.

Perimeter Menu 11-95

If you modify an existing surface finish definition, you will be asked
to save it. Select No to avoid overwriting the original surface finish
definition.

To draw the surface finish annotation, click on OK. AllyCAD will

prompt:
Indicate the position of the surface finish annotation

Indicate where to place the annotation.

Configuring Surface Finish Annotations

The relative size of the surface finish annotation text and symbols,
and the layer that surface finish annotations will be drawn on, can
be customized in the Annotation Setup dialog. To get to the
Annotation Setup dialog, select Setup in the Mechanical Toolkit
menu, then clicking on the Annotation Setup button.
To change the font face used to draw the text in the surface finish
annotations, edit the Mechanical Toolkit configuration file (usually
“ISO Mechspecs.ini” in your AllyCAD user directory, and change the
setting called “SurfaceFinishFont”.

11-96 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Structural Toolkit
The structural toolkit speeds up a number of
structural drawing functions such as:
• Drawing a building grid
• Adding column bases to the building grid
• Drawing structural steel sections

Perimeter Menu 11-97

Building Grid
Draw a building grid

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Structural
This function allows you to draw a building grid consisting of
foundations at horizontal and vertical intervals easily.

Procedure
AllyCAD will display the following options list:

Building Grid

1 2 3 4 5
5000.0 5000.0 5000.0 5000.0

A
3000.0

B
3000.0

C
3000.0

D
3000.0

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter first horizontal (x) spacing

Specify the distance between the first grid line and the second grid
line in user units. AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter next horizontal (x) spacing (0 to exit)

Specify the distance between the second grid line and the next grid
line in user units or enter 0 to exit. AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next horizontal (x) spacing (0 to exit)

11-98 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Specify the distance between subsequent grid lines enter 0 to exit.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter first vertical (y) spacing

Specify the distance between the first grid line and the second grid
line in user units. AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter next vertical (y) spacing (0 to exit)

Specify the distance between the second grid line and the next grid
line in user units or enter 0 to exit. AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next vertical (y) spacing (0 to exit)

Specify the distance between subsequent grid lines enter 0 to exit.

AllyCAD will now prompt:
Indicate top left hand corner of grid

Click on the drawing where you want the top left corner of the grid.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter vertical grid line offset above the top horizontal
line

Specify the vertical offset for the grid dimensions and grid line labels.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter horizontal grid line offset above the top vertical
line

Specify the horizontal offset for the grid dimensions and grid line
labels. The building grid will be drawn at the indicated position.

Perimeter Menu 11-99

Column Bases
This option draws a rectangular base and allows you to position the
bases on the building grid using the intersection snap mode.

1 2 3 4 5
5000.0 5000.0 5000.0 5000.0

A
3000.0

B
3000.0

C
3000.0

D
3000.0

AllyCAD will ask:

Enter length of base (0 to return to menu)

Specify the length of the base in user units. AllyCAD will then ask:
Enter width of base

Specify the width of the base in user units. AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter position of base centre (spacebar to enter new size)

The cursor will change to intersection snap mode. Simply click near
a grid intersection for the base to be drawn at that point.

Settings
AllyCAD will ask the following questions:
Enter drawing sheet size (0,1,2,3,4)

Specify the drawing size.

Enter drawing scale

Specify the drawing scale.

Enter linetype for grid

Specify the linetype for the grid centrelines.

Enter pen for grid

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Specify the pen for the grid centrelines.
Enter text height (mm)

Specify the text height for the grid labels in millimeters.

Enter text pen number

Specify the pen number for the grid labels.

Pick or create a layer from the following list and set as
CURRENT

Select or create a layer for the grid lines, labels and dimensions.

Perimeter Menu 11-101

Survey Toolkit
The Survey Toolkit speeds up the drawing of
common survey components (such as north
signs and grid crosses). It also provides a
means of importing, exporting and drawing
using external point data sets.

The SG Diagram, General Plan and Sectional

Plan suite of functions assist in the drawing of
plans typical to Land Surveyors.

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Street Numbers
Insert street numbers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\ap_streetnum"

This tool places street numbers either inside, outside or at the angle
to the boundary or horizontal.

Procedure

Street Numbers Write the street number horizontally or at the angle of

the boundary.
Place the cursor inside or outside the boundary line and
click.
Enter the street number (the street numbers increment
by the default value).
The street number is written at the selected position.

Perimeter Menu 11-103

Settings Current text settings are used except for the height and
pen.
Text settings are restored on exit.
Enter the text height
Enter the text pen.
Select layer to be used.
Enter text offset position from the boundary.
Enter the steps for numbering (eg 2 as numbers go 1 3
5 7 etc).
Help Select this option to launch this help topic.
Exit Exit the program.

11-104 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Coordinate Constant
Read file and add or remove constants

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\ap_constant"

This function allows you to add or subtract a constant from the

surveyor origin which is sent to a ini file.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
If the drawing has coordinates in Northing Easting order as in a
northern hemisphere coordinate system AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter vertical (Northing) constant

Enter the vertical (Northing) constant.

Enter horizontal (Easting) constant

Enter the horizontal (Easting) constant

If the drawing has coordinates in Easting Northing order as in a
southern hemisphere coordinate system AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter horizontal (Easting) constant

Enter the horizontal (Easting) constant

Enter vertical (Northing) constant

Enter the vertical (Northing) constant.

Add Constant? (else Subtract)

Select Yes to add the coordinate constant or No to subtract the

coordinate constant from the existing surveyor origin. AllyCAD will
display the following message when the surveyor coordinates have
been updated.
The coordinate values have been updated as instructed.

Perimeter Menu 11-105

Draw North Sign
Draws true north signs at selected positions on the drawing.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\ap_northsign"

This function draws a north sign with a bearing of 0 degrees.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
AllyCAD will then give the following prompt:
Use current defaults (else change defaults) ?

Select Yes to accept the current defaults else choose No to change

these defaults. If you select No AllyCAD will give the following
prompts:
Enter layer name

Enter the name of an existing layer or new layer you would like the
North sign inserted in. If a blank is left a default layer called
NORTH_SIGN will be created.
Enter height of north sign

Enter the height of the north sign.

Enter width of north sign mm

Enter the width of the north sign.

Enter pen number north sign

Enter the pen number for the north sign

Enter text height for true north sign (mm on paper)

Enter the text height in mm.

Enter text pen number

Enter the number of the text pen.

Indicate position of true north sign (else spacebar to exit)

11-106 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Indicate with the cursor the position where you would like the sign
placed, otherwise press the [SPACEBAR] to exit this function. The
cursor always indicates the top of the north sign regardless of
whether you are drawing in a southern or northern hemisphere
coordinate system.

Draw Grid Crosses

Insert survey coordinate grid

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\ap_gridcross"

This function draws single or multiple grid crosses with the option of
displaying horizontal and vertical coordinates on the cross.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
AllyCAD then will give the following prompt:
Use current defaults (else change defaults) ?

Select Yes to accept the current defaults else choose No to change

these defaults. If you select No AllyCAD will give the following
prompts:
Enter layer name

Enter the name of an existing layer or new layer you would like the
grid cross or crosses inserted in. If a blank is left a default layer
called GRID_CROSS will be created.
Enter length of grid cross

Enter the length of the grid cross in the drawings current units.
Enter pen number for cross

Enter the pen number for the grid cross

Coordinate values on grid (else none) ?

Perimeter Menu 11-107

Select Yes to add coordinate values to ends, else select No to for
none.
Enter text height for coordinates in mm

Enter the text height in mm for the coordinates displayed on the

coordinate cross
Enter text pen number

Enter the coordinate text pen number

AllyCAD will then give the following prompt:
Enter single grid cross (else multiple grid crosses) ?

Enter Yes for a single grid cross else select No for a multiple grid
cross. If Yes is selected AllyCAD will
If No is select AllyCAD will give the following prompts:
Enter horizontal spacing for crosses

Enter the horizontal spacing between the crosses.

Enter number of crosses horizontally

Enter the number of horizontal coordinate crosses you would like.

Enter vertical spacing for crosses

Enter the vertical spacing between the crosses.

Enter number of crosses vertically

Enter the number of vertical coordinate crosses you would like.

Indicate position of grid cross (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor the position on the drawing you would like
the grid cross to be placed. You can continue placing single or
multiple crosses with the same dimensions otherwise press the
spacebar to exit this function.

Import Points
Import coordinate points from a file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\loadcrd"

This function imports coordinate data from a file with a .dat

extension and displays the coordinate points on the drawing with

11-108 AllyCAD Reference Manual

point number and elevation. The user can then join the points, jump
to points, and add new points and export these points using the the
other functions in the survey menu.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
The format of the file is comma-delimited with the following data:
point number, horizontal coordinate, vertical coordinate, elevation
and point description. Elevation and point description are optional.
As soon as you start the function an open file dialog will pop up the
heading prompting you to select the .dat file containing the
coordinate points you wish to import. Browse for the file and press
the Open button.
Once the points have been imported as shown below AllyCAD will
prompt:
Recentre paper around points (else leave paper centre as is)
?

Select YES to recentre the paper around the current points,

otherwise select NO to leave the paper centre where it is.

Add Points
Add a coordinate point/s to the drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\addpt"

This function adds a coordinate point to the drawing. The point has
the same format as the import points function and can thus be used
by the other surveyor functions.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

Perimeter Menu 11-109

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system
in Drawing Settings
AllyCAD will then continuously prompt:
Enter point number (else blank to exit)

Enter the point number otherwise leave a blank and press [Enter] to
exit this function.
Indicate point position (else spacebar to enter co-
ordinates)

Either indicate the position where you wish the point to be placed or
press the [spacebar] to enter the coordinates, AllyCAD will then give
the following prompt if you are using a southern hemisphere
coordinate system:
Enter point coordinates (Easting Northing)

Enter the points in the order Easting and then Northing separated by
a space.
If you are using a northern hemisphere coordinate system AllyCAD
will prompt:
Enter point coordinates (Northing Easting)

Enter the points in the order Northing and then Easting separated by
a space.
AllyCAD then continue with the following prompts:
Enter elevation (else blank for none)

Enter the elevation otherwise leave a blank for no elevation.

Enter description (else blank for none)

Enter the point description otherwise leave a blank for no point.

Export Points
Export coordinate points to a file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\exportpt"

This function exports numerically-numbered coordinate points which

have been imported using the import and add points functions.

11-110 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

The format of the file is comma-delimited with the following data:

point number, horizontal coordinate, vertical coordinate, elevation
and point description. Elevation and point description are optional.
As soon as you start the function, a save file dialog will appear with
the heading Export Points to File. Browse for the directory where you
would like the file saved, enter the file name and press the save
button.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
First point label (else blank to exit) ?

Enter the first coordinate point label e.g. "1" you start exporting
from.
Last point label (else blank to exit) ?

Enter last coordinate point label e.g. "15" you wish to finish
exporting from.
If the first point label is greater than the last point label the following
prompt appears:
Start point label must be less than last point label

AllyCAD will then exit from this function.

Jump to Point
Jump to a coordinate point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\jump2pt"

This function jumps to coordinate points which have been imported

using the import and add points functions.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

Perimeter Menu 11-111

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system
in Drawing Settings
AllyCAD will prompt.
Enter zoom scale factor (1000 = 1:1000)

Press [Enter] if you would like to jump to the point using the current
drawing scale factor e.g. if the drawing scale is 1:1000 the scale
factor will be 1000 and will pan to the point. Otherwise enter another
scale factor e.g. 200 for a 1:200 scale factor and the function will
jump to the point using the zoom factor you enter.
AllyCAD will then continually prompt.
Enter point label (else blank to exit)

Enter the point label you would like to jump to else press [return] to
exit.
If you enter a point label which doesn't exist the following prompt will
appear:
Cannot find point label <label number>

AllyCAD will continue giving the first prompt.

Auto Join Points

Join points from point pair file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\autojoin"

This function opens a file containing coordinate points to join

together.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
The format of the file is comma-delimited with the following data:
number of point 1, number of point 2.

11-112 AllyCAD Reference Manual

As soon as you start the function an open file dialog will pop up the
heading prompting you to select the .dat file containing the
coordinate points you wish to join. Browse for the file and press the
Open button.
Add distance and bearing (else none) ?

Select YES if you would like distance and bearing added to the join,
otherwise select NO if you would like just a line joining the points.
Exiting because of bad point name : <point number>

The above message will appear if any of the points in the file doesn't
exist in the drawing. The function will then exit, naming the bad
point number.

Connect Points
Join selected points by entering point numbers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\connect"

This function joins coordinate points one by one by entering the

point number.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
Add distance and bearing (else none) ?

Select Yes if you would like distance and bearing added to the join,
otherwise select No if you would like just a line joining the points.
Cannot find point label <point number>

The above message will appear if any of the points in the file doesn't
exist in the drawing. The function will then prompt again for the
points to enter, allowing you to enter a point which does exist in the
drawing.

Perimeter Menu 11-113

Traverse
This function does flat traverses

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\traverse"

This function calculates new points from, and draws in the traverse
legs of a simple data traverse. It is assumed that all distance and
bearing reductions have already been performed.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate setup station

Click on the setup station with the mouse.

Incremental naming (else none) ?

Select YES to accept automatic naming of each leg of the traverse viz
TR1,TR2, otherwise select NO if you wish to give each leg of the
traverse a different name.
If you select YES for the above prompt AllyCAD will respond with the
following two prompts:
Base name

Accept the default base name "TR" else enter your own.
Enter start number

Accept the start number "1" to be added to the base name else enter
your own.
Enter horizontal distance (blank to exit)

Enter the flat distance of the horizontal leg of the traverse.

Enter horizontal direction (blank to exit)

Enter the bearing of traverse leg.

11-114 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Enter station name

This prompt will appear if you selected NO for the incremental

naming prompt otherwise each leg of the station will be named
incrementally for each leg of the traverse. Enter the name of the
station on this leg of the traverse.

Tache Shot
This function performs tacheometric calculations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Survey exec ".\toolkit\survey\tachyshot"

This function calculates new points from, and draws in the tache
shots of a simple tache survey. It is assumed that all distance and
bearing reductions have already been performed.

Procedure
The drawing must be in surveyor mode, if not AllyCAD will give the
following prompt and exit from this function:
Please change to a surveyor coordinate system.

If the drawing is not in surveyor mode change the coordinate system

in Drawing Settings
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate setup station

Click on the setup station with the mouse.

Incremental naming (else none) ?

Select YES to accept automatic naming of each leg of the traverse viz
TR1,TR2, otherwise select NO if you wish to give each leg of the
traverse a different name.
If you select YES for the above prompt AllyCAD will respond with the
following two prompts:
Base name

Accept the default base name "SS" else enter your own.
Enter start number

Accept the start number "1" to be added to the base name else enter
your own.

Perimeter Menu 11-115

 Enter horizontal distance (blank to exit)

Enter the flat distance of the horizontal leg of the traverse.

Enter horizontal direction (blank to exit)

Enter the bearing of traverse leg.

Enter station name

This prompt will appear if you selected NO for the incremental

naming prompt otherwise each leg of the station will be named
incrementally for each leg of the traverse. Enter the name of the
station on this leg of the traverse.

11-116 AllyCAD Reference Manual

SG Diagram
Generate an SG diagram by graphically
indicating a consistency on a layout plan.

Default Settings
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left SG Diagram SGDiagramEditor

The Setup dialog contains the settings and defaults applicable for all the SG
Diagram functions. The settings are stored in an ini file. Before attempting to use
any of the SG Diagram functions, you need to have loaded an ini file into this
dialog.
You can accumulate various ini files for different scenarios. All the
setting in the dialog are stored in a corresponding ini file. The file
Knowledge Base distributes with the software is found in
CivDes64\Examples\SG_Files\SG_Diagram.ini.

Perimeter Menu 11-117

Template drawing files
The symbol file drawing must contain the TRIG and TSM symbols to
be used to draw the trig beacon and reference mark symbols.
The title block drawing contains the outline of the diagram borders.
All text and internal column lines are setup in the appropriate
settings tab. The drawing should be in Cartesian mode, units of
millimetres and at a scale of 1:1.

Settings

There are similar tabs for the text and data column settings of the
diagram. Any measurements are in millimetres with respect to the
bottom left-most drawing entity on the relevant template drawing.

Options

Various options are applicable for the generation of the diagram.

11-118 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Control Coords

Use another ini file to maintain a database of Town Survey Mark and
Trigonometrical Beacon control points for your SG diagrams and
general plans.

Saving and loading a setup ini file

The settings in the dialog are stored in the current ini file listed on
the window’s title bar. If you make a change and press OK the
settings are automatically saved. This is why there is no Save button.
Pressing Cancel is the alternative whereby the changes are not
saved.
You are not limited to using the file we distribute but can create one
more suitable to your requirements. Do this by pressing Save As,
and modifying the resultant settings. Similarly with the Load button
- you can have various ini files each with different settings if you so
desire.

Trace Figure
Trace the consistency

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left SG Diagram SGTracePolyArea

Perimeter Menu 11-119

Use this function to graphically indicate the consistency to be drawn
on the SG Diagram.

Procedure
You will be prompted to
Indicate first point of perimeter

Indicate the first consistency point graphically. The cursor will

automatically be in GRAB ALL mode.
The program will then prompt you to
Enter Label for first point

Type in the label for the first consistency point and press Enter.
You will be asked to enter all the consistency points and labels.
When you indicate the first point again, the Diagram will be
generated.

11-120 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Adjust Drawing
Change the selected line

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left SG Diagram SGAdjustDrawing

Use this function to change the line type of the lines that do not
belong to the consistency to the Edit Line Type value specified in the
Setup dialog.
The program will simply prompt you to indicate the lines that have to
be edited. Press escape to exit the function.

Perimeter Menu 11-121

General Plan
A General Plan title block and
heading can be added to an
already open cadastral drawing.
Various tables and survey
dimensions can then be added
to the General plan.

Default Settings
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left General Plan SGGenPlanEditor

The Setup dialog contains the settings and defaults applicable for all the General
Plan functions. The settings are stored in an ini file. Before attempting to use any
of the General Plan functions, you need to have loaded an ini file into this dialog.
You can accumulate various ini files for different scenarios. All the
setting in the dialog are stored in a corresponding ini file. The file
Knowledge Base distributes with the software is found in
CivDes64\Examples\SG_Files\SG_GenPlan.ini.

11-122 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Template drawing files
The symbol file file drawing must contain the TRIG and TSM symbols
to be used to draw the trig beacon and reference mark symbols.
The title block drawing contains the outline of the general plan frame
All text and internal column lines are setup in the appropriate
settings tab. The drawing should be in Cartesian mode, units of
millimetres and at a scale of 1:1.

Settings

There are similar tabs for the text and data column settings of the
diagram. Any measurements are in millimeters with respect to the
bottom left-most drawing entity on the relevant template drawing.

Perimeter Menu 11-123

Options

Various options are applicable for the generation of the diagram.

Control Coords

Use another ini file to maintain a database of Town Survey Mark and
Trigonometrical Beacon control points for your SG diagrams and
general plans.

Saving and loading a setup ini file

The settings in the dialog are stored in the current ini file listed on
the window’s title bar. If you make a change and press OK the
settings are automatically saved. This is why there is no Save button.

11-124 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Pressing Cancel is the alternative whereby the changes are not
saved.
You are not limited to using the file we distribute but can create one
more suitable to your requirements. Do this by pressing Save As,
and modifying the resultant settings. Similarly with the Load button
- you can have various ini files each with different settings if you so
desire.

Insert Titleblock
Add the title block to the drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left General Plan SGInsertBorder

This function will load the Title block drawing, as specified in the
Setup dialog, onto the existing drawing with its center point at the
screen center. It will then ask the Frame Questions, as specified in
the Setup dialog.

Insert Heading
Insert the General Plan heading

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left General Plan SGInsertHeading

This function will ask the Heading questions as specified in the

Setup dialog, and insert the text at a user defined position.

Procedure
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position for heading

Indicate the position where the top left corner of the heading should
be.
The Heading questions will be asked.

Perimeter Menu 11-125

Erf Numbering and Area Table
Create a stand area table

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left General Plan SGAreaTable

This function will assign numbers to indicated erven and generate an

erf areas table.

Procedure
Ensure that erf boundary lines form a proper perimeter around the
stand to enable the area calculation routine to calculate a correct
area quantity.
You will be prompted to:
Indicate the position for Table

Indicate the position where the top left corner of the table should be.
The following dialog will appear:

Press Yes to place the stand numbers at a horizontal angle, or No to

place the stand numbers parallel to one of the erf edges.
You will then be prompted to:
Position cursor inside erf to be numbered (Done to exit)

Indicate the each erf to be numbered and press [Esc] to draw the
table.
After indicating the erf to number, you will be asked to:
Enter erf number

Type in the erf number.

11-126 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Dimension Erf
Add survey dimensions on an erf-by-erf basis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right General Plan SGAddSurveyDims

This function can be used to add survey dimensions (bearing and/or

distance) to erf boundaries.

Procedure
You will be asked to:
Indicate erf to dimension

Graphically indicate the erf by clicking inside the erf. The selected erf
will be highlighted.
You will then be prompted to:
Indicate the line to dimension to the inside of the erf

Click close to the line that you want to dimension, on the inside of
the erf.
A direction and bearing will be drawn with the current text settings
and with the separator details as specified in the Setup dialog.

Point-Point Dimension
Add survey dimensions between two points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left General Plan SGAddSingleSurveyDims

This function can be used to add survey dimensions (bearing and/or

distance) between two points.

Procedure
You will be asked to:
Indicate start point for survey dimension

Graphically indicate the start point of the dimension.

You will then be prompted to:

Perimeter Menu 11-127

 Indicate the end point for survey dimension

Graphically indicate the end point to draw the dimension.

A direction and bearing will be drawn with the current text settings
and with the separator details as specified in the Setup dialog.

Multiple Dimension
Add survey dimensions to multiple erven

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left General Plan SGAddMultiSurveyDims

This function uses the layer with erf numbers to automatically

dimension multiple erven.

Procedure
You are presented with the Multiple Dimensioning dialog.

Erven could have been numbered using the Erf Numbering & Area
Table function in which case the function creates and uses
STAND_NO as the default layer name. Alternatively, you may have
another layer containing numerical text entities within the erf
boundaries. Select the applicable layer name. Any non-numerical
text entities are ignored as an erf number.

Outside Figure Table

Create a figure table

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

11-128 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Left General Plan SGTraceArea

Use this function to graphically indicate a consistency to be tabled.

If you must insert Area Tables, it must be done before adding Figure
Tables. This routine adds snipped circles to the stand corners which
will affect the area quantity, should an Area table be added after a
Figure Table has been added for a particular erf.

Procedure
You will be prompted to
Indicate first point of perimeter

Indicate the first consistency point graphically. The cursor will

automatically be in GRAB ALL mode.
The program will then prompt you to:
Enter Label for first point

Type in the label for the first consistency point and press [Enter].
You will be asked to enter all the consistency points and labels.
When you indicate the first point again, the Diagram will be
generated.
You will then be prompted to:
Indicate the position for Table

Indicate the position where the top left corner of the table should be.
The program will finally prompt you to:
Enter the LO Coordinate system

as well as the coordinate constants before it draws the table.

Perimeter Menu 11-129

Block Corners Table
Create a table of block corners

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right General Plan SGBlockTable

Use this function to generate a table of block corners coordinates.

Procedure
You will be prompted to:
Indicate the position for Table

Indicate the position where the top left corner of the table should be.
You will then be prompted to:
Indicate Block corner (Done to exit)

Indicate each block corner to be tabled and press Escape to draw the
table.
After indicating the block corner, you will be asked to:
Enter number

Enter the block corner number.

The block corner numbers will be drawn at the block corner position
and tabled.

11-130 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Reference Mark Table
Create a reference mark table

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left General Plan SGReferenceMarks

Use this function to generate a table of Reference mark coordinates.

Procedure
You will be prompted to:
Indicate the position for Table

Indicate the position where the top left corner of the table should be.
You will then be prompted to:
Position for Reference marks (Done to exit)

Indicate each reference mark to be tabled and press [Esc] to draw the
table.
After indicating the Reference mark, you will be asked to:
Enter number

Enter the Reference mark name.

The Reference mark numbers will be drawn at the Reference mark
position and tabled.

Perimeter Menu 11-131

Control Coordinates Table
Create a table for the trig beacons and town survey marks used for control.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right General Plan SGTrigBeacons

Use this function to generate a table of the Trig beacon and/or town
survey mark coordinates that are currently entered in the Control
Coordinates dialog on the Setup dialog.

Procedure
You will be prompted to:
Indicate the position for Table

Indicate the position where the top left corner of the table should be.

11-132 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Sectional Plan
The Sectional Plans toolkit consists of
a few functions to assist with
preparing sectional plans.

Default Settings
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left Sectional Plan SGSectionEditor

The Setup dialog contains the settings and defaults applicable for all the
Sectional Plan functions. The settings are stored in an ini file. Before attempting
to use any of the Sectional Plan functions, you need to have loaded an ini file into
this dialog.
You can accumulate various ini files for different scenarios. All the setting in the
dialog are stored in a corresponding ini file. The file Knowledge Base distributes
with the software is found in CivDes64\Examples\SG_Files\SG_Sectional.ini.

Perimeter Menu 11-133

Template drawing files

There are grid rows for the template drawings of a typical sheet 1,
block plan, floor plan and PQ sheet. These drawings will be what is
placed around the data determined during a plan generation. These
drawing must be prepared in a cartesian drawing, with units in
millimeters and at a scale of 1:1. We distribute some sample
drawings which are located in the CivDes64\Examples\SG_Files\ directory.
You are not restricted to using these drawings but can use your own.

Settings

There are similar tabs for settings of each plan type. Any
measurements are in millimeters with respect to the bottom left-most
drawing entity on the relevant template drawing.

Options

Various options are applicable for the generation of sheets.

11-134 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Saving and loading a setup ini file
The settings in the dialog are stored in the current ini file listed on
the window’s title bar. If you make a change and press OK the
settings are automatically saved. This is why there is no Save button.
Pressing Cancel is the alternative whereby the changes are not
saved.
You are not limited to using the file we distribute but can create one
more suitable to your requirements. Do this by pressing Save As,
and modifying the resultant settings. Similarly with the Load button
- you can have various ini files each with different settings if you so
desire.

Section Manager
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left Sectional Plan SGSectionMgr

Use the Section Manage to maintain a list of all the sections in a current job

Perimeter Menu 11-135

Collapse / Expand parts of section.
As a section can consist of many parts, this setting allows you the
option of seeing either the individual parts or the section as a whole
within the spreadsheet view.
The difference is as the example of section 1 above:
Expanded:

Collapsed:

The setting has no affect on sections with only one part.

The spreadsheet view

Each row contains the details of one section (or part thereof). The list
is populated either by tracing a section using the Trace section
function, or by loading in all section details from a comma delimited
file.

Loading and Saving the list

You could potentially use the Sectional Plans toolkit just for assisting
with the PQ calculations of a job. For this you would want to load the
data from an external source. The section data would then obviously
contain no coordinate data for a subsequent floor plan generation.
Using the Load button you can load data from a csv file with the
format being:
section (number),building (number),unit (characters),floor area (number),pq (decimal)
Pressing save will save the current list to a file formatted in the same
way.
When you save data, the coordinate data of the Traced sections is
lost because the data is stored in memory. This is a known limitation
and will be addressed in the future.
If you load data when the list already contains sections, you need to
tell the program how to continue. You are presented with the
following message box:

11-136 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Specify whether to replace (Yes) or append (No), or press Cancel to
quit.

Insert
Click the Insert button to manually insert a new row. The Insert
Section Dialog is presented.

As with loading from file, manually inserting a section leads to that

section not containing any coordinate data for a subsequent floor
plan plot. Use Trace section if you want that.

Delete All
To lose all information currently stored for the current Sectional Plan
job press 'Delete All'. You are presented with the following Message
Box:

Perimeter Menu 11-137

This highlights the fact that you are starting afresh. A subsequent
Cancel will not work. Click 'Yes' if you are sure.

Adjust PQ's
As you will well know, it can easily happen that the PQ summation
does not equal 100.0000. You will recognize this in the statistics edit
boxes in the lower right. Example:

Prior to generating the PQ sheet these need to be adjusted. Press the

'Adust PQ's' button. The program will attempt an appropriate
adjustment. Internally the floor areas are sorted in ascending order
and the first section with a floor area that only occurs once has the
difference applied to it. If successfull you are presented with:

It can happen that the values are such that no automatic adjustment
is possible. You will then need to adjust values yourself as per
normal.

Trace Section
Graphically define a section (or part thereof) from a base drawing. In this way
coordinate data is available for plotting floor plans.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Sectional Plan SGSectionTraceS

The purpose of this function is two fold: Firstly the result is another
row in the Section Manager denoting a new section or part thereof.

11-138 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Secondly, that new section entry has now been coordinated and a
floor plan generation will find that data allowing you to plot it.

Procedure:
You get the following prompt:
Trace around figure (ending on first point)

Starting and ending on the same corner, click successively on the

corners of the section.
You get presented with the Insert Section dialog.

Fill in the relevant details for this new section and press OK.
If you were to now open the Section Manager, you will see the new
section details. This will be used in the other plan generation
functions.

Generate Sheet 1
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left Sectional Plan SGSectionGenS1

A new CAD drawing is created being a copy of what was specified for
the Sheet 1 template drawing. e.g.

You get presented with the Text Entry Dialog. Modify the default text
and press OK. These text items will be inserted into the new CAD

Perimeter Menu 11-139

drawing at position and with appearance as specified in the Setup
dialog.

Generate Block Plan

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left Sectional Plan SGSectionBP

The way this works is that you will trace the outside figure of the erf.
The dimensions of the erf are stored for if you want a table of sides
and directions. All the visible CAD entities within that figure and
near it are going to be copied across to the new CAD drawing. So
typically you will want to have as visible only the linework and
annotation making up the cadastral detail and the outline of the
buildings and common property touching the ground.
The appearance of the figure in the destination drawing is discussed
in the Drawing Creation in the SG functions topic.In the normal SG
toolkit way, you first trace the outside figure of the erf.
A new CAD drawing is created being a copy of what was specified for
the Block Plan template drawing. e.g.

The above mentioned CAD entities are copied across.

You get presented with the Text Entry Dialog. Modify the default text
and press OK. These text items will be inserted into the new CAD
drawing at position and with appearance as specified in the Setup
dialog.

If you want a table of sides and directions, choose Yes. You get
prompted:
Position top left corner of table …

Indicate the position. The appearance of the table is as per the 'Block
Plan table' settings in the 'Plan' tab of the Setup dialog.

11-140 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Generate Floor Plan
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left Sectional Plan SGSectionFP

You can only plot sections if they have been traced with the Trace
Section command. Otherwise the program has no way of knowing the
extents thereof. You would get the following error message:

Otherwise, you get presented with the Sections Dialog requesting

which sections are to be sent to a new floor plan drawing.

Make your selection and press OK.

You get presented with the Text Entry Dialog. Modify the default text
and press OK. These text items will be inserted into the new CAD
drawing at the position and with appearance as specified in the
Setup dialog.
A new CAD drawing is created being a copy of what was specified for
the Floor Plan template drawing. e.g.

The appearance of the figure in the destination drawing is discussed

in the Drawing Creation in the SG functions topic.
The Notes Dialog is presented.
Perimeter Menu 11-141
Enter the text you would like drawn in. Use Ctrl+Enter to start a new
line. Press OK when finished. The text of the notes is drawn such
that they end one linefeed above the value you specified. i.e.

and with an appearance as specified in the 'Notes' row of the 'Plans'

tab in the Setup dialog.

Generate PQ Sheet
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
Left Sectional Plan SGSectionPQ

A new CAD drawing is created being a copy of what was specified for
the PQ Sheet template drawing. e.g.

The PQ data as existing in the Section Manager is printed. Long lists

extend beyond the bottom of the drawing. This is a known limitation
that will be addressed in the future.
You get presented with the Text Entry Dialog. Modify the default text
and press OK. These text items will be inserted into the new CAD
drawing at the position and with appearance as specified in the
Setup dialog.

11-142 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Perimeter Menu
The Perimeter Menu is a row of icons that is displayed on the Control
Bar whenever you need to enter a perimeter. This happens during
the following functions:
• Draw ► Parallel Line - adding parallel lines to an existing
perimeter.
• Tools ► Polygon Area - measure an area.
• Annotate ► Add Hatch - hatch an area.
The first six icons represent different methods of defining a
perimeter:
Line
(Chained)

Circle Intersections

Rectangle Auto

Object

You can use one method to define a perimeter, or several methods in

combination.

See Tutorial 3 in the User Guide for practical examples of using the
Perimeter Menu.

Perimeter Menu 12-143

Accept Button
Click on this button when you have finished defining the perimeter.

While you are using the Circle, Rectangle, Line (Chained), Object,
Intersections or Auto options, the Accept button changes to a Done
button.

Cancel Button
Clicking on this button abandons the perimeter defining operation
and discards any perimeter that you may have started.

Circle
This option allows you to define a circular perimeter either by
clicking on an existing circle or by drawing a new circle. It also allows
you to add arcs to a perimeter by clicking on them.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Pick circle to be added to perimeter or enter new circle
centre

If you want to add an existing circle or arc to the perimeter simply

click on it with your cursor. The circle or arc will start flashing.
If you want to draw a new circle to the perimeter this function
operates in the same way as the Draw ► Circle function.

Note that any circles that you draw here

are purely perimeters. They will not be
displayed when you redraw.
When you have drawn the circle, it will
start flashing.

No perimeter drawn

AllyCAD continues to prompt:

Pick circle to be added to perimeter or enter new circle
centre

Add more circles or arcs to the perimeter or click on one of the Done
buttons or press the [Space Bar] to stop.

12-144 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rectangle
This option allows you to define a rectangular perimeter either by
clicking on an existing rectangle or by drawing a new rectangle.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first rectangle corner

The rectangle that you draw is purely a perimeter. It will not be

displayed when you redraw. After you have drawn the rectangular
perimeter, it flashes and AllyCAD continues to prompt:
Enter first rectangle corner

Add more rectangles to the perimeter or click on one of the Done

buttons or press the [Space Bar] to stop.

If you are going to add parallel lines to a rectangular perimeter,

lines with a positive offset will be drawn on the outside of the
rectangle, and lines with a negative offset will be drawn on the
inside.

Line (Chained)
This option allows you to add to the perimeter by drawing lines or
clicking on existing lines.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first point of line

Any line that you draw is a virtual entity. It will not be displayed
when you redraw. After you have drawn the line it will flash.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next point of line

Add more lines to the perimeter or click on one of the Done buttons
or press the [Space Bar] to stop.

If you are going to add parallel lines to the perimeter, lines with a
positive offset will be drawn to the right of the perimeter line in the
direction the line is drawn in. Lines with a negative offset will be
drawn to the left.

Perimeter Menu 12-145

Objects
This option defines a whole object as a perimeter.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select object to be added to perimeter

Click on the object to want to add. The object will flash.

Add more objects to the perimeter or click on one of the Done
buttons or press the [Space Bar] to stop.

Intersections
This option allows you to define complicated perimeters by manually
tracing over them by indicating entities and intersections between
entities.
The cursor will change to Grab All mode and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter first intersection point of perimeter

Position the cursor close to an intersection

along the perimeter and press [Enter] or
click.
There is no need to jump exactly onto the
intersection as AllyCAD will locate the
nearest intersection automatically.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Identify next element of perimeter

Position the cursor close to a line or arc

adjoining the intersection and press [Enter]
or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter next intersection point

The cursor is attached to a line that moves

as you move the cursor. Position the cursor
close to the next intersection along the
perimeter and press [Enter] or click.

12-146 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The line or arc you have just defined flashes.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Identify next element of perimeter

Position the cursor close to another line or arc to add to the

perimeter. Alternatively, click on one of the Done buttons, click on ,
or press the [Space Bar] to stop adding entities to the perimeter.

Remember that if you are going to add parallel lines to the

perimeter, lines with a positive offset will be drawn to the right of
the perimeter in the direction of tracing, and lines with a negative
offset will be drawn to the left.

Auto
This option automatically tracks along a perimeter made up of
existing lines and arcs.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Place cursor inside perimeter and near a line

The cursor changes to Freehand mode so that it cannot accidentally

jump onto anything on the wrong side of the perimeter.
If you are going to hatch or measure an area, place the cursor on
that side of the perimeter you want hatched or measured. Click or
press [Enter].
If you are going to draw parallel lines around an existing perimeter,
you must position your cursor with care. Refer to Parallel Line
Defaults in the Settings Menu.
When you have clicked inside the perimeter, it will automatically be
tracked. The tracked perimeter will then flash and the Accept button
will re-appear at the left end of the Perimeter Menu.
Note the following:
• By default, Auto will not track dashed or dotted lines. If the
perimeter you are going to track includes dashed or dotted lines,
you must check the Dotted box in the Perimeter Menu first.
• If the perimeter to be tracked has gaps in it, type a distance into
the Tolerance box at the right hand end of the Perimeter Menu.
The tracking function will then jump over any gaps in the
perimeter that are smaller than this distance.

Perimeter Menu 12-147

Delete
This option allows you to delete the whole perimeter you have
defined.

Dotted
Checking this box will allow the Auto function to track dashed or
dotted lines.

Tolerance
The Auto function will jump over any gaps in the perimeter that are
smaller than the distance you type here.

12-148 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Defaults
Every time you enter AllyCAD or use the File ► New function to start
a new drawing, a default drawing called STARTUP.DRG is
automatically loaded.
This drawing sets up the defaults - the paper size, scale, units,
background colour you normally use, the way you normally want
text and dimensions to look, etc.
You may change these defaults so that your preferred paper size,
scale, colour etc. are automatically loaded each time you start a new
drawing.
To do this, load AllyCAD. Do not draw anything, but set the defaults
to the values you would like loaded each time you start a new
drawing. Refer to the functions in the Settings Menu.
Use File ► Save As to save the blank drawing. You must save it into
your user directory with the name STARTUP.DRG.

Defaults 13-1
Multiple users
Different users can have their own User Home directories storing
their own menus, hatch patterns, defaults and line types.
For example, one user's preferred menus, hatch patterns, defaults
and line types may be stored in the default User Home directory,
guest. Other users can then create their own personal sub-
directories in which their preferred menu, hatch patterns, defaults
and line types are stored. See Adding new users below.

AllyCAD33

Users
Guest

Macro

Paul

Macro

Civil

Macro

Arch

Macro

Mech

Macro

As well as creating sub-directories for different users, you can also

create sub-directories for different types of drawing.
For example, in the diagram above, all of Guest's preferred settings
will be stored in the Guest sub-directory, all of Paul's preferred
settings will be stored in the Paul sub-directory, etc.
The arch sub-directory may contain defaults suitable for
architectural drawings, e.g. a default scale of 1:50 and special brick
hatch patterns. The mech sub-directory may contain defaults
suitable for mechanical drawing, etc.

User Home directory

The directory where your menus, hatch patterns, defaults and line
types are stored is called your User Home directory. Each user can

13-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

have his or her User Home directory. See Multiple Users later in this
chapter.
The User Home directory contains the following files:
• CAD.MEN
This defines the menu structure, icon functions and accelerator
keys in the CAD.
• HATCH.PAT
This contains hatch pattern definitions.
• STARTUP.DRG
This is a drawing that contains your drawing defaults. It is
loaded each time you start the CAD or start a new drawing.
• CAD.INI
This stores defaults relating to printing, DXF and DWG transfers,
digitizer setup, colours etc.
• DOM.TXT
The Drawing Office Manager data file. This is updated if you have
specified you want to use the Drawing Office Manager (see Save
Settings in the Reference Manual).
• CAD.LOG
If activated this logs everything you do during a CAD session. See
CAD.INI.
• COMPASS.DRG
This is a compass that you can automatically insert on your
drawing when you print using Zoom Print in the File Menu.
There is also a compass called COMPASSN.DRG. COMPASSN is a
more elaborate compass. If you want to use COMPASSN instead
of COMPASS, rename COMPASSN.DRG to COMPASS.DRG.
It also contains the MACRO sub-directory where the line type
definitions are stored in the LINETYPE.MAC file. Do not delete this
file.

Adding new users

Before you can add a new user sub-directory, you must switch on
the Ask Logon name at Startup checkbox in the Settings ► System
Settings dialog box.
Now, when you start the CAD, the Login dialog box is displayed.

Defaults 13-3
To add a new user sub-directory, click on the Add new name button
in this dialog box. The dialog below is displayed.

Type the new user sub-directory's name into the New name box.
From the Copy from list box, select one of the existing sub-
directories. The contents of the existing sub-directory will be copied
into the new sub-directory. These copied files can later be edited or
overwritten, for example with the new user's preferred menu system.
When you click on OK, the CAD will start up using the new user
sub-directory.
Whenever you start the CAD in future, the Login dialog box will be
displayed. Select the login name you want to use and click on OK.
The menu, hatch patterns, defaults and line types stored in that
sub-directory will be loaded.
If you click on Help ► About a dialog box will appear. The name of the
current sub-directory will be displayed at the bottom of this dialog
box.

Deleting user sub-directories

To delete a user sub-directory, simply delete it form your hard drive
using Windows Explorer. Do not do this while AllyCAD is running.

Disabling the User Login

Refer to the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual for
details on enabling and disabling the login.

13-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

CAD.INI
The CAD.INI file in your user directory store defaults such as your
default directories, etc. A typical file looks like this:
[Paths]
macropath=C:\AllyCAD35\macro
symbolpath=C:\AllyCAD35\Symbols
drawpath=N:\CAD\34.136

[STOREDEF]
USEDOM=0
AUTOGEOM=1
AUTOBACKUP=10
REFERENCEPROMPT=0
ASKBACKUP=0
BACKUPPATH=
DOMALLSAVE=0

[PRINT]
PRINTERARCS=1

[ToDXFFonts]
Modern=TXT
Roman=ROMANS
Arial=ROMAND
Times New Roman=ROMANC
Times New Roman.I=ITALICC
Times New Roman.B=ROMANT
Times New Roman.B.I=ITALICT
Script=SCRIPTS
Script.I=SCRIPTC
UNKNOWNNAME=TXT

[DXFFlags]
ExplodeBlocks=0
TargetVersion=12

[CONTROLBAR]
name="MS Sans Serif"
size=8
weight=400
italic=0
charset=0
pitchandfamily=34

[DIGITIZER]
TYPE=None
FORMAT=
INITSTRING=
COMPORT=2
BAUD=9600
DATABITS=8
STOPBITS=1
PARITY=1

[LOGFILE]

Defaults 13-5
WriteLogFile=0

[VMEM]
MaxMegAlloc=10
Vmempath=C:\DOCUME~1\DEV4\LOCALS~1\Temp

[COLORS]
pen0=128 0 0
pen1=255 0 0
pen2=128 128 0
pen3=255 255 0
pen4=0 255 0
pen5=0 128 0
pen6=0 128 128
pen7=0 255 255
pen8=0 0 255
pen9=0 0 128
pen10=128 0 128
pen11=255 0 255
pen12=255 255 255
pen13=128 128 128
pen14=0 0 0
pen15=192 192 192
Use_AutoCAD_Colors=0
CustColor0=0 0 0
CustColor1=1 0 0
CustColor2=128 237 18
CustColor3=52 135 212
CustColor4=88 1 92
CustColor5=0 4 0
CustColor6=0 0 0
CustColor7=0 0 0
CustColor8=79 229 214
CustColor9=205 171 186
CustColor10=0 0 0
CustColor11=188 237 18
CustColor12=79 229 214
CustColor13=232 237 18
CustColor14=22 136 212
CustColor15=0 240 253

[SETTINGS]
UseWidthInPerimeter=1
OpenCreatesNewWindow=1
CompileMacro=1
Create16BitCompatible=0
DefaultEditor=NOTEPAD.EXE
ZoomOutFactor=10
PopUpDoneButton=0
BitmapTilingThreshold=1000
CompressedTiles=10
TilePath=.
MaxSecondsHatch=10
MaxPatternSize=65000
MouseToDefBtn=1
LowResPrint=0
MakeOpenDrgCopy=0
RedrawByLayer=0

13-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

VerifyOnSave=1
EnableDwgWizard=1
SuppressMsg=0

[MechanicalTools]
SpecFile=C:\James Data\AllyCAD35 Build7\Users\Guest\ISO Mechspecs.ini

[ArchitecturalTools]
SpecFile=C:\James Data\AllyCAD35 Build7\Users\Guest\ArchSpecs.ini

[Version Check]
Configured=1
Check=0
Days=30
Connection=2

[Drawings]
Recent1=N:\CAD\34.136\34136.DRG
Recent2=N:\CAD\35.55\3555.DRG
Recent3=N:\CAD\34.139\34139.DRG
Recent4=C:\Work Data\Support\TEST_BITMAP_CLIP_ROTATE.DRG
Recent5=C:\Work Data\Support\TEST_BITMAP.DRG
Recent6=C:\Work Data\Support\INTERSECTION_SNAP.DRG
Recent7=C:\WORK DATA\SUPPORT\SITEPLAN001.002_LAYOUT.DRG
Recent8=C:\WORK DATA\SUPPORT\SITEPLAN001.002.DRG

[LegendBar]
sizeHorzCX=80
sizeHorzCY=400
sizeVertCX=80
sizeVertCY=479
sizeFloatCX=80
sizeFloatCY=400

[CADFrame]
Status=3
Flags=2
MinX=-1
MinY=-1
MaxX=-6
MaxY=-25
Top=132
Left=132
Bottom=788
Right=1100

[TOOLBARPOSN]
Color=RIGHT 752 794 198 486 VISIBLE 1
File=TOP -2 464 50 76 VISIBLE 1
Main=LEFT -2 25 123 516 VISIBLE 18
View=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Modify=LEFT -2 8 198 208 HIDE 1
Geometry=BOTTOM -2 363 510 536 VISIBLE 1
Dimensions=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Screen=LEFT 0 0 0 0 HIDE 1
Snaps=RIGHT 727 754 198 481 VISIBLE 13
Turn=TOP -2 239 74 100 VISIBLE 1
General=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1

Defaults 13-7
Civil=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Structural=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Survey=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Architectural=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Mechanical=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
SG Diagram=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
General Plan=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1
Sectional Plan=LEFT -2 8 100 110 HIDE 1

[PRINTDEF]
PROFILES=PRINT
CURRPROFILE=PRINT

[PRINT_PROFILE_PRINT]
PRINTERARCS=1
ALLPENSTOBLACK=0
SCALEHATCH=0
SCALEFATLINES=1
XOFFSET=0.000
YOFFSET=0.000
MINPEN=1
MAXPEN=15

Paths
This contains the paths for drawing, symbol and macro files - i.e. the
names of the directories where you store these files and where on the
hard drive AllyCAD can find them.

13-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Print
This contains the print settings.
Item Value Description
PRINTERARCS 0 Use plotter arcs
1 Plot arcs as lines
ALLPENSTOBLACK 0 Print with colours
1 Print all colours as black
PEN_WIDTH Define the width of each pen in mm

FromDXFFonts
This section stores the AllyCAD font that an AutoCAD font must be
converted to during a transfer from a DWG or DXF file to an AllyCAD
drawing file.
The font on the left of the = sign is the AutoCAD font, and the one on
the right is the AllyCAD font it must be converted to.
A “.B” or “.I” after the AllyCAD font name indicates that the font must
be bold or italic. See DXF/DWG Conversion Settings.

ToDXFFonts
This section stores the AutoCAD font that an AllyCAD font must be
converted to during a transfer from an AllyCAD drawing to a DWG or
DXF file.
The font on the left of the = sign is the AllyCAD font, and the one on
the right is the AutoCAD font it must be converted to.
A “.B” or “.I” after the AllyCAD font name indicates that the font is
bold or italic. See DXF/DWG Conversion Settings.

DXFFlags
TargetVersion is 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 18 depending on the version of
AutoCAD the DWG or DXF files you are creating must be compatible
with. See DXF/DWG Conversion Settings.

Controlbar
This section stores the font used on the Control Bar. See View
Settings.

Defaults 13-9
Digitizer
This stores the current digitizer setup. See Digitizer Settings. The
NOBUTTON line stores the code returned as the pen by the digitizer
when you are not pressing any buttons.

Logfile
If WriteLogFile=1, AllyCAD will record everything that you do in a file
called ALLYCAD.LOG. This is useful if you are experiencing problems
and wish to contact the programmers.
Each time you start a new AllyCAD session, the previous log file will
be added on to. If WriteLogFile=0, no log file will be written.

Drawings
This stores the names of the last eight drawings you have worked on.
These names appear at the bottom of the File Menu, where you can
click on them to open the drawings quickly.

Vmem
This section stores the virtual memory settings. See Virtual Memory
Settings in the Settings Menu.

Colors
The first part of this section stores the colours you have assigned to
each pen in the Color toolbar in the format
pen=red green blue

Red, green and blue have values between 0 and 255 and define the
amount of red, green and blue making up each colour.
The second part of this section stores any custom colours you have
defined in the colour palette that appears when you right click on the
Pen button in the Control Bar to define a colour or when you are
entering a solid fill.

Textedit
This section stores the size of the Text Entry dialog box, and whether
it has been set to accept [Enter] (1) or [CTRL][Enter] (0) for multiline
text. See Add Text.

13-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Infowindow
This section stores the last position of the Measure and Query Entity
dialog boxes. See Measure and Query Entity.
All the values in CAD.INI except for the symbol and macro paths are
automatically updated each time you exit AllyCAD. To change the
symbol and macro paths, you need to edit them manually in an
ASCII text editor such as Windows Notepad.

Coordtable
FORMAT contains the format that will be used to display coordinate
labels and tables. See Label Coord.

BOM
This section stores the bill of materials (BOM) delimiter and whether
the first line of the BOM contains field names (set to 1 if it does). The
delimiter is
• 0 comma
• 1 tab
• 2 columns
See Bill of Materials.

Defaults 13-11
Notes:

13-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

CAD.MEN
AllyCAD is supplied with its functions arranged on the pull-down
menus and toolbars in a particular way. However, if you want to, you
can re-arrange the functions, re-name them, “switch off” the ones
you don't want, and add your own. You can even create alternative
menu systems and switch between them.
The menu layout is defined in the CAD.MEN file that resides in your
user directory. To create alternative menu systems, you must create
files with the same format as CAD.MEN, and with .MEN extensions.
You can look at, print out or edit the menu file in any text editor
such as the Windows Notepad. We suggest that before you edit the
CAD.MEN file, you make a backup of it.
• Different users can have their own CAD.MEN files. Refer to
Installation in the User Guide.
• Do not use TABS to create spaces in lines in menu files. If you
do, AllyCAD may not be able to understand the commands. Use
spaces.
If you look at your menu file, you will see that it comprises several
sections.

Comments
The first few lines in your CAD.MEN file, as well as some other lines,
are preceded by two slashes: “//”.
For example:
// ally menu
// menus down side of screen

The two slashes mean that the following text is a comment. AllyCAD
will ignore this text. It is just to remind you, the user, of what is
going on. You can add as many comments as you like, so long as
each comment line begins with a //.

CAD.MEN 14-1
Toolbars
You may also assign as many functions as you wish to as many
toolbars as you need. The toolbars can also appear on any
convenient spot on your drawing space. You can program it to dock
LEFT, RIGHT, TOP, BOTTOM or FLOAT by typing the appropriate
word next to STYLE. The term HIDE that may also follow STYLE
refers to a toolbar that is hidden at startup.
The next lines of your CAD.MEN file list the code for the respective
toolbars. These sections start with the word TOOLBAR with a name
of the particular toolbar, for instance “MAIN”. This is followed by the
word STYLE that determines where the toolbar is docked on the
AllyCAD screen. Next comes the word BUTTONS that determine
which functions appear on the Toolbar.

Toolbar Styles
You can use any combination of the following toolbar styles:

TOP This determines if the toolbar is docked to one side of the

BOTTOM AllyCAD main window, or free floating.
LEFT
RIGHT
FLOAT
HIDEONCLICK The toolbar will hide itself when you click on it. Used for the
screen right mouse button pop-up.
SQUARE The toolbar will attempt to make itself as square as possible.
Used for the screen right mouse button pop-up.
HIDE The toolbar is created in a hidden (invisible) state.

14-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example:
BUTTON "SetSquar" {#cursorhold;} {#lockang "L";}
{Left: Toggle cursor hold. Right: Lock cursor to a line;}

The name in quotes

“SetSquar ”

refers to the name of the bitmap that appears on the buttons on the
floating toolbox.
You can also create your own bitmaps using any graphical editor
capable of creating a .BMP file (e.g. Windows Paintbrush). Create a
16 color (16x15) pixel bitmap. Save the bitmap in the home directory
that was created when you installed AllyCAD. Place the name of the
bitmap you have created in quotes, without the .BMP extension.
The first set of curly brackets and their contents
{#cursorhold;}

define the macro function that is executed when you click on button
number 0 with your left mouse button. The macro function's name is
cursorhold. See the section headed Using functions in CAD.MEN for
more details on functions.
The second set of curly brackets and their contents
{#lockang "L";}

define the function that is executed when you click on button

number 0 with your right mouse button. This function locks the
cursor to a line.
The third set of curly brackets and their contents
{Left: Toggle cursor hold. Right: Lock cursor to a line;}

define the help line that appears at the bottom of the screen when
you move your cursor over the icon on the number 0 button. Note
that there is a semicolon (;) after the help text. This help text also
shows up in a tooltip when you move your mouse over a button and
leave it there for about a second.
The word SEPARATOR may also appear, which puts a space between
the respective buttons on the toolbar.
See Appendix B for a list of the bitmaps that are supplied with
AllyCAD and their names.

CAD.MEN 14-3
Pull-Down Menus
Next the functions on the pull-down menus are defined. These are
the sub-menus of the main top bar menu.
The part of the menu file that defines the pull-down menus begins
with the words
// main top bar menu
MAINMENU
BEGIN
and ends with the word
END

Each individual pull-down menu is then defined using the following

commands:
POPUP “&File”
BEGIN
MENUITEM "&New" {delall;} {Clear drawing memory;}
etc.
END

The POPUP command “introduces” the menu. The name in quotes,

“&File”, is the name of the menu, File. The & sign causes the letter
following it to be underlined, so that the name File appears as File.
The underlined letter is the one used to select the menu from the
keyboard. Thus, to select the File Menu you could either click on it
with your mouse or press [Alt] F.
BEGIN and END simply signify the beginning and end of the menu.
Each function on the menu is preceded by the word MENUITEM. The
name in quotes, for example “&New”, is the name of the function that
appears on the menu. The “&” sign causes the letter following it to be
underlined. Thus, the name New appears as “New”. The underlined
letter is the one used to select the function from the keyboard. To
select the New function you can either click on it with your mouse or
press N.
Some of the function names contain the characters “\t”. These cause
the text following to appear on the right of the menu.

14-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example:
In the Edit Menu the function:
MENUITEM "&Undo\tCtrl+Z" {Undo;} {Undo last operation;}

is displayed in the menu as shown here.

Ctrl+Z is the standard Windows keyboard
shortcut for the Undo command.
The contents of the first set of curly brackets
in the MENUITEM lines define the function
that is executed when the menu option is
chosen.
The second set of curly brackets and their
contents define the help line that appears at
the bottom of the screen when the function is
highlighted.
Note that there is a semicolon (;) after the help
text.
You will note that some MENUITEM lines simply read:
MENUITEM SEPARATOR

This command causes a horizontal line to be drawn across the

menu.

CAD.MEN 14-5
Accelerators
The final section of the CAD.MEN file defines accelerators. These are
keyboard shortcuts. For example:
“M” {#magnify;}; VK_SEMICOLON {#longpan;}

The first part of each line defines the key. In the examples above “M”
denotes the [M] key and “VK_SEMICOLON” denotes the semicolon
[ ; ] key. A full list of the keys you can use is given in Appendix V. The
contents of the curly brackets define the function that is executed
when the key is pressed.
In the examples given here, the screen will be magnified when you
press [M] and a long pan will be performed when you press the [ ; ]
key. This saves you selecting these functions from the menu or
toolbars.

Digitizer
The final section of the menu file maps AllyCAD functions to digitizer
puck buttons. It looks like this:
DIGITIZER
BEGIN
BUTTON "1" {#enterpt;}
BUTTON "2" {line;}
BUTTON "3" {done;}
BUTTON "4" {#jumppt;}
END

The first part of each line defines the number of the digitizer puck
button that the command is being assigned to. The example above
assumes that your digitizer numbers its puck buttons 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The contents of the curly brackets define the function that is
executed when each button is pressed.

14-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Functions
A full list of function names and the function they perform is given in
Appendix VI. In the menu file the name of the function that is
executed when you click on a button, select a menu option or press a
key is enclosed within curly brackets and followed by a semi-colon
(;).

Transparent Commands
Some function names are preceded by a hash sign “#”. This sign is
optional. Its presence means that the function is transparent. If you
are in the middle of one command, and you execute a transparent
command, you will be returned to your original command after the
transparent command has finished. If you are in the middle of one
command and you execute a command that is not transparent, your
original command will be terminated.
Transparency is especially useful for commands like magnify. It
means that if you are drawing a line, for example, and you need to
magnify the screen so that you can see better, you can magnify
without interrupting or losing the line you are drawing.
Theoretically, you could make any of AllyCAD's commands
transparent by adding a # to the front of its name. However, there
are some commands where this is not advisable. The commands it is
safe to make transparent are marked with a bullet-point (•) in
Appendix VI.

Short Cuts
When you choose most AllyCAD functions, you are asked various
questions. If your answers to particular questions are always the
same, you can “pre-answer” them in the menu file, thus speeding up
your operation. This is exemplified below, with reference to the Mid
Point Jump command.
If you look at the CAD.MEN file you will see the Mid Point Jump and
Ratio Jump functions in the Tools Menu are defined as follows:
MENUITEM "Mid Poin&t Jump\tC" {#jumpratio .5 "Y";} {Jump to
mid point of line;}
MENUITEM "Ra&tio Jump\tO" {#jumpratio;} {Jump a fixed ratio
between two points or along a line;}

The Mid Point command is in fact the Ratio Jump command, but the
prompts that normally appear during the Ratio Jump command have

CAD.MEN 14-7
been “pre-answered” so that Ratio Jump automatically jumps to the
midpoint of the nearest line.
To jump to the midpoint of a line using Ratio Jump, you would:
• Select Tools Jumps Ratio Jump, or press O to access it quickly from
the keyboard.
• Type “0.5” in response to the prompt:
Enter division ratio of jump.

• Click on the YES button in response to the prompt:

Would you like to jump to ratio point on line (Else
between two points)

In Mid Point Jump, the answers 0.5 and “Y” (YES) are given after
the Ratio Jump macro function name jumpratio. They are
separated by spaces, and the “Y” is enclosed within double quotes.
You can create a short cut of most functions in this way, simply by
adding the letters and numbers that you would normally type to the
end of the function name.
Where you would normally click on a YES or NO button, you must
type “Y” or “N”. Where you would normally choose an answer from a
sub-menu, you must type the underlined letter of the menu option
you would choose. You must enclose alphabetic answers in double
quotes.
• To create short cuts for functions like Draw Symbol that give you
options on the Control Bar or in a dialogue box, use the Macro
section to find out the correct function name, letters and
numbers.
• The function name and the letters and numbers you type after it
are exactly the same as the parameters you would use when
writing a macro program (see Macros )

Macros
You can add macro programs that you write to the menu or assign
them to an icon in the Toolbar or to an Accelerator. To do this, the
function name must be the following:
{exec “macro_name” ;}

where macro_name is the full name of the macro, including its path.
For example:

14-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 MENUITEM “Cut and Ru&b” {exec “.\macro\cut&rub”;} {Cut a
line and delete the segment;}

CAD.MEN 14-9
Hatch Patterns
The hatch patterns are defined in a file called HATCH.PAT, which
resides in your user directory. This chapter shows you how hatch
patterns are defined so that you can edit existing hatch patterns or
create your own.
You can look at, print out or edit the HATCH.PAT file in any text
editor such as Windows Notepad. We suggest that you make a
backup of the HATCH.PAT file before you edit it.

Different users can have their own HATCH.PAT files. Refer to

Installation in the User Guide.

Hatch Patterns 15-1

Hatch Pattern Definitions
Below are shown the definitions of four sample hatches in the
HATCH.PAT file:
• line (parallel horizontal lines)
• dash (dashed lines)
• newbrick (brick hatching)
• triang (equilateral triangles)

*line,Parallel horizontal lines

10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.125
*dash,Dashed lines
10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, .125,.125, .125,-.125
*newbrick, Paulus Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
1, 0, 0, 0,.025, 0,.25
5, 1, 90, 0,.025, .25,.25, .225,-.275
*triang,Equilateral triangles
10, 0
1, 0, 60, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 120, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 0, -.09375,.162379763, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875

These definitions comprise the following information.

*hatch name, hatch description
scale, rotation

pen, line width, angle, x origin, y origin, odd line offset, spacing, on
distance, off distance

... for one line of hatch

pen, line width, angle, x origin, y origin, odd line offset, spacing, on
distance, off distance

... for another line of hatch, etc.

The information in each description is summarised below, but is best
understood by studying the examples on the next few pages.

Scale
Scale is a scale factor which multiplies the x and y origins, off line
offset, and on and off distance measurements to give the final size of
the hatch.

15-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Rotation
Rotation is applied to the entire hatch pattern and rotates it by the
given angle. The angle is measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock
position.

Pen
Pen is the colour of an individual line in the hatch pattern. The
colours in the Color toolbar are numbered from 1 to 15.

Line width
Line width is the width of an individual line in the hatch pattern. It is
measured in tenths of a millimetre and will be the width of the line
on paper, regardless of drawing scale.

Angle
Angle is the angle of an individual line in the hatch pattern. The
angle is measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock position.

X origin and Y origin

X origin and Y origin allow individual lines in the hatch pattern to
start in different places and therefore to be offset with respect to one
another.
X and Y origin are measured in millimeters on the final paper plot,
regardless of drawing scale.

Odd line offset

Odd line offset allows alternate lines of a hatch to be offset, i.e.

Offset

like this ...

... rather than like this.

Hatch Patterns 15-3

It is measured in millimeters on the final paper plot, regardless of
drawing scale.

Spacing

Spacing is the distance between

Spacing
subsequent lines of the hatch.

It is measured in millimeters on the final paper plot, regardless of

drawing scale.

On distance and Off distance

On distance The on and off distances are the

lengths of each dash and gap in a
dashed line. The off distance is
Off distance always a negative number.

On and off distances are measured in millimetres on the final paper

plot, regardless of drawing scale.

15-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example 1 - Line

Scale

*line,Parallel horizontal lines

10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, .125 Spacing

Odd line
Pen offset
Line width Y origin

Angle X origin

The line hatch pattern comprises just one line at an angle of 0

degrees.

Spacing The line is repeated at a spacing of

=1.25mm 0.125mm.

This spacing is multiplied by a scale of 10 so the spacing between

subsequent lines is actually 1.25mm.
No on distance or off distance have been included in the hatch
pattern because the line in the hatch is solid, not dashed.

Hatch Patterns 15-5

Example 2 - Dash

Scale
*dash,Dashed lines
10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 0, 0,0, .125,.125, .125,-.125 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

The dash hatch pattern comprises just one dashed line at an angle of
0 degrees.

The line is repeated at a spacing of

Spacing = 1.25mm
Offset =1.25mm 0.125mm. This spacing is multiplied
by a scale of 10, so the spacing
between subsequent lines is actually
1.25mm.
On distance = Each alternate line is offset by
1.25mm 0.125mm. This offset is multiplied by
Off distance = a scale of 10, so the offset is actually
-1.25mm 1.25mm.

Each dash is 0.125mm long (on distance), and the gap between each
dash is also 0.125mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is
a negative number (-0.125). The on and off distances are multiplied
by a scale of 10, so the dashes and gaps are actually 1.25mm long.

15-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example 3 - Newbrick

Scale

*newbrick, Paulus Brick or masonry-type surface

10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
1, 0, 0, 0,.025, 0,.25
5, 1, 90, 0,.025, .25,.25, .225,-.275
The newbrick hatch pattern comprises three lines:

two solid lines at 0 degrees

and one dashed line at 90 degrees.

Line 1
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25 Spacing

Pen Odd line offset

Line width Y origin
Angle X origin

Hatch Patterns 15-7

 Line 1 is at an angle of 0 degrees.
The line is repeated at a spacing of
Spacing 0.25mm. This spacing is multiplied
=2.5mm
by a scale of 10, so the spacing
between subsequent lines is actually
2.5mm.

No on distance or off distance have been included in line 1 because it

is solid, not dashed.

Line 2
1, 0, 0, 0,.025, 0,.25 Spacing

Pen Odd line offset

Line width Y origin
Angle X origin

Line 2 is at an angle of 0 degrees.

The line is repeated at a spacing of
Spacing 0.25mm. This spacing is multiplied
=2.5mm
by a scale of 10, so the spacing
between subsequent lines is actually
2.5mm.

Line 2 also has a Y origin of 0.025mm. Multiplied by the scale of 10,

this gives an actual Y origin of 0.25mm. The effect of this origin can
be seen if you superimpose lines 1 and 2:

Line 2 has a Y origin of 0.25mm. This means it is

drawn 0.25mm above line 1.

Line 1 has a Y origin of 0mm.

No on distance or off distance have been included in line 2 because it

is solid, not dashed.

15-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Line 3

5, 1, 90, 0,.025, .25,.25, .225,-.275 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 3 is at an angle of 90 degrees. It

Spacing=2.5mm is a different colour from lines 1 and
2 (it's pen is 5), and slightly thicker
(it's line width is 1 tenth of a
Off distance
=2.25mm
millimetre).

The line is repeated at a spacing of

0.25mm. This spacing is multiplied
On distance
= -2.75mm
by a scale of 10, so the spacing
between subsequent lines is actually
2.5mm.

Odd line offset

=2.5mm Each alternate line is offset by
0.25mm. This offset is multiplied by
a scale of 10, so is actually 2.5mm.

Each dash is 0.225mm long (on distance), and the gap between each
dash is also 0.275mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is
a negative number (-0.275). The on and off distances are multiplied
by a scale of 10, so the dashes and gaps are actually 2.25 and
2.75mm long respectively.
Line 3 also has a Y origin of 0.025mm. Multiplied by the scale of 10,
this gives an actual Y origin of 0.25mm. The effect of this origin can
be seen if you superimpose lines 1, 2 and 3:

Hatch Patterns 15-9

Line 3 has a Y origin of
This means it starts
0.25mm.
above line
0.25mm
1.
Line 2 has a Y origin
0.25mm. This means it
of
drawn 0.25mm above line
is
1.

Line 1 has a Y origin of

0mm.

15-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Example 4 - Triang

Scale

*triang,Equilateral triangles
10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 60, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 120, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 0, -.09375,.162379763, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875

The triang hatch pattern comprises three lines:

a dashed line at 60 degrees,

a dashed line at 120 degrees,

and a dashed line at 0 degrees.

Hatch Patterns 15-11

Line 1
1, 0, 60, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 1 is at an angle of 60 degrees.

Spacing=3.24759526mm

On distance=1.875mm

Odd line offset=1.875mm

Off distance= -1.875mm

The line is repeated at a spacing of 0.324759526mm. This spacing is

multiplied by a scale of 10, so the spacing between subsequent lines
is actually 3.24759526mm.
Each alternate line is offset by 0.1875mm. This offset is multiplied
by a scale of 10, so the offset is actually 1.875mm.
Each dash is 0.1875mm long (on distance), and the gap between
each dash is also 0.1875mm long (off distance). Note that the off
distance is a negative number (-0.1875).
The on and off distances are multiplied by a scale of 10, so the
dashes and gaps are actually 1.875mm and 1.875mm long
respectively.

Line 2
1, 0, 120, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 2 is at an angle of 120 degrees.

15-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Spacing=3.24759526mm

On distance=1.875mm

Odd line offset=1.875mm

Off distance= -1.875mm

The line is repeated at a spacing of 0.324759526mm. This spacing is

multiplied by a scale of 10, so the spacing between subsequent lines
is actually 3.24759526mm.
Each alternate line is offset by 0.1875mm. This offset is multiplied
by a scale of 10, so the offset is actually 1.875mm.
Each dash is 0.1875mm long (on distance), and the gap between
each dash is also 0.1875mm long (off distance). Note that the off
distance is a negative number (-0.1875).
The on and off distances are multiplied by a scale of 10, so the
dashes and gaps are actually 1.875mm and 1.875mm long
respectively.

Line 3
Off distance

1, 0, 0, -.09375,.162379763, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 3 is at an angle of 0 degrees.

Hatch Patterns 15-13

 Odd line offset=1.875mm

Spacing=3.24759526mm

On distance
=1.875mm
Off distance= -1.875mm

The line is repeated at a spacing of 0.324759526mm. This spacing is

multiplied by a scale of 10, so the spacing between subsequent lines
is actually 3.24759526mm.
Each alternate line is offset by 0.1875mm. This offset is multiplied
by a scale of 10, so the offset is actually 1.875mm.
Each dash is 0.1875mm long (on distance), and the gap between
each dash is also 0.1875mm long (off distance). Note that the off
distance is a negative number (-0.1875). The on and off distances are
multiplied by a scale of 10, so the dashes and gaps are actually
1.875mm and 1.875mm long respectively.
Line 3 also has an X origin of -0.09375mm and a Y origin of
0.162379763mm. Multiplied by the scale of 10, this gives an actual
X origin of -0.9375mm and an actual Y origin of 1.62379763mm. The
effect of this origin can be seen if you superimpose lines 1, 2 and 3:

Line 3 starts 0.9375mm to the left

of lines 1 and 2.

Line 3 starts 1.62379763mm

above lines 1 and 2.

Origin of lines 1 and 2.

15-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Line Types
Every time you start AllyCAD a macro called LINETYPE.MAC is
automatically run. This macro controls the way that different line
types appear on the screen and on paper. This chapter shows you
how line types are defined so that you can edit existing line types or
create your own.
You can define up to 30 line types.
The LINETYPE.MAC file is stored in the MACRO sub-directory of your
AllyCAD directory. You can look at, print it out or edit it in any text
editor such as Windows Notepad. We suggest that you back up the
LINETYPE.MAC file before you edit it.
This file determines whether handles are displayed when you select
something.
Lines in the LINETYPE.MAC that start with the word REM are
comments and will be ignored.
Different users can have their own LINETYPE.MAC files. See
Installation in the User Guide.

Line Types 16-1

Line Type Definitions
Each line that defines a line type starts with the word
SETLINEDASH. Below are shown the definitions of five sample line
types:
• 1 (Continuous)
• 2 (Dashed)
• 3 (Hidden)
• 4 (Center2)
• 5 (Phantom2)
SETLINEDASH 1 “Continuous” 8 32 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 2 “Dashed” 8 16 0 70 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 3 “Hidden” 4 8 0 50 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 4 “Center2” 8 32 0 50 70 80 100 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 5 “Phantom2” 8 32 0 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 0 0 0

These definitions comprise the following information.

SETLINEDASH Line_number “Description” Plotrepeat Pixrepeat
Percstart Perc_on Perc_off Perc_on Perc_off etc.

This information is summarised below, but is best understood by

studying the diagrams at the end of this chapter.

Line number
Each line is numbered from 1 to 30.

Description
The description is matched to DXF or DWG line types when you load
or save a DXF or AutoCAD DWG file. For example, when you load a
DXF file, the DXF line type “Hidden” is displayed as line type 3 in
AllyCAD.

Plotrepeat
This is the distance over which the line type pattern is repeated on
your printer or plotter - 8mm for line types 1, 2, 4 and 5 and 4mm
for line 3.

16-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Pixrepeat
This is the distance over which the line type pattern is repeated on
the screen - 32 pixels for line types 1, 4 and 5; 16 pixels for line type
2 and 8 pixels for line type 3.
Pixrepeat must be a factor of 32, e.g. 4, 8, 16 or 32.

Pixels are the little squares that make up the display on your
screen. Typically there are 640 pixels across the screen and 480
down it, or 800 pixels across the screen and 600 down it, or 1024
pixels across the screen and 768 down it, depending on screen
resolution.

Some dashed/dotted line types appear continuous on the screen,

although they plot or print correctly on paper. This problem can be
overcome by increasing the Pixrepeat.

Percstart, Perc_on and Perc_off

Percstart, perc_on and perc_off show the percentage of Plotrepeat or
Pixrepeat where a line is drawn and where a gap is left. Percstart is
always 0. For example, in line type 4:

SETLINEDASH 4 Center2 8 32 0 50 70 80 100 0 0 0 0 0 0

Plotrepeat Perc_off
Pixrepeat Perc_on
Percstart Perc_off
Perc_on

On paper, a line is drawn between 0 and 50% of the 8mm Plotrepeat.

No line is drawn between 50 and 70%. A line is drawn between 70
and 80%. No line is drawn between 80 and 100%.

Line Types 16-3

 8mm

line type 4

50%

70%

80%

100%

On the screen, a line is drawn between 0 and 50% of the 32 pixel

Pixrepeat. No line is drawn between 50 and 70%. A line is drawn
between 70 and 80%. No line is drawn between 80 and 100%.

32 pixels

line type 4

50%

70%

80%

100%

16-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Merging Drawings containing blocks
If you merge two drawings containing blocks, all the line symbols
and block inserts are updated correctly. Merging is done by block
name. If you have an existing drawing with a block called
'WHISTLESTOP' and load into that a second drawing, also containing
a block called 'WHISTLESTOP', then the second copy of
'WHISTLESTOP' will be discarded and all symbol linestyles and block
inserts in the second drawing will point to the first original copy of
the 'WHISTLESTOP' block.

Line Types 16-5

Notes:

16-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Macros
A macro is a program that you write to customise AllyCAD, to add
new functions, or to automate routine tasks. It can be as simple as
drawing two lines to form a cross on the screen, or as complicated as
defining a whole new application.
If you have customised AllyCAD's menus, icons and accelerator keys
using the CAD.MEN file, you will know that each time you select a
menu option, click on an icon or press an accelerator key, a function
is executed.
A macro is a list of functions that AllyCAD executes one after
another. The file will also include programming statements that
control when and how many times a particular function is executed,
as well as commands allowing input from the user. The language is
very similar to BASIC, so you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to
write a macro.
A macro can be created in any text editor or word processor that can
produce a plain ASCII file (e.g. Windows Notepad). Each command
must be on a separate line, and lines can be indented for clarity. The
macro language is case insensitive, so you can write a macro in
upper or lower case letters. All macro files have the extension “.mac”.
There is a special directory set up for macros. By default it is the
MACRO sub-directory but you can change this by editing the macro
path in the CAD.INI file in your use.

Macros 17-1
Writing my first macro
In this example, you are going to create a small macro using
Windows Notepad.

When it is finished, it will draw a circle with a

cross at its centre. The circle will be the size
that you specify, in the position that you
specify.

Initially, your macro will be just two lines long. It will draw a single
circle with a radius of 10 in the centre of the screen.
1. Open up Notepad and type in the following line:
CIR [0,0] [10,0] [#]
END

2. Save the file as TEST1.MAC in the macro directory.

If you are using Windows ‘95 you might find that Notepad saves
your file as TEST1.MAC.TXT. In this case, type the file name into
Notepad with double quotes around it: “TEST1.MAC”

3. Go back into AllyCAD, and choose Exec Macro from the File
Menu. Choose TEST1 as the macro that you wish to execute. The
circle is drawn.
The macro command CIR that you have used has drawn a circle with
its centre at coordinate [0,0]. The circle's circumference passes
through the coordinate [10,0]. The [#] simulates the [Space Bar] or
Done being pressed to end the circle drawing function. If you did not
add the [#], AllyCAD would prompt you to draw another circle.
END is always typed at the end of a macro to ensure that it
terminates properly.

How do I input a number?

Now, you are going to edit your macro so that the circle can have any
radius that the user wishes.
1. Open up Notepad and edit your macro so that it looks like this:
ENTER “Type circle radius” R
CIR [0,0] [R,0] [#]
END

17-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

2. Save the file as TEST1.MAC in the macro directory.
3. Go back into AllyCAD. Choose File  New to start a new drawing.
Then choose File  Exec Macro. Choose TEST1 as the macro that
you wish to execute.
This time, AllyCAD prompts:
Type circle radius

Type a radius for the circle, then click on the button or press
[Enter]. The circle is drawn with the radius that you specified.
You use the ENTER function whenever you need numeric or text
input from the user. The R at the end of the command is called a
variable, because its value changes depending on the number that
the user types.
You could use any letter (and some letter combinations - see
Description, later in this chapter). However, it is useful to use letters
that mean something, like R for Radius, where possible.
If you need text input, the variable must be followed by a “$” sign.
This is called a string variable. For example, the following macro will
print your name at the coordinate position [0,0]:
ENTER "Type your name" N$
TEXT [0,0] N$ [#]
END

You can put up to 15 variables after an ENTER command, for

example:
ENTER "Give rectangle length and area" L A

How do I get the user to input a coordinate position on the screen?

Now, you are going to edit your macro so that the circle will be
positioned wherever the user wants.
1. Open up Notepad and edit your macro so that it looks like this:
CUR "Enter circle centre position" X Y K
ENTER "Type circle radius" R
CIR [X,Y] [X+R,Y] [#]
END

2. Save the file as TEST1.MAC in the macro directory.

3. Go back into AllyCAD. Choose File  New to start a new drawing.
Then choose File  Exec Macro. Choose TEST1 as the macro that
you wish to execute.

Macros 17-3
This time, AllyCAD prompts:
Enter circle centre position

Position your cursor where you want the circle centre to be and press
[Enter] or click. AllyCAD prompts:
Type circle radius

Type a radius for the circle, then click on the button or press
[Enter]. The circle is drawn at the position you specified, with the
radius you specified.
You use the CUR function whenever you want a coordinate from the
user. The X and Y variables at the end of the command contain the
coordinate position that the cursor was at when the user pressed
[Enter] or clicked.
The K variable is a check to see whether the user has cancelled the
function. If the user has decided against entering the coordinate that
you asked for by pressing the done button or the [Space Bar], the K
variable will contain the number 1. Otherwise, it will contain 0. The
use for this is shown in the Flow of Control Commands section later
in this chapter.

Finishing the macro

You are now going to finish the macro so that it draws a cross at the
circle centre.
1. Open up Notepad and edit your macro so that it looks like this:
CUR "Enter circle centre position" X Y K
ENTER "Type circle radius" R
L=R+5
PEN 2
CIR [X,Y] [X+R,Y] [#]
LINETYPE 4 3
LINE [X-L,Y] [X+L,Y] [#]
LINE [X,Y-L] [X,Y+L] [#]
END

2. Save the file as TEST1.MAC in the macro directory.

3. Go back into AllyCAD. Choose File  New to start a new drawing.
Then choose File  Exec Macro. Choose TEST1 as the macro that
you wish to execute.
As before, AllyCAD prompts for the circle centre position and the
radius. The circle is then drawn, with two lines through the centre.

17-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

• The line L=R+5 defines the variable L, which is a length that is
used to draw the lines making up the cross at the circle centre. L
is 5 units longer than R (the circle radius). This is so that the
lines making up the cross protrude beyond the circle
circumference by 5 units.
• PEN 2 defines the colour that the circle will be drawn in.
• LINETYPE 4 3 defines the line type (4) and colour (3) that the
cross will be drawn in. Line types are numbered downwards from
1 in the Line Type Display at the top right of the screen.
The two lines beginning LINE draw the two lines making up the
cross. The lines are drawn between the two coordinates enclosed in
square brackets. As in the CIR command, the [#] simulates the
[Space Bar] or Done being pressed to end the line drawing function.

And finally...
After a period of time, it is sometimes difficult to remember what
your macro does! It is good practise to make liberal use of REM
statements. Lines that start with the word “REM” are ignored. They
are simply there to remind you about what is going on.
REM macro to draw a circle with a cross through it
CUR "Enter circle centre position" X Y K
ENTER "Type circle radius" R
REM make the cross five units larger than the circle
L=R+5
REM draw the circle
PEN 2
CIR [X,Y] [X+R,Y] [#]
REM draw a cross at the circle centre
LINETYPE 4 3
LINE [X-L,Y] [X+L,Y] [#]
LINE [X,Y-L] [X,Y+L] [#]

Some hints and tips

Look at example macros

There are simple example macros in the Flow of Control Commands,
String Functions and ASCII Files sections later in this chapter. You
should examine these.
You can also examine the macros supplied, for example
arctext.mac
cut&rub.mac

Macros 17-5
divedln.mac
loadtitl.mac
movept.mac
polygon.mac
These can all be found in your macro sub-directory, and you can
look at them by loading them into Windows Notepad.

Confused?
If there is a command you don't understand or that you can't get to
work properly, it is a good idea to do one of the following.
Go into AllyCAD and click on the white part of the Control Bar (the
command line) so that a flashing insertion point appears in it.
Alternatively, press the / key to move the insertion point into the
command line. Type the name of the command, for example:
CIR

and press [Enter]. See what AllyCAD does next. In this case, it will
prompt Enter centre point of circle. Now you know that the next
thing in the command is the coordinates of the circle centre point.
Type:
CIR [0,0]

and press [Enter]. AllyCAD prompts Enter point on circle. Now you
know that the next thing in the command is the coordinates of a
point on the circle circumference. Type:
CIR [0,0] [10,0]

and press [Enter]. AllyCAD draws a circle and prompts you for
another circle centre. You need to add a [#] to terminate the function.
Type:
CIR [0,0] [10,0] [#]

and press [Enter]. AllyCAD draws the circle, then the circle drawing
function ends.

Short cuts to complicated statements: try dumping a macro

Some macro commands are quite complicated, for example setting
up text parameters (font, colour, size etc.). An easy way of setting up
the correct text parameters in a macro is as follows:
1. Open a new, empty AllyCAD drawing. Type some text, and set up
its parameters so that it looks exactly how you want the text
written by the macro to look.

17-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

2. Go to the Import/Export section of the File Menu and select
Export Macro. This writes a macro of the drawing on the screen -
in this case, just a piece of text.
3. Go to Windows Notepad and open the macro file you have just
exported. Use Cut in Notepad to cut the text parameter line out
of the macro. It will look something like this:
WTEXTPARM 40 1 0 0.010 1 "Arial" 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 0

4. Open the file containing the macro you are writing. Paste the text
parameter line into it.
This method is also useful for setting up the correct paper size, scale
units, coordinates etc. Open a new, empty AllyCAD drawing and use
Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu to set up the paper size,
scale, units etc. Then export the drawing as a macro.

Can't understand why a macro won't work?

If you can't understand why a macro won't work, you can use the
command execstep to execute it one line at a time. To run execstep,
type execstep into the command line, then press [Enter]. AllyCAD will
prompt:
Enter macro line number after which single stepping will start
If you type 0, AllyCAD will run through your whole macro one line at
a time. If you type 20, AllyCAD will execute your macro as normal
until it gets to line 20 and will then start executing it one line at a
time, etc. When you have typed the line number and clicked on or
pressed [Enter] to accept it, the macro dialogue box will appear.
Select the macro you want to step through.
AllyCAD will then run through the macro one line at a time. Each
line will appear in a message box on the screen, and after you have
clicked on OK to exit the message box, the line will be executed and
the next line will appear in the message box. Execstep will also
display the values of variables as they change.
You can abort the macro at any time by pressing [Esc].

Writing macros in Windows '95

If you use Notepad to write a macro in Windows ‘95 you may find
that it insists on adding a.txt extension to any file you save. For
example, you may think you have saved a file as TEST1.MAC, but
Windows ‘95 will have saved it as TEST1.MAC.TXT. The way round
this problem is to put double quotes around the file name when you
save the macro, i.e. save it as “TEST1.MAC”.

Macros 17-7
Finding Files
Using.\ in the path of a file you are trying to access from a macro
means that you don't have to know the drive that the user is using,
the name of their Program Home or User Home directories, etc.

If you don’t know what Program Home and User Home directories
are, see Installation in the User Guide.

If you want to access a file in the macro sub-directory, give a path

like this:
.\macro\test.mac

For example
chain “.\macro\test.mac”

AllyCAD will look for the file test.mac in the macro directory inside
the user's User Home directory. If it can't find it, it will look to see if
there is a macro directory inside the user's Program Home directory.
If it can't find it there either, it will give up.
If you want to access a file in a AllyCAD sub-directory that is not
called macro, give a path like this:
.\mechmate\data.dat

For example
OPEN 0 “.\mechmate\data.dat”

AllyCAD will look to see if there is a mechmate directory inside the

user's Program Home directory.

Executing macros
As you have seen, you can execute a macro using Exec Macro in the
File Menu.
However, it is often more convenient to assign the macro to a menu,
an icon or an accelerator key. For example, in the standard AllyCAD
menu, the commands for Move Point and Cut&Rub in the Modify
Menu are both defined by macros. See CAD.MEN for details on how
to add a macro to a menu, icon or accelerator.

17-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Description
The AllyCAD macro language is very similar to BASIC, and it also
has some elements of ‘C’ syntax. The following is a brief description
of the language.

Statements
The AllyCAD macro language allows the following statement types:
Statement Type Example
Commands CIR [X,Y] [X+R,Y] [#]
Assignment L=R+5 or N$=“Rocket Scientist”
Control Statements IF.... ELSE, etc.
Coordinate input CUR "Enter circle centre" X Y K
Data input ENTER “Type circle radius” R

Macros 17-9
Special Characters
Some characters have a special meaning in the macro:

$ Denotes a string variable. See Variables later in this section

[] Square brackets are used to enclose coordinates. See
Coordinate Pairs later in this section
@ [@x,y] denotes relative coordinates. See Coordinate Pairs later
in this section.
% [%x,y] denotes absolute coordinates. See Coordinate Pairs
later in this section
# [#x,y] or [#] terminates a coordinate list. See Coordinate Pairs
later in this section) by simulating the pressing of the
[Space Bar].
# is also used as the not equal to sign in logical expressions.
See Logical Operators later in this section).
& The AND operator in logical expressions. See Logical
Operators later in this section.
& is also used to set a snap mode during coordinate entry. See
Coordinate Pairs later in this section.
| The OR operator in logical expressions. See Logical Operators
later in this section.
! The exclamation mark has four uses:
1. It simulates ENTER being pressed (but unlike # is never
included or enclosed in square brackets).
2. If you use a macro function that brings up a dialogue box,
typing a ! in the command will usually dismiss the dialogue
box
For example, typing:
HARDCOPY
brings up the print dialogue box
Typing:
HARDCOPY !
prints the drawing.
3. If it is the first character in a line, that line is ignored by
AllyCAD and treated as a comment.
4. It is the NOT operator in logical expressions. See Logical
Operators later in this section.
{} Braces (curly brackets) are used to enclose one or more
statements in the WHILE and IF commands. They MUST be
on a separate line to the WHILE or IF, i.e.
WHILE (condition)
{
statements
}

17-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Variables
The AllyCAD macro language allows two types of variables, numeric
and string (text). AllyCAD distinguishes between them by looking for
a trailing $ on the variable name. Thus:
X
MaxValue
BiggestCoordinate

Are all numeric variables, and

X$
PointName$
Month$

Are all string variables.

Numeric variables
Variable names can be up to 31 characters long, and can include
letters, numbers and the underscore character. There is no limit to
the number of variables that you can use. Variable names are case
insensitive, thus MaxValue equals maxvalue equals MAXVALUE. All
numeric variables are full precision floating point. (64 bit floating
point, about 15 decimal digits of precision)

String variables
String variables always end with a $. The length of the total name
including the $ sign should be less 31 characters or less. There is no
limit to the number of string variables that you can use, or to the
length of the string contained in them.

Coordinate Pairs
Whenever AllyCAD expects a coordinate, the x and y parts of the
coordinate must be supplied in square brackets separated by a
comma. The first part of the coordinate is always the horizontal part
and the second is always the vertical part.
The following command draws a circle with its centre at coordinate
[0,0]. The circle's circumference passes through the coordinate
[10,0]:
CIR [0,0] [10,0] [#]

If the program does not find a square bracket when it is expecting a

coordinate, it will prompt the user for the coordinate. For example, if
you just type:

Macros 17-11
 CIR

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter centre point of circle.

The following special characters can also be used in coordinate pairs:

# This is used to terminate a list of coordinates. It is equivalant to
pressing the done button or the [Space Bar] in AllyCAD. For
example:
CIR [0,0] [10,0] [#].
STRETCH “Y” [-100,-100] [#100,100] [90,0] [200,0]

If you do not include [#] in the CIR example, AllyCAD will prompt you
to enter the centre point of another circle.
In the STRETCH example, the coordinates [-100,-100] and
[#100,100] define the box within which stretching must take place.
The # is put before the last coordinate defining the box, to tell
AllyCAD that the box has now been defined.
The [90,0] coordinate tells AllyCAD which point must move, and the
[200,0] coordinate is the point that the [90,0] coordinate must move
to.
@ This denotes relative x and y coordinates. The @ is placed within
the square bracket and before the x coordinate: [@x,y].
% This moves the cursor to an absolute coordinate position and
leaves it there. Subsequent co-ordinates will be relative to this
position. The % is placed within the square bracket and before
the x coordinate: [%x,y].
& This sets a snap mode during coordinate entry. For example:
LINE [&Tx1,y1] [&Px2,y2] [#]

draws a line with the first point doing a tangent snap near x1,y1 and
the second point doing a perpendicular snap near x2,y2.
The & sign must be followed by the letter representing the snap
mode. The letters are:
F Freehand
A Grab All
G Grid
J Jump (Point)
I Geometry Intersection
O Any Intersection

17-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

* Circle Centre
N Nearest Line/Arc
P Perpendicular
T Tangent
#, @, % and & can be used in combination, but must always be
placed before the coordinates themselves.

Examples:
The following examples all draw a box in different ways.
LINE [100,100] [150,100] [150,150] [100,150] [100,100] [#]

[100,150] [150,150] The line is drawn from the absolute

coordinate position [100,100] to the
absolute coordinate position [150,100]
to the absolute coordinate position
[150,150] etc.

[100,100] [150,100]
LINE [%100,100] [@50,0] [@50,50] [@0,50] [@0,0] [#]

The cursor is moved to the absolute

coordinate position [100,100] and is left
there because of the % sign. The line is
[50,50]
[0,50] drawn from this position to the relative
coordinates [50,0], [50,50] and [0,50].
[100,100] [50,0]

LINE [%100,100] [@%50,0] [@%0,50] [@%-

50,0] [@%0,-50] [#]

The cursor is moved to the absolute

[-50,0] coordinate position [100,100]. The line
is drawn from this position to the
relative coordinates [50,0], and the
[0,-50] [0,50] cursor is also moved to this position.
The line is then drawn to the relative
coordinates [0,50], and the cursor is
[100,100] [50,0]
also moved to this position, etc.

Maths Functions
The following maths functions are available. You can use formulae,
for example (a+b)/3+c. The parentheses will force the calculation of
the plus before the division. You must not include any spaces in a
mathematical expression.

Macros 17-13
As calculations must be made in units like millimetres, metres,
decimal feet, decimal inches and degrees, you can use the functions
given in the Coordinate to String Functions in the String Functions
part of this chapter to convert these units to and from properly
formatted strings such as 1’2+3/16” or N45º23’3”W.

Arithmetical
Square root SQRT(x)
Integer INT(x)
Exponential ^
Plus +
Minus -
Multiplication *
Division /
Absolute value ABS(x)
Logarithm LOG(x)
Natural logarithm LN(x)

Trigonometrical
All the trigonometrical functions work in degrees, with angles
measured anti-clockwise from 3 o'clock.
SIN(x)
COS(x)
TAN(x)
ASIN(x)
ACOS(x)
ATAN(x)
ATAN2(y:x) (note the two arguments separated by a colon)

Logical Operators
The following logical operators give a result of YES (1) or NO (zero)
and are normally used with the WHILE or IF commands:
The equal to sign =
The greater than sign >
The less than sign <
The not equal (hash) sign #

17-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The above signs cannot be combined but must be used individually.
Thus >= and <= are illegal.

The following operators allow one to combine logical conditions:

The AND operator &
The OR operator |
The NOT operator (exclamation mark) !
Example:
IF (A>10&B<7)
{
statements
}

The statements inside the curly brackets will be executed if the value
of variable A is greater than 10 and the value of variable B is less
than 7.
AllyCAD's macro language allows you to read in ASCII files and take
values from them.
The statement:
EOF (filenumber)

gives a result of 1 if the end of the file has been reached. Otherwise it
gives a result of 0.
The filenumber is the number of the file you are querying. You can
have up to four files open at once, numbered 0, 1, 2 and 3. See ASCII
Files, later in this chapter.

Macro Line Length

Macros have a maximum line length of 250 characters.

Macros 17-15
General Purpose Functions

Assignment

You can use formulae. For example:

d=(a+b)/3+c
A full list of arithmetic, trigonometric and logical operators is given in
Description.

SETCUR x y

Sets the cursor at a given x,y position. This enables you to move the
cursor under program control.

RUBBERBAND v

V can be 0 (no rubber banding), 1 (line), 2 (box) or 3 (circle).

Rubberbanding is the effect where you can see a line, box or circle
being drawn as you are drawing it. The next time that you use the
CUR function after using RUBBERBAND, the rubber banding that
you have specified will appear. The rubber band anchor point is set
each time you call the CUR function for a point. See Data Entry
Functions.

SETMACUNDO 1

If you set SETMACUNDO to 1, you will be able to use Undo to Undo

things drawn by the macro. If you set it to 0, you will not.
SETMACUNDO 0 is the default.

SETASKJUMP 0 / 1

Enables you to suppress the question "Enter point to jump to"

during snaps. This question is asked if a jump is selected from a
menu, a macro or a docked toolbar. See also ENQUIRE “ASKJUMP”.

MESS "message"

MESS displays the message "message" on the screen in a message

box.

BEEP t f

Produces a beep, where t is the length of time the beep will last for in
milliseconds, and where f is the frequency of the beep in Herz. For
example:

17-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 BEEP 200 400

REM

A line beginning with REM is a comment and will be ignored by

AllyCAD.
REM this is a comment

END

The END statement must appear at the end of each macro.

Macros 17-17
Flow of Control Commands

WHILE

WHILE causes the statements inside the curly brackets to be

executed as long as the condition is true. The curly brackets must be
on a separate line. For example:
WHILE (condition)
{
statements
}

Example:
I=0
Y=0
WHILE (I<10)
{
TEXT [0,Y] "AllyCAD" [#]
Y=Y-10
I=I+1
}
END

This macro prints the word "AllyCAD" onto the screen ten times.
OPEN 0 "c:\AllyCAD\users\guest\macro\test"
WHILE (1)
{
READ 0 X Y
POINT [X,Y] [#]
IF(EOF(0))
{
BREAK
}
}
CLOSE 0
END

This macro opens a file called "test" which contains coordinate pairs.
See ASCII Files, later in this chapter). It reads in all the lines of the
file and plots the coordinates as points, until the end of the file is
reached. See BREAK and IF later in this section for further
explanations.

17-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

WHILE (1)
{
CUR "Pick circle to receive centre cross" X Y K
IF (K)
{
REM user has exited from picking circles
BREAK
}
REM find out where nearest circle is
ENQUIRE NEARARC X1 Y1 X2 Y2 X3 Y3 C
REM X2,Y2 are the nearest circle's centre coords
REM X3 and Y3 are a point on the circle's circumference
REM calculate circle radius and add 5 so that the cross
REM will protrude beyond the circle's circumference by
REM 5 units
L=X3-X2+5
REM now draw the cross
LINETYPE 4 3
LINE [X2-L,Y2] [X2+L,Y2] [#]
LINE [X2,Y2-L] [X2,Y2+L] [#]
}
END

This macro draws a cross in the centre of a circle chosen by the user.
It continues to prompt the user to choose a circle until he clicks on
done or presses the [Space Bar]. See BREAK and IF later in this
section for further explanations.

BREAK

Break causes the program to abandon a WHILE and continue

execution after the closing bracket of the WHILE. If you have several
WHILE loops inside each other, it will only break out of the one it is
in.
Two of the examples given in WHILE, above, show examples of the
use of BREAK. In the example that reads a file of coordinates,
BREAK is used to abandon the WHILE loop when the end of the file
is reached. In the example where crosses are added to circles,
BREAK is used to abandon the WHILE loop when the user cancels
the function by clicking on done or pressing the [Space Bar].

IF
IF (condition)
{
statements
}
ELSE
{
statements
}

Macros 17-19
If the condition is true, the statements under the IF are carried out.
Otherwise, the statements under the ELSE are carried out. The ELSE
part is optional. The curly brackets must be on a separate line. For
example:
IF(A>10&B<7)
{
TEXT [0,0] "AllyCAD" [#]
}

If the value of variable A is greater than 10 and the value of variable

B is less than 7, then write the word "AllyCAD" at coordinate [0,0].
Two of the examples given in WHILE, above, show examples of the
use of IF. In the example that reads a file of coordinates, IF checks to
see whether the end of the file has been reached. EOF(0) (where 0 is
the number of the file being queried) gives a result of 1 if the end of
the file has been reached, and a result of 0 otherwise.
In the example where crosses are added to circles, IF checks to see
whether the user has entered a valid coordinate at the prompt Pick
circle to receive centre cross. If the user has entered a valid
coordinate, the value of K at the end of the CUR function is 0. If he
has cancelled coordinate entry by clicking on done or pressing the
[Space Bar], the value of K is 1.

CHAIN

Chain executes another macro. For example:

CHAIN "newmacro"

executes a macro called newmacro.

CHAIN B$

Executes a macro whose name is denoted by the variable B$.

Once you have chained to another macro, you cannot return to the
original macro.

See Hints and Tips earlier in this chapter for details on how to
specify the path to the macro you want to chain to

You can also call other programs (for example Visual Basic
programs). These programs can communicate back to AllyCAD. See
Running Other Programs.

17-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Data Entry Functions

ENTER
ENTER "prompt" variables

ENTER allows you to prompt the user for numbers or text. You can
give up to 15 variables. See Description for a summary of numeric
and string variables.
Example:
ENTER "Type circle radius" R
CIR [0,0] [R,0] [#]

See How do I write my first macro? for a full example.

CUR
CUR "prompt" x y k

CUR prompts the user for a cursor position. x and y are the
coordinates of this cursor position and k is set to 1 if the user has
exited the function by clicking on done or pressing the [Space Bar].
Example:
CUR "Enter position of circle centre" x y k
IF (k)
{
REM user has exited from drawing circles
BREAK
}
ENTER "Type circle radius" R
CIR [X,Y] [X+R,Y] [#]
END

See WHILE in Flow of Control Commands for another example.

REPLY
R = REPLY("prompt")

The variable R is given the value 1 if the user clicks on the YES
button or presses [Enter] and 0 if the user clicks on the NO button.
For example:
R=REPLY("Do you want to continue")

Macros 17-21
NOREPLY

N = NOREPLY("prompt")

The variable N is given the value 0 if the user clicks on the YES
button or presses [Enter], and 1 if the user clicks on the NO button.

TOPMENU
TOPMENU A "Menu Choice 1,Menu Choice 2,Menu Choice 3,Menu
Choice 4,Menu Choice 5,etc."

This causes a popup menu to appear. When the user chooses an

option, the number of the choice is stored in A. So if the user
chooses Menu Choice 1, A is 1, etc. You can underline a letter in
each menu choice by placing an & sign in front of the letter to be
underlined. This letter can then be used to select the choice from the
keyboard, as in the main AllyCAD menu defined by the CAD.MEN
file.
See dims.mac in the macro sub-directory of your user directory for
an example.

17-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

String Functions

VAL$
a$=VAL$(n,width,ndecimal)

Converts the number n to a string, a$, with a given maximum width

(width) and a specified number of decimals (ndecimal).
Example:
a$=val$(3.14,6,2)

a$ will be " 3.14". There are a total of six characters - two spaces in
front of the 3; 3,., 1 and 4. Two of these characters are after the
decimal point.

JOIN
a$=JOIN$(b$,c$)

Joins together strings b$ and c$ to form string a$.

Example:
b$ = "hello "
c$ = "world"
a$ = JOIN$(b$, c$)

a$ will be "hello world".

SUBSTR$
a$=SUBSTR$(b$,startpos,endpos)

Extracts a substring from string b$. Startpos is the start position of

the substring you want to extract and endpos is the end position.
Example:
a$=substr$("hello world",6,10)

a$ will be "world", because the start position is character 6 (w) and

the end position is character 10 (d). Characters are numbered from 0
upwards.

Macros 17-23
LEN
a=LEN(a$)

Calculates the length of string a$.

Example:
a=LEN("hello world")

a will be 11, because there are 11 characters in hello world.

STRCMP
a=STRCMP(a$,b$)

Compares string a$ to string b$. If the two strings are the same, a is
given the value 0. If a$ is less than b$ (e.g. a$ is Aardvark and b$ is
Zebra), a will be -1. If a$ is greater than b$, a will be +1.

VAL
n=VAL(a$)

Converts the string a$ to the number n.

Example:
n=VAL("123.45")

n will be 123.45.

NUM
n=NUM(A$)

Converts the first character of A$ to its ASCII equivalent, n.

Example:
n=NUM("ABC")

n will be is 65 (since "A" is 65 in ASCII).

=
z=‘A’

Sets z to the ASCII code of ‘A’, which is 65. You can only give one
character, which must be enclosed within inside single quotes.

17-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

CHR$
a$=CHR$(n)

Converts the number n to an ASCII character.

Example:
a$=CHR$(66)

a$ will be set to "B" (since 66 is ‘B’ in ASCII).

STRSTR
a=STRSTR(a$,b$)

Searches for the string b$ in the string a$. If b$ is found in a$, a is

the position where b$ starts. If b$ is not found in a$, a is -1.
Example 1:
a=STRSTR("HELLODOLLY","HE")

a is 0.
Example 2:
a=STRSTR("HELLO DOLLY","DOLL")

a is 6.
Example 3:
a=STRSTR("HELLO DOLLY","NIKS")

a is -1.

STRUPR
a$=STRUPR$(b$)

Converts b$ to upper case.

Example:
a$=STRUPR$(b)

a$ is "B".

STRLWR
a$=STRLWR$(b$)

Converts b$ to lower case.

Example:

Macros 17-25
a$=STRUPR$(B)
a$ is "b".

TRIM$
A$=TRIM$(B$)

Trims leading and trailing blanks from B$ and places the trimmed
string into A$.

TRIMLEFT$
A$=TRIMLEFT$(B$)

Trims leading blanks from B$ and places the trimmed string into A$.

TRIMRIGHT$
A$=TRIMRIGHT$(B$)

Trims trailing blanks from B$ and places the trimmed string into A$.

17-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Coordinate to String Conversion
The following coordinate formatting and conversion functions are
available:

VALUNIT$
a$=VALUNIT$(n)

Converts a number to a string in the current units. This is very

useful if you are working in feet and inches, where the number, n,
would be decimal feet and the string, a$, could be something like
1’2+3/16".

VALANG$
a$=VALANG$(angle)

Converts an angle in decimal degrees (measured anti-clockwise) to

the current angular units. This is useful for surveyors, where the
string could be something like N45º23’3"W.

VALUNIT
n=VALUNIT(a$)

Converts a$ in the current units to a decimal number. In the case of

feet and inches, a string like 1’2+3/16" would be converted to
decimal feet.

VALANG
n=VALANG(a$)

Converts string a$ in the current angular units to decimal degrees

measured anti-clockwise. This can handle strings like N45º23’4"W.

VALANGREL$
A$ = VALANGREL$(A)

Converts a decimal angle to an angle string in the current angular

units. It works with relative angles and never uses the Quadrant
format (N45W). It ignores the 3 o'clock, 12 o'clock etc. settings and
the clockwise/anti clockwise angular settings.

Macros 17-27
VALANGREL
A = VALANGREL(A$)

This is the opposite of the above function, and converts an angle

string to a relative angle.

Example:
The following macro is more to illustrate string handling than to
serve a practical purpose. It queries the scale of your drawing, then
writes the scale onto your drawing in the form SCALE is 1:1, SCALE
is 1:50, SCALE is 1:100000 or whatever the scale is.
ENQUIRE SCALE s
s$=VAL$(s,10,0)
s$=TRIMLEFT(s$)
s$=JOIN$("SCALE is 1:",s$)
WTEXTPARM 127 1 0 0.010 1 "Times New Roman" 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 0
CUR "Enter position for text" x y
TEXT [x,y] s$ [#]
END

The explanation below assumes that the scale is 1:50.

ENQUIRE SCALE s

enquires the scale of your drawing, 50, and puts it into variable s.
s$=VAL$(s,10,0)

converts variable s, which is a number, into a piece of text, or

"string" so that you will be able to display it on the screen. The string
is ten characters long with no decimal places, " 50". There are eight
blank spaces in front of the 50, because s$ is ten characters long,
and 50 only takes up two of those characters.
s$=TRIMLEFT(s$)

trims off the eight blank spaces.

s$=JOIN$("SCALE is 1:",s$)

joins the "SCALE is 1:" part of the sentence to the scale, "50".
WTEXTPARM 127 1 0 0.010 1 "Times New Roman" 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 0

sets up the text parameters of the text that is going to be written

onto the screen. Often the best way to get the parameters that you
need for a particular type of text is to create a drawing containing
just that piece of text, then to export that drawing as a macro using
the Export Macro function. Then cut the WTEXTPARM statement out

17-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

of the macro you have exported and paste it into the macro you are
writing.
CUR "Enter position for text" x y

asks you for the position on the screen where you want "SCALE is
1:50" to be written.
TEXT [x,y] s$ [#]

writes the text.

Macros 17-29
Enquire Functions
The following enquire functions are in alphabetical order.

ENQUIRE “1PARLLDEF” 1/0 (distance/point) offset Numberoflines 1/0

(autoTrim)

Places the current parallel defaults set for the 1 Parallel Element
function into variables.

ENQUIRE “ACTIVEWINDOWNAME” awname$

This function returns the name of the active window.

ENQUIRE “ANGUNITS” u n z c

Places the type of angular units you have selected into u (0 =

radians, 1 = decimal degrees, 2 = d.mm.ss, 3 = d°mm’ss", 4 =
Nd°m’s"W ).
Places the number of angular decimals into n. Places the position of
the zero point into z (3,6,9 or 12 o’clock).
If angles are to be measured in an anti-clockwise direction c is 1.
Otherwise it is 0. See Angular Format for an explanation.

ENQUIRE “AREAUNITS” A A$ C

Inquires the currently set area units and places them into the given
variable. The variables have the following meanings:
A Area unit index. This can have the following values:
0 User defined
1 Square inches
2 Square feet
3 Square yards
4 Acres
5 Square miles
6 Square mm
7 Square cm
8 Square meters
9 Hectares
10 Square km
A$ Symbol for the area unit (e.g. "sq m")

17-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

C The number of square mm contained in the unit.

ENQUIRE "ASKJUMP" J

Places the value of the system AskJump setting into J. AskJump

enables you to suppress the question "Enter point to jump to" during
snaps. This question is asked if a jump is selected from a menu or a
dropped toolbar. See also SETASKJUMP.

ENQUIRE “COLOR” Pen Red Green Blue

Enquires the color of a pen in the Color toolbar.

Pen is the number of the pen whose color is being enquired about.
Pens are numbered from 1 to 15. Red, Green and Blue are the
returned variables, which will have values between 0 and 255. These
values determine the amount of red, green and blue making up the
color. For example, red is defined by “255 0 0”. White is defined by
“255 255 255”. Black is defined by “0 0 0”.

ENQUIRE “COORDS” c x y

If you are using surveyor coordinates, c will be 1 and the coordinates

of the screen centre will be put into x and y in the order
Northing, Easting or Easting, Northing - whichever you have
specified in Drawing Settings. If you are using Cartesian coordinates,
c will be 0.

ENQUIRE “COUNTPATNAME” "parent" "object" count x1 y1 x2 y2

Counts the number of objects on the drawing with matching parent

and object names. You can use wildcards, so "*" "BOLTM6" would
count all the objects with the name BOLTM6 regardless of their
parent name. "ASSEMBLY" "*" would count all the objects with the
parent name ASSEMBLY, regardless of their object name.
The number of objects counted is placed into count.
If one or more objects are found, the coordinates of the enclosing
rectangle of the first object found are placed into x1, y1, x2 and y2

ENQUIRE “CURANCHOR” X Y

Places the coordinates of the last anchored point into x and y. If you
are using the rubberband command, the rubberband will be
attached at this point. In the following macro, the coordinate position
a+50,b+50 will be placed into x and y:
cur "enter point" a b

Macros 17-31
 rect [a,b] [a+50,b+50] [#]

ENQUIRE “CURFIXED” X Y

Places the coordinates of the last fixed point into x and y. The last
fixed point is the one marked by the grey "x" on the screen, and
represents the position where the mouse was last clicked or [Enter]
was last pressed. In the following macro, the coordinate position a,b
will be placed into x and y:
cur "enter point" a b
rect [a,b] [a+50,b+50] [#]

ENQUIRE “CURHOLD” X Y H

This command is useful for seeing whether the cursor is locked or

not. If it's locked, h will be 1. Otherwise h will be 0.
If the cursor is not locked, the last fixed point is placed into into x
and y. The last fixed point is the one marked by the grey "x" on the
screen, and represents the position where the mouse was last clicked
or [Enter] was last pressed. In the following macro, the coordinate
position a,b will be placed into x and y:
cur "enter point" a b
rect [a,b] [a+50,b+50] [#]

If the cursor is locked, the coordinate position (a+50, b) will be

placed into x and y. The last fixed point was a, b but since then, the
cursor has been moved to (a+50, b+50). Because the cursor is
locked, it can only move horizontally and vertically. So instead of
updating the cursor position to (a+50, b+50) AllyCAD can only
update it to (a+50, b).

ENQUIRE “CURMODE” a$

This function returns the cursormode in a$. Eg. “A” for Graball, “F”
for Freehand etc.

ENQUIRE “CURPOSN” x y

Enquires the current coordinate position of the cursor, and places it

into the variables x and y.

ENQUIRE “DATA” "bolthole" x y

Checks the drawing for a data item with the text "bolthole" and
inserts the x and y coordinates of the data item into the variables x
and y. If the data item is not found, x and y return with the value -
999999.0.

17-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ENQUIRE “DATA” "PAINT" x y P$

Checks the drawing for a data item with the text "PAINT=GREEN"
and inserts the x and y coordinates of this data item into the
variables x and y. The text "GREEN" is placed into the variable P$. If
the data item is not found, x and y return with the value -999999.0
and P$ with the value "<NULL>".

ENQUIRE “DATE” d$

Places the current date into d$ in the format YY-MM-DD.

ENQUIRE “DIGITIZER” N$ F$ I$ C B D P S x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3 x4 y4 x5 y5 x6 y6

Enquires the current digitizer setup and places it into the following
variables:
N$ Digitizer type.
F$ Format string.
I$ Initialization string.
C Comport.
B Baud rate.
D Data bits.
P Parity.
S Stop bits.
x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3 The coordinates of the three scaling points
on the digitizer, in digitizer coordinates.
x4, y4, x5, y5, x6, y6 The coordinates of the three equivalent
scaling points on the screen, in current
screen coordinates

ENQUIRE "DIMPARM" dimtextht ndecimal aspect linefeed witnesspen 1witoffset

2witoffset tolerance Arch$ textpen font$ arrowlen arrowwid decimal$

The variables are exactly the same as those used in the DIMPARM
function. See Set Dimension Defaults.
dimtextht Height of dimension text in tenths of a mm (on final
paper output).
ndecimal Number of decimals to display.
aspect
linefeed Distance between successive running dimensions.
witnesspen Color of witness lines and arrows. Pens are numbered
from 1 to 15 in the Color toolbar. 256 means pen By
Layer.

Macros 17-33
1witoffset Witness gap in tenths of a mm.
2witoffset Witness overshoot in tenths of a mm.
tolerance 1 if tolerances can be used, else 0.
Arch$ "A" for Architectural style dimensions, "M" for
Mechanical Style.
textpen Color of the dimension text. Pens are numbered from 1
to 15 in the Color toolbar. 256 means pen By Layer.
font$ Name of the font to use.
arrowlen Length of the dimension arrows in tenths of a mm.
arrowwid Width of the dimension arrows in tenths of a mm.
decimal$ decimal character "." or ","

ENQUIRE “DRGPATH” f$

Places the current drawing path into f$.

ENQUIRE “EXIST” "filename" a

If the file called "filename" exists, then 1 is placed into the variable a.
Otherwise, 0 is placed into a.
Note that you may have to give the full path of the file, e.g.
c:\AllyCAD\drawing\filename.drg.

ENQUIRE “FILENAME” f$

Places the current drawing filename into f$.

ENQUIRE “GRID” xspacing yspacing density pen on/off

Enquires the currently set grid x and y spacings, grid display

density, pen, and whether the grid is switched on (1) or off (0). The
pen is a number between 1 to 15.

ENQUIRE "HATCHNAMEFROMINDEX" HIndex Hname$

Returns in Hname$ the name of the hatch pattern stored at index

Hindex. If you give an invalid index the returned name will be "Bad
Index".

ENQUIRE "HATCHINDEXFROMNAME" Hname$ Hindex

Returns in Hindex the index of the hatch given by Hname$. If

Hname$ is not a hatch name, then the returned index will be –1.

17-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ENQUIRE “HEMISPHERE” h

If you are working in the southern hemisphere, h will be 1. If you are

working in the northern hemisphere, h will be 0.

ENQUIRE “LASTAREA” Area Perim Xcentroid Ycentroid

This queries the last area and perimeter measured using Polygon
Area in the Tools Menu. It places the last measured area into Area
and the last measured perimeter into Perim. It also places the X and
Y centroid of the polygon into Xcentroid and Ycentroid.

ENQUIRE “LAYER” A$

Places the name of the current layer into A$.

ENQUIRE “LAYERDEF” N$ V K P L W X Y

Enquires the details of the current layer and places them into the
given variables, as follows:
N$ Layer name.
V This is 1 if the layer is visible and 0 otherwise.
K This is 1 if the layer is locked and 0 otherwise.
P Pen number assigned to the layer: A number between 0 and
15. Pens are numbered from 1 to 15 in the Color toolbar.
L Line type assigned to the layer: A number between 1 and 11.
Line types are numbered from 1 to 11 downwards in the Line
Type Display. By default, 1 is continuous, 2 is long dashes, 3
is short dashes etc.
W Width assigned to the layer (currently ignored, but included
for future reference).
X Layer magnification in the X direction (currently used for both
X and Y magnification).
Y Layer magnification in the Y direction (currently ignored, but
included for future reference).

ENQUIRE “LAYERDEFINDEX” LAYINDEX N$ V K P L W X Y

Enquires the details of the layer with index LAYINDEX (LAYINDEX

can go from 0 to NUMLAYERS – 1 : see also ENQUIRE
“NUMLAYERS” ) and places them into the given variables, as follows:
N$ Layer name.
V This is 1 if the layer is visible and 0 otherwise.
K This is 1 if the layer is locked and 0 otherwise.
P Pen number assigned to the layer: A number between 1 and

Macros 17-35
 256.
L Line type assigned to the layer: A number between 1 and 26.
Line types are numbered from 1 to 26 downwards in the Line
Type Display. By default, 1 is continuous, 2 is long dashes, 3
is short dashes etc.
W Width assigned to the layer (currently ignored, but included
for future reference).
X Layer magnification in the X direction (currently used for both
X and Y magnification).
Y Layer magnification in the Y direction (currently ignored, but
included for future reference).

ENQUIRE “LAYERMAG” m

Places the magnification of the current layer into the variable m.

See also QUERYEL in the Tools section.

ENQUIRE "LAYHIGHL" H$

Places the character "O" , "P" or "R" into H$ depending on whether

layer highlight is Off, Pen8 or Rainbow. See also the function
LAYHIGHL

ENQUIRE “LINEDEF” L P W C S F R G B

Places the current line and polyline defaults into the variables. The
variables are:
L Line type: A number from 1 to 29. Line types are numbered
from 1 to 29 downwards in the Line Type Display. By default,
1 is continuous, 2 is long dashes, 3 is short dashes etc. If the
line type is 256, then line type is set as By Layer.
P Pen number: A number from 1 to 255. If the pen is 256, then
line type is set as By Layer.
W Line width in 10ths mm.
C 1 for closed, 0 for open.
S Spline type: 0 for no spline, 1 for 3pt Bezier, 2 for 4pt Bezier.
F Fill type: 0 = no fill, 1 = hatch, 2 = solid fill.
R Red component of solid fill (0-255) or hatch index number if
fill is a hatch.
G Green component of solid fill (0-255).
B Blue component of solid fill (0-255).

17-36 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ENQUIRE “LOCKANG” a

Places the angle that the cursor is currently locked at into the
variable a.

ENQUIRE "LTYPENAMEFROMINDEX" LIndex Lname$

Returns in Lname$ the name of the line style stored at index Lindex.
If you give an invalid index the returned name will be "Bad Index".

ENQUIRE "LTYPEINDEXFROMNAME" Lname$ Lindex

Returns in Lindex the index of the line style given by Lname$. If

Lname$ is not a line style name, then the returned index will be –1.

ENQUIRE “MACPATH” f$

Places the current macro file path into f$.

ENQUIRE “NEARARC” x1 y1 xc yc x3 y3 c p l

Places the coordinates of the arc nearest to the cursor into variables
x1 y1 xc yc x3 y3.
xc yc is the coordinate position of the arc's centre.
x1 y1 The coordinates of the ends of the arc. If the arc is a circle,
x3 y3 x1 y1 and x3 y3 both mark the coordinate position of a point
on the circle's circumference at the 3 o'clock position.
c c is 1 if the arc has been drawn in a clockwise direction
between x1 y1 and x3 y3 otherwise it is 0.
p Arc Pen. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255.
l Line Types are numbered from 1 in the Line Type Display
Area.

The arc's pen and line type are placed into p and l If pen or line type
is given as 256, it means that the pen or line type is being set By
Layer. The pen and linetype variables are optional. If no arc is found
near the cursor, then all the variables are given the value 999999.0.

ENQUIRE “NEARDATA” A$ X Y

This places the text of the nearest data item into A$, and the position
of the data item into variables X and Y.

ENQUIRE “NEARLINE” x1 y1 x2 y2 P L

Places the coordinates of the ends of the line nearest to the cursor
into variables x1 y1 x2 y2 P L.

Macros 17-37
x1 y1 The coordinates of the ends of the line.
x2 y2
P Arc Pen. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255.
L Line Types are numbered downwards from 1 in the Line
Type Display Area.

If pen or line type is given as 256, it means that the pen or line type
is being set By Layer. The pen and line type variables are optional. If
no line is found near the cursor, then all the variables are given the
value 999999.0.

ENQUIRE “NEARPATNAME” a$ p q r s

Inquires the name of the nearest object and places it into variable a$.
If no object is found nearby, a$ is <NULL>. The x and y coordinates
of the bottom left corner of the object's snip box are placed into p
and q. The x and y coordinates of the top right corner of the object's
snip box are placed into r and s. If you do not know what an object
or snip box is, see Drawing Structure.

ENQUIRE “NEARTEXT” a$ x y

Places the text nearest the cursor into variable a$, and the x and y
coordinates of the text into variables x and y. The x and y variables
are optional. If no text is found near the cursor, x and y return with
the value 999999.0 and a$ with the value "<NULL>".

ENQUIRE "NUMLAYERS" N

places number of layers into variable N. See also Enquire

“LAYERDEFINDEX”

ENQUIRE “NORTHEAST” n

n is 1 if you have chosen to read coordinates in the order Northing

Easting. n is 0 if you have chosen to read coordinates in the order
Easting Northing.
Northing Easting vs Easting Northing.
Internally, AllyCAD always stores coordinates in the order x y, where
x is the horizontal coordinate and y is the vertical coordinate. The
functions that are affected by the Northing Easting setting are the
following:
a) The coordinate display at the bottom right of the screen.
b) Move to Coordinates in the Tools Menu.

17-38 AllyCAD Reference Manual

c) Label Coordinate in the Annotate Menu.
d) The Surveyor Setup in Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu.
All the macro functions are unaffected by the Northing Easting
setting except:
a) ENQUIRE COORDS
b) ENQUIRE NORTHEAST
c) CHGCOORD
This means that if you write a macro to read a file of coordinates and
then to join them with lines, you must make your own allowances for
Northing, Easting.
In particular a coordinate pair in a macro command such as
LINE [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#]

will always have the horizontal coordinate first, then the vertical
coordinate.

ENQUIRE “NUMWINDOWS” nwin

This function returns the number of MDI windows.

ENQUIRE “PAPEREXTENTS” w h

Inquires the width and height of the currently loaded paper in mm,
and places these values in w and h.

ENQUIRE “PAPERSIZE” p

Places the drawing paper size into p. See the table in Settings
Functions to see which paper size p corresponds to.

ENQUIRE “PAPERUNITS” u

Enquires the currently set paper units and places them into u. Paper
units are defined as follows:
0 mm
1 meter
2 inches
3 user defined
4 feet and fractional inches
5 decimal feet

Macros 17-39
6 yards
7 km
8 miles

ENQUIRE “PARLLDEF” 1/0 (draw fresh/around existing perimeter) A1 (starting

angle) A2 (ending angle) 1/0 (straight lines/line arc line) 1/0 (close off ends/don't
close off ends) 1/0 (fillet corners/don't fillet corners) N (number of lines)

Places the current parallel defaults set for the Parallel Line function
into variables.
For each of the N lines you can then do an enquire:

ENQUIRE “PARLLNLINEPEN” LineNum linetype pen width offset

where LineNum is the number of the line you are querying. For
example, the following inquires the line type, pen, width and offset of
the second parallel line defined in the parallel line definition:
ENQUIRE “PARLLNLINEPEN” 2 l p w o

ENQUIRE “POINTDEF” style size

Enquires the currently set point style and size. Point style is a
number interpreted as follows:
0 Point
1 None
2 Cross
4 X Cross
8 Blip
In addition, another modifier can be added to the point style as
follows:
0 No modifier
32 Circle
64 Box
128 Diamond
If Enquire Pointdef returns a style of 34, the point style is a cross
with a circle around it (2+32=34).
The size is measured in mm on final paper output. However if the
size is given as a negative number, then it is interpreted as
percentage of the screen size. For example, a point size of -2 means

17-40 AllyCAD Reference Manual

that points will always be drawn at 2% of screen size regardless of
magnification.

ENQUIRE “PORTRAIT” p

Enquires whether the paper is oriented in portrait or landscape. P is

1 if the paper is in portrait and 0 if it is in landscape.

ENQUIRE “SCALE” s

Places the drawing scale into s.

ENQUIRE “SELDEF” Line arc text dims arrow data bitmaps polylines points
inserts

These are set to 1 or 0 depending on the filter settings. Refer to

Selection Filters in the Edit Menu for an explanation of the variables.

ENQUIRE “SELPROPDEF” current color, current linetype, current width, current

symbol, current fillcolor, current layer, hatchdontcare, hatchonly, hatchcurrent

Inquires the Property filters. Returns a 1 or 0 depending on whether

that filter is set or not. Fillcolor only applies to polylines. Symbol
applies to lines, arcs and polylines. The three hatch switches apply
to all objects (hatch and non hatch), and enable you to select objects
based on their hatch properties.

ENQUIRE “SELTEXTDEF” font ht wid ang lorg linespc style textmatch

Match_String$

Inquires the Text filters. Returns a 1 or 0 depending on whether that

filter is set or not.
Match_String$ is a text variable.

ENQUIRE “SURVDIMFORMAT” F

Enquires the survey dimension format, where F is a numeric variable

that can take the values 0, 1, 2 or 3:
0 Bearing on top, distance on bottom.
1 Distance on top, bearing on bottom.
2 Both bearing and distance on top.
3 Distance only.

Macros 17-41
ENQUIRE “SURVDIMTEXT” A D A$ D$ N

This converts angle A and distance D to text strings A$ and D$. The
formats of A$ and D$ are defined by the Units and Angular Format
set in the Drawing Settings, and the settings in Set Survey Defaults.
N is the angle A represented in tenths of a degree. The purpose of
this function is surveying macros that automatically dimension a line
with its distance and bearing. A$ and D$ are the dimension text, and
N is the angle required by the WTEXTPARM function so that the
dimension text is written at the correct angle.

ENQUIRE “SURVTEXTORIENT” S

Enquires the survey dimension orientation and places it into S. If S

is 0, text follows the bearing direction. If it's 1, text is always upright.

ENQUIRE “SYMPATH” f$

Places the current symbol file path into f$.

ENQUIRE “TEXTDEFAULTS” T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T$ T6 T7 T8 T9 T0 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

The variables are exactly the same as those used in the WTEXTPARM
function. See Settings Functions):
T1 = height in tenths of a mm.
T2 = label origin.
T3 = width in tenths of a mm.
T4 = boxsize in % of screen size.
T5 = linespacing.
T$ = font name.
T6 = color.
T7 = angle in tenths of a degree.
T8 = 1 if bold, else 0.
T9 = 1 if italic, else 0.
T0 = 1 if underlined, else 0.
Q1 = 1 if struckout, else 0.
Q2 = 0 if left justified, 1 if centred, 1 if right justified.
Q3 = 1 if a there is a balloon around the text, else 0.
Q4 = PitchAndFamily.
Q5 = CharSet.

17-42 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ENQUIRE “TIME” t$

Places the current time into t$ in the format HH:MM.

ENQUIRE “UNITS” u c

Places the drawing units into u, where 0 = mm, 1 = m, 2 = inches, 3

= user defined, 4 = feet and inches, 5 = feet, 6 = yard, 7 = km and 8 =
mile. Places mm per unit into c. For example, if you are working in
inches, u will be 2 and c will be 25.4.

ENQUIRE “WINDOWNAME” num wname$

This function returns the name of the window number. Number goes
from 0 to nwin-1.

ENQUIRE “ZOOM” x1 y1 x2 y2

Places the coordinates marking the bottom left and top right extents
of the current zoom window into x1 y1 and x2 y2.

Macros 17-43
ASCII Files
The following functions allow macros to read and write ASCII files.

CREATE "filename"

Creates the file "filename" for subsequent writing. If the file exists
already, all the data in it is deleted. If no path is specified in the
filename, the file will be created in the current macro path.

FILEMENU "prompt" "path" "extension" LoadOrSave F$

Calls the Windows file load or file save dialog boxes. "Prompt" is the
title of the dialog box. "Path" is the default path that appears in the
dialog box. "Extension" is the default extension of the type of file you
want to load or save.
If you want the Windows load dialog box, set LoadOrSave to 1. If you
want the Windows save dialog box, set LoadOrSave to 0.
F$ is a variable name that receives the full path of the file that the
user selected. If the user cancels the dialog box, then F$ is filled with
the string "<CANCEL>". See the example at the end of this section.

Before using this command you should have a line that sets F$ to
nothing, i.e. F$="". Otherwise you may find that your macro ignores
the FILEMENU command.

OPEN filenumber "filename"

Opens the file "filename" for reading or writing and assigns a

filenumber to that file. This filenumber must be used for all
subsequent reading and writing operations.
Only four files can be open at any time. Their numbers are 0, 1, 2
and 3. If you use PRN as the filename then you can write to the
printer. If no path is specified in the filename, AllyCAD will search for
the file in the current macro path. See the example at the end of this
section.

If you use OPEN to open a file for writing, writing will start at the
beginning of the file. If you want to add on to the end of an existing
file, use OPENA to open the file.

17-44 AllyCAD Reference Manual

OPENA filenumber "filename"

This is the same as OPEN, but if you are writing to the file you have
opened, everything you write will be appended to the end of the file.

WRITE filenumber "Rocket Scientist" TAB(35) s t b$

Writes variables to a line of the file. Numeric variables are written in

a format 12 characters wide with 3 decimal places. If you want more
fancy formats for your numbers you must convert them to strings
first using VAL$ in the String Functions. You can use the TAB
function, as shown above, to ensure that your output starts in
certain columns.

READ filenumber a d w$

Reads a line of the file and assigns values from the line to the
variables. There can be as many variables as you like in the variable
list. The line length read in is limited to 250 characters.
Fields on the input line can be separated by spaces or commas. If
there are not enough input fields, or the end of file has been reached,
then -99.e9 is assigned to numeric variables and "<NULL>" to string
variables. See the example at the end of this section.

READLN filenumber a$

Reads a whole line from a file (spaces and all) into the string variable
a$.

CLOSE filenumber

Closes down the file associated with filenumber.

REWIND filenumber

Rewinds the file back to the beginning.

TELL filenumber L

Places the current file offset of the file pointer into variable L.

SEEK filenumber L

Moves the file pointer of the given file to position L.

Macros 17-45
EOF(filenumber)

This is a function that returns 1 if the end of the specified file has
been reached. See the example at the end of this section.

ENQUIRE EXIST

See the example under ENQUIRE EXIST.

Example
This example shows you how to create an ASCII file containing
coordinates with site names. It then shows you how to write a macro
that reads and plots the coordinates and their names.
Open Windows Notepad and create a file containing the following
lines:
sitea 0 0
siteb 100 0
sitec 100 100
sited 0 100

After you have typed the last line and your cursor is positioned after
the last 100, press [Enter] so that the cursor moves down onto the
next line. Otherwise AllyCAD will not read the last line of the file
correctly.

Save the file you have created into your macro directory with a “.txt”
extension. Now open a new Windows Notepad file and create the
following macro:
REM ask user for name of coordinate file to load
F$=””
FILEMENU "Select coordinate file" "c:\AllyCAD\macro" "txt" 1 F$
REM open the coordinate file and call it 0
OPEN 0 F$
REM read in each line of the file. Plot the coordinate as a point and
REM write the coordinate's label at the coordinate point.
WHILE (1)
{
READ 0 L$ X Y
POINT [X,Y] [#]
TEXT [X,Y] L$ [#]
REM if the end of file 0 has been reached
REM stop reading the file
IF(EOF(0))
{
BREAK
}
}
REM close file 0
CLOSE 0
END

17-46 AllyCAD Reference Manual

This macro reads the three items in each line of the data file you
created: the site name (L$), the X coordinate (X) and the Y coordinate
(Y). It plots a point at the X,Y coordinate position and labels the point
with its site name, L$.

Macros 17-47
DDE Commands
The following functions allow AllyCAD to communicate with other
programs like Visual Basic and Excel, and vice versa.

SETMACVAR A 23.45

Sets the variable A to the value 23.45. This can then be used by the
other program.

SHELL "program arguments..."

Starts another program from within AllyCAD. A more useful way of

doing this is by a function call:
R=SHELL("program arguments...")

The value R is greater than 32 if the execute was sucessful.

WAITFORMESSAGE "messagename"

This causes the macro to wait until the other program sends it a
message. Once it receives the message, the macro continues onto the
next statement in the macro program.
The other program must use RegisterMessage with the same
Messagename, and then use the returned message number to signal
back to AllyCAD.

DDEConnect H "Server" "Topic"

Connects AllyCAD to another application. H is the returned

conversation handle used in all subsequent DDE commands. H is
zero if the connection could not be made.

DDEExecute H "Command"

Executes a command in the other application. H is the handle

returned by DDEConnect.

DDEPoke H "Item" "Data"

Inserts data into a specified item in the other application. H is the

handle returned by DDEConnect.

DDERequest H "Item" D$

Requests the data in a specified item in the other application, and

inserts it into D$. H is the handle returned by DDEConnect.

17-48 AllyCAD Reference Manual

DDEDisconnect H

Disconnects the conversation H

SHOWWINDOW S

This command controls the AllyCAD window, and is useful for other
applications that want to "wake up" AllyCAD. It takes one argument,
which can have the following values:
SW_HIDE 0
SW_NORMAL 1
SW_SHOWMINIMIZED 2
SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED 3
SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE 4
SW_SHOW 5
SW_MINIMIZE 6
SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE 7
SW_SHOWNA 8
SW_RESTORE 9

LinkExecute

You can also use the LinkExecute command to execute AllyCAD

commands from within other applications.
Example:
Create a Visual Basic program. Put an invisble text box called
DDE_Link_Box onto the form. In the form’s load procedure, type the
following:
DDE_Link_Box.LinkMode = 0
DDE_Link_Box.LinkTopic = “KB_CAD|System”
DDE_Link_Box.LinkItem = “Sysitems”
DDE_Link_Box.LinkMode = 2
DDE_Link_Box.LinkExecute “Line [0,0] [100,100] [#]”
DDE_Link_Box.LinkExecute “CIR [0,0] [50,50] [#]”
End

Start AllyCAD, then run the Visual Basic program. A line and a circle
will be drawn on the screen. You can send any AllyCAD command
this way, so long as it is in the form of a string.
If you want to use variable values, these must be strings. For
example, suppose startx, starty, endx and endy are string variables
containing coordinate values, you could draw a line in AllyCAD as
follows:

Macros 17-49
DDE_Link_Box.LinkExecute “LINE [“ + startx + “,” + starty + “] [“+ endx
+ “,” + endy + “] [#]”

See the DDETEST.MAC and VBTEST.MAC examples for other

examples.

DDE Examples 1 and 2

See ddetest.mac and vbtest.mac in your macro sub-directory for
examples of using the DDE commands with Visual Basic. The Visual
Basic programs these connect to, ddetest.exe and vbtest.exe are
supplied in your vbtest sub-directory together with their associated
mak and frm files. Note that you need a copy of vbrun.dll in order to
run these examples.

DDE Example 3
The following example starts a conversation with Microsoft Excel,
and places the words "Hello Excel" into the spreadsheet "SHEET1" in
the second row of the third column. It then reads the contents of the
first row of the first column and displays the result.
DDEConnect H "Excel" "Sheet1"
if (H)
{
DDEPoke H "R2C3" "Hello Excel"
DDERequest H "R1C1" D$
a$=join$("Value in cell R1C1 was ",D$)
mess a$
DDEDisconnect H
}

DDE Example 4
AllyCAD will also respond to DDE Execute requests from other
applications. If you make the DDE connection in the other
application with the server name as "KB_CAD" and the topic name as
"System", then you can send AllyCAD any macro command string,
and AllyCAD will execute it.
For example, the following Microsoft Excel macro connects to
AllyCAD, opens the Filter sample drawing, minimises AllyCAD and
displays it in its minimised form, then disconnects again:
Function testcad()
h = DDEInitiate("KB_CAD", "system")
DDEExecute h, "opendr c:\AllyCAD\drawing\filter.drg"
DDEExecute h, "showwindow 2"
DDETerminate h
End Function

17-50 AllyCAD Reference Manual

AllyCAD Functions
The remainder of this chapter lists AllyCAD functions, organised
under the menus they are used in. Some of the functions are not
used in the menus. These are listed under the same menu headings
as similar functions that are used in the menus.
Full details about the meanings of the function parameters are not
given. Rather, you are referred to the corresponding function in the
Reference section, where you will find a full explanation.
Bear in mind the following:
1. Functions are presented as follows:
FUNCTION_NAME FUNCTION_PARAMETERS
2. Text in parentheses () is not a function parameter but explains
the preceding parameter. Where you are given several options,
e.g. "R/C", "Y/N", 0/1/2, you only use one option.
HDIM "R/C" (Running/Chained) [xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] !
[x3,y3] ! [x4,y4] !... [#]

In the example above, you type "R" if you want a running

dimension and "C" if you want a chained dimension.
MIRROR [xmirror,ymirror] "Y/N" (vertical/horizontal) "Y/N"
(keep old half/discard old half)

In the example above, you type "Y" if you want to mirror

vertically, and "N" if you want to mirror horizontally. You type "Y"
if you want to keep the old half, and "N" if you don't, for example:
MIRROR [xmirror,ymirror] "Y" "Y"

3. Some function descriptions include dots:....

For example:
LINE [x,y] [x2,y2] [x3,y3]... [#]

These are not part of the parameters but mean you could add
more parameters, e.g. LINE [x,y] [x2,y2] [x3,y3] [x4,y4] [x5,y5] [#]
etc.
4. Due to space limitations, some functions are shown spreading
over several lines. However, in a macro, the function and all its
parameters may only occupy one line.

Macros 17-51
5. Refer to Description for details on variable names that you can
use. You can either use a variable name or an absolute value, for
example:
ROTATE [xc,yc] "Y" angle [#]
ROTATE [35,-10] "Y" 45 [#]
TEXT [x,y] "Lekker" [#]
TEXT [100,100] T$ [#]

6. You need to put double quotes around all string parameters,

such as "R", "Y" or "Agatha".
7. If you do not give values for all the parameters, AllyCAD will
prompt for the remaining values. For example, if you type
CIR

AllyCAD will prompt Enter centre point of circle. If you type

CIR [0,0]

AllyCAD will prompt Enter point on circle, etc.

17-52 AllyCAD Reference Manual

File Functions
If you do not include the full file path in the filename in the functions
below, e.g. "c:\AllyCAD\drawing\filter", AllyCAD will look for the file
in the relevant default directory, or will save it to the relevant default
directory.

SETPATH "c:\path\"

Sets the current default drawing file path to "c:\path\". Note the
trailing backslash, which is very important.

SETSYMPTH "c:\path\"

Sets the current default symbol file path to "c:\path\". Note the
trailing backslash, which is very important.

SETMACPTH "c:\path\"

Sets the current default macro file path to "c:\path\". Note the
trailing backslash, which is very important.

DELALL "YES"

Deletes everything in memory and loads the default startup drawing,

STARTUP.DRG. See New.

FILEMENU "prompt" "path" "extension" LoadOrSave F$

Calls the Windows file load or file save dialog boxes. "Prompt" is the
title of the dialog box. "Path" is the default path that appears in the
dialog box. "Extension" is the default extension of the type of file you
want to load or save. If you want the Windows load dialog box, set
LoadOrSave to 1. If you want the Windows save dialog box, set
LoadOrSave to 0. F$ is a variable name that receives the full path of
the file that the user selected. If the user cancels the dialog box, then
F$ is filled with the string "<CANCEL>".

Before using this command you should have a line that sets F$ to
nothing, i.e. F$="". Otherwise you may find that your macro ignores
the FILEMENU command.

READANYFILE

Brings up the load.drg,.dwg or DXF dialog box. See Open.

Macros 17-53
OPENDR "filename"

Loads the AllyCAD drawing file "filename".

READACAD "filename"

Loads the AutoCAD drawing file "filename".

LOAD "filename" [x,y] scale rot

Loads the drawing file "filename". The coordinate position, scale and
rotation are only required if you are loading one cartesian coordinate
drawing onto another. See Load Drawing.

LOADLAY "walls,electrical" "filename"

Loads the specified layers of the drawing "filename" - walls and

electrical in this example. See Load Layers.

LOADGEOM "filename"

Loads the geometry file "filename". See Load Geom.

LOADBITMAP "filename.bmp" xpixsize ypixsize visible thinmode [xleft,ytop]

Loads the bitmap file "filename.bmp". You must supply the.BMP

extension in the filename. Xpixsize and ypixsize are the real world
pixel size. Visible can be 0 or 1. If it is 0 then a placeholder is
displayed instead of the bitmap. Thinmode can be 0 (preserve black),
1 (preserve white) or 2 (thin pixels). Xleft and ytop are the
coordinates of the top left hand corner of the bitmap. See Load
Bitmap.

LOADMENU "filename.men"

Loads a new.MEN file for defining the functions on the pull-dpwn

menus, icons and accelerators. You must supply the.MEN extension
in the filename.

SAVE

Saves the current drawing. See Save.

WRITEANYFILE

Brings up the save.drg,.dwg or DXF dialog box. See Save As.

17-54 AllyCAD Reference Manual

STORE "filename"

Saves the current drawing as an AllyCAD drawing called "filename".

AUTOSAVEDLG DoAutoBackup Minutes AskUser GetRef SaveGeom UseDOM

The parameters represent the check boxes in the Save Settings dialog
box. DoAutoBackup, AskUser, GetRef, SaveGeom and UseDOM all
have values of 1 or 0. If the value is 1, the relevant check box is
checked. If the value is 0 the check box is empty. Minutes must be
set to the number of minutes between autobackups. See Save
Settings.

AUTOSTTG 1/0 (store geometry automatically/don't store it) 0 (not relevant) 1/0
(use drawing office manager/don't use it)

Sets just the store geometry and drawing office manager settings in
Save Settings. See Save Settings.

BACKUPTM t

Sets the autobackup time to t, which is time in minutes. See Save

Settings.

DESCRIP "Drawing Description" "Draftsperson" "Department"

Edits the current drawing's description in the Drawing Office

Manager. See Edit Description.

STOREWS "filename" [x,y]

Saves the selection set as "filename". X,y is the reference point of the
saved drawing so it can later be loaded accurately into another
drawing using Load Drawing. See Save Selected.

STORELAY "elec" "filename" [x,y]

Save a layer as "filename", where "elec" is the name of the layer to

save and x,y is the reference point of the saved layer so it can later
be loaded accurately into another drawing using Load Drawing. See
Save Layer.

STOREVIS "filename" [x,y]

Save all visible layers as "filename". X,y is the reference point of the
saved drawing so it can later be loaded accurately into another
drawing using Load Drawing. See Save Visible.

Macros 17-55
STOREGEOM "filename"

Stores all geometry as "filename". See Save Geometry.

NEWSYMFL "symbolfilename" "Y/N" (absolute/to scale) "Y/N" (convert

attributes to text/don't convert attributes)

Loads the symbol file "symbolfilename". See Load Symbol File.

IMPORTEXP "H" "filename"

Imports the HPGL file "filename". The screen must be blank. See
Import HPGL.

IMPORTEXP "A" "filename" [x,y]

Imports the ASCII text file "filename" as a text block at position x,y.
See Import ASCII.

IMPORTEXP "M" "Y/N" (all layers/just visible layers) "* *" (names of objects to
be exported) "filename"

Exports all or part of the current drawing as a macro file called

"filename". See Export Macro.

IMPORTEXP "T" "filename" [x1,y1] [#x2,y2] [#]

Exports the text within the box or polygon defined by x1,y1 and
x2,y2 as an ASCII file called "filename". See Export Text.

HARDCOPY

If the hardcopy command is entered with no parameters, it brings up

the Print dialog box. See Print.

HARDCOPY xoffset yoffset minpen maxpen

Does a print with the given offsets and just plots the pens from
minpen to maxpen. (Minpen and maxpen are only relevant if plotting
to a pen plotter). See Print.

ZOOMPLOT

If the zoomplot command is entered with no parameters, it starts the

zoom plot sequence, and then brings up the Print dialog box. See
Zoom Print.

17-56 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ZOOMPLOT "Y" (to fit) Border "Y" (satisfied) [#] (no compass) xoffset yoffset
minpen maxpen

The above command causes a zoomplot to fit with a border around

the edge of the paper, see the following examples:
ZOOMPLOT "Y" 10 "Y" [#] 0 0 1 15

would plot to fit with a border of 10 mm, and from pen 0 to pen 15.
See Zoom Print

ZOOMPLOT "N" (to scale) scale [xcenter,ycenter] "N" (rotate) "Y" (satisfied) [#]
(no compass) xoffset yoffset minpen maxpen

The above command does a zoom plot at a certain fixed scale around
the xcenter, ycenter point given.
E.g.
ZOOMPLOT "N" 500 [0,0] "N" "Y" [#] 0 0 1 15

would plot at a scale of 1:500 around the point 0,0

See Zoom Print.

PRINTSETUP

Calls up the Windows Print Setup dialog box. See Print Setup.

EXEC "filename"

Executes the macro file "filename". See Exec Macro.

COMPILEMAC "filename"

Compiles the macro source file "filename" to a compiled.MBF file.

ENCODE "filename"

Encodes a macro called filename. If you do not supply a filename, a

dialog box prompting you for one will appear. See Encode Macro.

EXECSTEP n "filename"

Executes the macro file "filename" one line at a time, starting at line
n. See Hints and Tips.

Macros 17-57
PURGE "Y/N" (remove duplicates) "Y/N" (remove unreferenced blocks) "Y/N"
(remove unreferenced layers) ! ! !

Purges duplicate entities, unreferenced blocks and/or unreferenced

layers from a drawing. The three exclamation marks dismiss the
information dialog boxes that appear showing how many duplicate
entities have been removed. See Purge Redundant Elements.

REPAIR "filename"

Attempts to repair a corrupted AllyCAD drawing called filename. If

you do not supply a filename, a dialog box prompting you for one will
appear. See Repair DRG File.

QUIT

Exits AllyCAD. If you do not want the shutdown process to be

interrupted by a dialog box, you should use DELALL "NO" before
using QUIT. See Exit.

17-58 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Edit Functions

UNDO

Undoes the last operation. See Undo.

If you want to be able to undo actions performed by the macro, you
must include SETMACUNDO 1 at the beginning of the macro.

REDO

Undoes the last undo. See Redo.

CUT

Cuts the selection set to the Clipboard. See Cut.

COPY

Copies the selection set to the Clipboard. See Copy.

PASTE [x,y]

Pastes the contents of the Clipboard onto the drawing at position x,y.
x,y is the top left corner of the Clipboard contents, except in the case
of text. See Paste.

DELSELECT

Deletes the selection set. See Delete.

DELEL [x,y] "Y" [#]

Deletes the element nearest to x,y. The "Y" confirms the deletion.

DELPREV "Y" "Y" "Y" " "

Deletes the last few elements you have entered - the last three
elements in the example above.

DELHATCH [x1,y1] [#x2,y2] "Y" (confirms deletion)

Deletes all hatches with hook points within the box or polygon
defined by x1,y1 and x2,y2.

DELLAYER "layername" " YES" (confirms deletion)

Deletes everything on the layer called "layername".

Macros 17-59
DELPAT [x,y] "YES" (confirms deletion) [#]

Deletes the object at position x,y.

SELECTNORMAL

Enters the Select function. See Select.

USEHANDLES 1/0

Switches off handles if you type USEHANDLES 0. USEHANDLES 1

switches them on again. See Select.

SELECT [x1,y1] [#]

Selects the entities nearest to the coordinate x1,y1. See Select. You
can select entities close to several coordinate positions:
SELECT [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3] [#]

SELECTNODES

Enters the Select Nodes function. See Select Nodes.

SELECTPOLY [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3]... [#]

Selects everything inside the polygon defined by the coordinates,

subject to the current selection filters. See Select by Polygon.

SETCROSSINGSEL 0/1

Set the selection mode for polygon selection. If set to 1, it is

equivalent to drawing from left to right and all entities crossing or
enclosed in the polygon will be selected. If set to 0, it is equivalent to
drawing from right to left and only entities fully enclosed in the
polygon will be selected.

SELECTDEF

Calls up the selection defaults dialog box. See Selection Filters.

SELECTDEF Line arc text dims arrow data bitmaps polylines points inserts

Sets the selection filters. The arguments are self explanatory if you
look at the Selection Filters dialog box. Set them to 1 or 0 depending
on whether or not you want to turn each particular filter on or off.
See Selection Filters. There is also a matching inquiry function. See
ENQUIRE SELDEF

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SELECTTEXTDEF font ht wid ang lorg linespc textmatch “match string”

Set them to 1 or 0 depending on whether you want to filter on text

that matches the current text defaults in this property. Style
includes bold, italic, underline, balloon and justification. If text
match is set, then the match string must occur somewhere in the
piece of text (case insensitive). See Selection Filters. There is also a
matching inquiry function. See ENQUIRE SELTEXTDEF.

SELECTPROPDEF current color current linetype current width current symbol

current fillcolor current layer hatchontcare hatchonly hatchcurrent

Set them to 1 or 0 depending on whether you want to filter on

elementst that matches the current defaults in this property.
Fillcolor and symbol only apply to polylines. The 3 hatch switches
apply to all objects (hatch and non-hatch) and enable you to select
objects based on their hatch properties. See also ENQUIRE
SELPROPDEF.

CLEARFILTER

Ticks all the filters except current color, current line type and
current layer. See Selection Filters.

SELECTNAME "parent name"

Selects objects with the parent name "parent" and the object name
"name". See Selection Filters. You can use the DOS wildcards * and ?
in parent and name. For example, to SELECT ALL, type:
SELECTNAME "* *"

This function is case sensitive. Object names should always be

written in upper case.

SELECTHATCH [x1,y1] [#]

Selects the hatch perimeter nearest to the coordinate x1,y1. See

Selection Filters.

SELECTLAYER "layername"

Selects everything on the layer "layername". See Selection Filters.

This function is case sensitive. Layer names should always be

written in upper case.

Macros 17-61
SELECTNEW 0/1

Switches automatic selection of all new entities on and off. For

example, if you use SELECTNEW 1 in a macro, all further entities
you draw will be selected. A side effect of this command is that the
entites are not drawn when first created. The entities appear when
you clear the selection using clearsel.

CLEARSEL

Clears current selection set (deselects everything that is currently

selected. See Clear Selection.

MOVETOBACK

Moves all the selected elements to the back of the drawing (First in
redraw order). See Move to Back.

MOVETOBACK [x1,y1] [x2,y2]... [#]

Moves the elements at coordinates x1,y1, x2,y2 etc. to the back. See
Move to Back.

MOVETOFRONT

Moves all the selected elements to the front of the drawing (Last in
redraw order). See Move to Front.

MOVETOFRONT [x1,y1] [x2,y2]... [#]

Moves the elements at coordinates x1,y1, x2,y2 etc. to the front. See
Move to Front.

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View Functions

ZOOM "W" [x1,y1] [x2,y2]

Zooms into the area defined by x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Zoom Window.

ZOOM "L"

Goes to the last zoom. See Zoom Last.

ZOOM "N"

Goes to the next zoom if you have used Zoom Last. See Zoom Next.

ZOOM "A"

Zooms onto all drawn entities. See Zoom All.

REDRAW

Zooms onto the full sheet of paper. See Zoom Paper.

ZOOM "S" scalefac [x,y]

Zooms the drawing at a certain scale (scalefac) around a given point,

x,y. This scale is relative to the drawing scale, not to the current
zoom. See Zoom Scaled.

ZOOM "E"

Zooms onto the selection set. See Zoom Selected.

ZOOM "V" n

Zooms onto View n where n is a number from 0 to 9. See Zoom View.

ZOOM "D" n [x1,y1] [x2,y2] " "

Defines zoom view n to be the box defined by x1,y1 and x2,y2, where
n is a number between 0 and 9. The trailing blank string parameter "
" is to stop defining zooms. See Define Zoom View.

TOOLBARPOPUP

Pops up a menu giving a list of the current toolbars, with the visible
ones checked. You can alter visible state of any toolbar by clicking on
its name in the popup menu. You can also activate the toolbar popup

Macros 17-63
menu by right clicking on any toolbar between the buttons and the
frame.

MAGNIFY

Magnifies about the current cursor position. See Magnify. Use

SETCUR x y before calling magnify to ensure that magnification
happens at the right spot.

DEMAG

Demagnifies about the current cursor position. See Demagnify. Use

SETCUR x y before calling demag to ensure that demagnification
happens at the right spot.

PAN

Recentres the drawing about the current cursor position. See Pan.
Use SETCUR x y before calling pan so that the right spot is panned
to.

LONGPAN [x,y]

Recentres the drawing about x,y. See Long Pan.

REFRESH

Refreshes the current screen with no scale change. See Redraw.

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Draw Functions

LINE [x,y] [x2,y2] [x3,y3]... [#]

Draws a line from x,y to x2,y2 to x3,y3, etc.. See Line (Chained).

PTLINE [x,y] [x2,y2] [x3,y3] [x4,y4]... [#]

Draws a line from x,y to x2,y2 and another from x3,y3 to x4,y4, etc..
See Lines (Pt to Pt).

POINT [x,y] [#]

Draws a point at x,y. See Point.

RECT [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#]

Draws a rectangle between x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Rectangle.

ARC [xstart,ystart] [xpt,ypt] [xend,yend] [#]

Draws an arc by three points. See Arc 3 Point.

ARCR [xstart,ystart] [xend,yend] radius [#]

Draws an arc by its start and end points and its radius. If you want
the arc to be drawn between the start and end points in an anti-
clockwise direction, give a negative value for the radius. See Arc
Radius.

CIR [xcentre,ycentre] [xrad,yrad] [#]

Draws a circle by its centre point and a point on its circumference.

See Circle.

CIRDIA [xcentre,ycentre] "dia1 dia2 dia3 dia4 dia5" [#]

Draws up to five concentric circles by diameter. Up to five diameters

can be enclosed in the double quotes. See Circle Diameter.

CIR2P [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#]

Draws a circle between x1,y1 and x2,y2. The circle centre is exactly
between these points. See Circle 2 Point.

Macros 17-65
BENTLINE [x1,y1] [x2,y2] rad1 [x3,y3] rad2 [x4,y4].... [#]

Draws a line arc line sequence. See Line Arc Line. Rad1 is the radius
of the corner defined by the points x1,y1, x2,y2, x3,y3. Rad2 is the
radius of the corner defined by the points x2,y2, x3,y3, x4,y4.

To end the line arc line sequence with a line, you

must give the coordinates of the line end point
twice, separated by a radius of 0, as shown
below:

BENTLINE [0,0] [100,0] 30 [100,100] 30 [0,100] 0 [0,100] [#]

To end the sequence with an arc, you must end

the sequence with a radius of 0:

BENTLINE [0,0] [100,0] 30 [100,100] 30 [0,100] 0 [#]

PARLLINE [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3].... [#]

Draws "fresh" parallel lines from x1,y1 to x2,y2 to x3,y3 etc. using
the defaults set in Parallel Defaults in the Settings Menu. See Parallel
Line.

PARLLINE [x1,y1] [x2,y2] rad1 [x3,y3] rad2 [x4,y4].... [#]

Draws a parallel line arc line sequence using the defaults set in
Parallel Defaults in the Settings Menu. x1,y1, rad1 etc. are the same
as in BENTLINE, above. See Parallel Line.

PARLLINE "A" [x,y] "Y"

Draws parallel lines around a perimeter using the defaults set in

Parallel Defaults in the Settings Menu. The perimeter is tracked
using the Auto method. X,y is a point inside the perimeter. See
Parallel Line.
See also Perimeter Functions.

PARLL1 "Y" (spacing) spacing no_of_lines "Y/N" (autotrimming/ no

autotrimming) [x,y] (element to be copied) [#]

Draws lines or arcs parallel to, and a fixed distance from, an existing
line or arc. See 1 Parallel Element. If you want more than one parallel
line, leave out the autotrimming / no autotrimming option. X,y is a

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coordinate identifying the element that must be parallel copied. Give
a coordinate just next to the element, on the side you want the
parallel elements to appear on. Examples:
PARLL1 "Y" 10 5 [0,1] [#]

Draws five elements parallel to the element identified by coordinate

[0,1]. The elements are 10 units apart.
PARLL1 "Y" 10 1 "Y" [0,1] [#]

Draws one element parallel to the element identified by coordinate

[0,1]. The original and parallel elements are 10 units apart.

PARLL1 "N" (through a point) no_of_lines "Y/N" (autotrimming/no

autotrimming) [xc,yc] (element to be copied) [xp,yp] (point through which
parallel element must pass) [#]

Draws lines or arcs parallel to an existing line or arc and through a

fixed point. See 1 Parallel Element. If you want more than one
parallel line, leave out the autotrimming/no autotrimming option. x,y
is a coordinate identifying the element that must be parallel copied.
Give a coordinate just next to the element, on the side you want the
parallel elements to appear on. Examples:
PARLL1 "N" 5 [0,1] [0,10] [#]

Draws five elements parallel to the element identified by coordinate

[0,1]. The spacing is defined by the point [0,10].
PARLL1 "N" 1 "Y" [0,1] [0,10] [#]

Draws one element parallel to the element identified by coordinate

[0,1]. The parallel element is drawn through the point [0,10].

FILLGEOM [x,y] (geometry intersect) [x1,y1] (next geometry intersect) [x2,y2]

(next geometry intersect) [#]

Traces over the geometry elements between the specified intersection

points to form solid elements. See Fill Geom.

FILLGCIR [x,y] (point on circle) [#]

Copies the geometry circle at the coordinate location x,y to a solid

circle. See Fill Geom Cir.

FILLGARC [x1,y1] (arcpt) [x2,y2] (2nd arcpt) [x3,y3] (arcpt) [#]

Copies a portion of a geometry circle to a solid arc. See Fill Geom Arc.
X1,y1 and x3,y3 are the coordinates of the ends of the arc. X2,y2 is a
point on the arc.

Macros 17-67
ELL [xc,yc] majora aspectr angle [#]

Enters an ellipse with its centre at xc,yc. See Ellipse.

ELLBIT [xc,yc] majora aspectr angle [xcut1,ycut1] [xcut2,ycut2] [#]

Enters part of an ellipse. Majora, aspectr and angle define the major
axis, aspect ratio and angle of the complete ellipse. The part ellipse is
drawn between the coordinates xcut1,ycut1 and xcut2,ycut2 on the
complete ellipse's boundary. It is drawn between the coordinates in
an anti-clockwise direction. See Part Ellipse.

SPLINE [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3].... [#]

Draws a circular spline through the coordinates x1,y1, x2,y2 etc. See
Circular Spline.

CURVE n [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3].... [#]

Draws a cubic spline through the coordinates x1,y1, x2,y2 etc. Each
spline segment is made up of n line segments. See Cubic Spline.

PLINE [x,y] [x2,y2] [x3,y3].... [#]

Draws a polyline or Bezier curve from x,y to x2,y2 to x3,y3, etc.. See
Polyline.

PVERTEX [x,y] [x2,y2] [x3,y3].... [#]

Adds vertices to an existing polyline or Bezier curve. This function

will only work if the polyline or Bezier curve was the last entity added
to the current object.

ADDSYM "symname" [x,y] scale rot

Adds the symbol called "symname" from the currently loaded symbol
file (use NEWSYMFL in the File Menu to load a symbol file). Symbol
names are case sensitive. The symbol appears at position x,y and
with the scale and rotation given. This function is not exactly the
same as the interactive one used by the Symbol function, as it does
not rotate the symbol onto lines, allows only one global scale for the
whole symbol and does not automatically snip around the symbol.

SYMBOL

Brings up the symbol function on the Control Bar. See Symbol.

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FREEHAND d [x,y] (startpos) [#]

Starts "freehand" drawing. D contains the minimum distance

between drawn points. See Sketch.

Macros 17-69
Modify Functions

STRETCH "Y/N" (everything/selected only) [x1,y1] [#x2,y2] [xfrom,yfrom]

[xto,yto]

Stretches items within the box defined by x1,y1 and x2,y2. Note the
# sign that must be placed before the second box coordinates. The
contents of the box are stretched from coordinate xfrom,yfrom to
coordinate xto,yto. See Stretch.

MOVE [x,y] [x1,y1]

Moves the selection set from x,y to x1,y1. See Move.

MIRROR [xmirror,ymirror] "Y/N" (vertical/horizontal) "Y/N" (keep old half/discard

old half)

Mirrors the selection set about a horizontal or vertical axis. See

Mirror.

MIRROR [x1,y1] (1stpoint on axis) "A" (arbitrary axis) [x2,y2] (2nd point on axis)
"Y/N" (keep old half/discard old half)

Mirrors the selection set about an arbitrary axis. X1,y1 and x2,y2
define the axis. See Mirror.

SCALE [x0,y0] "N" (cursor) xscale yscale

Scales the selection set about coordinate x0,y0, by the numeric scale
factors xscale and y scale. See Scale.

SCALE [x0,y0] Y(cursor) [x1,y1] [x2,y2]

Scales the selection set about coordinate x0,y0. The coordinate x1,y1
is scaled to position x2,y2. See Scale.

REPEAT n "Y" (rectangular) [x0,y0] [xr,yr]

Repeats the selection set n times in a rectangular fashion. X0,y0 is

the point on the original set and xr,yr is the point on the repeated
set. See Repeat.

REPEAT n "N" (polar) [x0,y0] angstep

Repeats the selection set n times in a polar (circular) fashion. [x0,y0]

is the point about which to rotate and angstep is the rotation angle.
See Repeat.

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DROP [x0,y0] [xd1,yd1] [xd2,yd2]... [#]

Copies the selection set multiple times. X0,y0 is a point on the

selection set. Xd1,yd1, xd2,yd2 etc. are the positions to which it is
copied. See Drop.

ROTATE [xc,yc] "Y" (keyboard) angle [#]

Rotates the selection set about xc,yc by an angle given from the
keyboard. See Rotate.

ROTATE [xc,yc] "N" (cursor) [x0,y0] [xr,yr] [#]

Rotates the selection set about xc,yc. Point x0,y0 is rotated to point
xr,yr. See Rotate.

TRIM 2/1/0 (update both/first/neither original elements) "Y/N" (use 2 points/1

point) [xline1,yline1] [xline2,yline2] [#]

Trims elements. Xline1,yline1 and xline2,yline2 identify the elements

to trim. If you type "N" to use 1 point, you only need to give
xline1,yline1.
You must identify xline1,yline1 and xline2, yline2 with care. For
example, if you are trimming two lines at a corner you should select
a coordinate position on the inside of the corner to be trimmed. See
Trim.

FILLET 2/1/0 (update both/first/neither original elements) "Y/N" (use 2 points/1

point) r (fillet radius) [xline1,yline1] [xline2,yline2] [#]

Fillets or trims elements. Xline1,yline1 and xline2, yline2 identify the

element or elements to be filleted or trimmed. If you choose "N" to
use 1 point, you only need to give xline1,yline1. If you give a fillet
radius of 0, the elements will be trimmed rather than filleted.
You must identify xline1,yline1 and xline2, yline2 with care. For
example, if you are filleting a corner you should select coordinate
positions that are not on the elements, but just next to them, on the
inside of the corner to be filleted. See Fillet.

CHAMFER "A" (by angle) [xline1,yline1] [xline2,yline2] dist angle [#]

Chamfers two lines by distance and angle. Xline1,yline1 and

xline2,yline2 identify the two lines to be chamfered. See Chamfer.

Macros 17-71
CHAMFER "D" (by distance) [xline1,yline1] [xline2,yline2] dist1 dist2 [#]

Chamfers two lines by two distances. Xline1,yline1 and xline2,yline2

identify the two lines to be chamfered. See Chamfer.

DIVIDE [xselect,yselect] [xcut,ycut] [#]

Divides or extends the element nearest xselect,yselect. Divide the

element at, or extend the element to, xcut,ycut. See Divide/Extend.

JOINLINE [x1,y1] (first line) [x2,y2] (second line) [#]

Joins the line closest to coordinate x1,y1 to the line closest to

coordinate x2,y2. See Join Lines.

SNIP "Y/N" (box/circle) "Y/N" (snip inside/outside) "Y/N" (enter box or

circle/don’t enter box or circle) [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#]

Snips everything inside or outside a box or circle. If you are snipping

everything inside or outside a box, x1,y1 and x2,y2 define the box. If
you are snipping inside or outside a circle, x1,y1 is the centre point
of the circle and x2,y2 is a point on its circumference. See Snip.

WSNEWLAY "D"

Moves the selection set to layer "D". See Move Selected->New Layer.

PATNWLAY "layer" [x,y] "Y" (confirmation) [#]

Moves the object at x,y to the layer "layer".

COPYTOLAYER "layer"

Copies the selection set to a layer called "layer". See Copy Selected-
>New Layer.

EL2ARC [x1,y1] [#x2,y2] [#]

Converts all ellipses within the box defined by x1,y1 and x2,y2 to 12
arcs. Note the # sign required before the final set of coordinates. See
Ellipse2Arcs.

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Geometry Functions

GCROSS [x1,y1] [x2,y2].... [#]

Draws geometry crosses at positions x1,y1 x2,y2 etc. See Cross.

GLINESLP [x,y] (point on geometry line) a [#]

Draws a geometry line through the point x,y, at an angle of a

degrees. See Slope Line.

GLINEPP [x1,y1] (1stpt) [x2,y2] (2ndpt) [#]

Draws a geometry line through the points x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Point-
Point Line.

GLINEPRL "Y" (by distance) [x0,y0] (orig_line) var1 [#]

Draws a geometry line parallel to the existing line closest to the

coordinate [x0,y0]. Var1 is the distance between the existing line and
the parallel line. See Parallel Line.

GLINEPRL "N" (through point) [x0,y0] (orig_line) [xp,yp] (parallel line) [#]

Draws a geometry line parallel to the existing line closest to the

coordinate x0,y0. The parallel line passes through the point xp,yp.
See Parallel Line.

GCIR [x0,y0] (circle centre pt) [xd,yd] (point on diameter) [#]

Draws a geometry circle by centre point and point on circumference.

See Circle.

GCIRDIA [xcentre,ycentre] "dia1 dia2 dia3 dia4 dia5" [#]

Draws up to five concentric geometry circles by diameter. Up to five

diameters can be enclosed in the double quotes. See Circle Diameter.

GCTANLL dia [x1,y1] (1st_line) [x2,y2] (2nd_line) [#]

Draws a geometry circle with the diameter dia, which is tangent to

the two geometry lines identified by x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Circle Tan
LL.

Macros 17-73
GCTANLC dia [xl,yl] (line) [xc,yc] (circle) [#]

Draws a geometry circle with the diameter dia, which is tangent to

the geometry line identified by xl,yl and the geometry circle identified
by xc,yc. See Circle Tan LC.

GCTANCC dia [x1,y1] (1st_circle) [x2,y2] (2nd_circle) [#]

Draws a geometry circle with the diameter dia, which is tangent to

the geometry circle identified by xl,yl and the geometry circle
identified by x2,y2. See Circle Tan CC.

GCTAN3L [x1,y1](1st_line) [x2,y2](2nd_line) [x3,y3](3rd_line) [#]

Draws a geometry circle tangent to the three lines identified by x1,y1,

x2,y2 and x3,y3. See Circle Tan 3L.

GCTANCPT [x,y] (geometry_circle) rad [xt,yt] (on_circle) [#]

Draws a geometry circle with the radius rad whose circumference

passes through the point xt,yt. The circle is tangent to the geometry
circle identified by x,y. See Circle Tan CPtRad.

GCTANLP [x,y] (geometry_line) rad [xt,yt] (point on circle) [#]

Draws a geometry circle with the radius rad whose circumference

passes through the point xt,yt. The circle is tangent to the geometry
line identified by x,y. See Circle Tan LPtRad.

GC3POINT [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3] [#]

Draws a geometry circle through three points. See Circle 3 Point.

GLNTANC [x,y] (circle) "Y" (fixed angle) a [#]

Draws a geometry line tangent to the geometry circle identified by

x,y. The line is at an angle of a, in degrees. See Line Tan C.

GLNTANC [x,y] (circle) "N" (through point) [xl,yl] [#]

Draws a geometry line tangent to the geometry circle closest to x,y.

The line passes through the point xl,yl. See Line Tan C.

GLNTANCC [x1,y1] (1st_circle) [x2,y2] (2nd_circle) "Y/N" (tangent does /does

not cross line joining circle centres) [#]

Draws a geometry line tangent to the two circles identified by x1,y1

and x2,y2. See Line Tan CC.

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GLNPERPB "Y" (perp bisector) [x1,y1] (1stpt) [x2,y2] (2ndpt) [#]

Draws a geometry line that is a perpendicular bisector of the points

x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Perp Bisector.

GLNPERPB "N" (perp to line) [xl,yl] (line) [xp,yp] (point) [#]

Draws a geometry line that is a perpendicular bisector of the line

identified by xl,yl and that passes through the point xp,yp. See Perp
Bisector.

MAKEGEOM [x1,y1] (el to be copied) [x2,y2] (el to be copied)... [#]

Copies the solid elements closest to x1,y1, x2,y2 etc. to geometry.

See Make Geometry.

TOGGEOM

Switches geometry on and off. See Switch Geometry On/Off.

DELGEOEL [x,y] "Y" [#]

Deletes the geometry element closest to x,y. See Delete Geometry El.

DELGEOM "YES"

Deletes all the geometry on your drawing. See Delete All Geometry.

Macros 17-75
Annotate Functions

TEXT [x,y] "text you want to enter" [#]

Writes text at the position x,y. See Add Text.

EDTEXT "E" "newtext"

Edits selected text so that it reads "newtext". See Edit Text. If you
have selected more than one piece of text, these will be updated in
the order you entered them. For example:
EDTEXT "E" "first" "second" "third"

EDTEXT "M" [xfrom,yfrom] [xto,yto]

Moves selected text from xfrom,yfrom to xto,yto. See Move Text.

EDTEXT "S" s

Scale selected text by a factor of s. See Scale Text.

EDTEXT "C"

Brings up the Set Text Defaults dialog box. See Change Text
Parameters.

SETALIGN 0/1 (align to each other/to grid) 0/1 (vertical align off/on) 0/1 (vertical
distribute off/on) 0/1/2 (vertical top/centre/bottom) 0/1 (horizontal align off/on)
0/1 (horizontal distribute off/on) 0/1/2 (horizontal left/centre/right).

Sets alignment. See Set Alignment.

ALIGN

Aligns the selection set according to the way that the Align dialog box
has been set up. See Align.

HDIM "R/C" (Running/Chained) [xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [x3,y3] ! [x4,y4] !...

[#]

Enters a running or chained horizontal dimension from x1,y1 to

x2,y2 to x3,y3 etc. xtext,ytext is the text position. Note the !, which
simulates [Enter] being pressed to accept the dimension text. See
Horizontal Dimension.

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HDIM "F" (Free) [xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [#]

Enters a free horizontal dimension. See Horizontal Dimension. To

enter several free dimensions at once you can use the following:
HDIM "F" (Free) [xtext1,ytext1] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] !
[xtext2,ytext2] [x3,y3] [x4,y4] !... [#]

HDIM [xtext,ytext] [xlead,ylead] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [x3,y3] ! [x4,y4] ! [#]

Enters horizontal dimensions when you are using Architectural Style

in Set Dim Defaults. See Horizontal Dimension. Xlead,ylead is the
point the leader lines should extend to.

VDIM

Enters vertical dimensions. Exactly the same as HDIM.

SDIM "N" (angle from points) [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [xtext,ytext] [#]

Enters slope dimensions when the slope of the dimension is taken

from the points being dimensioned. See Slope Dimension. To enter
several slope dimensions at once you can use the following:
SDIM "N" (angle from points) [x1,y1] [x2,y2] !
[xtext1,ytext1] [x3,y3] [x4,y4] ! [xtext2,ytext2]... [#]

SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang "R/C" (Running/Chained) [xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] !
[x3,y3] ! [x4,y4] !... [#]

Enters a running or chained sloped dimension at a fixed angle,

where ang is the angle. See Slope Dimension.

SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang "F" (Free) [xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [#]

Enters a free sloped dimension at a fixed angle, where ang is the

angle. See Slope Dimension. To enter several free dimensions at once
you can use the following:
SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang "F" (Free) [xtext1,ytext1]
[x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [xtext2,ytext2] [x3,y3] [x4,y4] !... [#]

SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang [xtext,ytext] [xlead] [ylead] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [x3,y3] !
[x4,y4] !... [#]

Enters sloped dimensions when you are using Architectural Style in

Set Dim Defaults. xlead,ylead is the point the leader lines extend to.

Macros 17-77
SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang "Y/N" (witness lines at +60/+120 degrees) "R/C"
(Running/Chained) [xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [x3,y3] ! [x4,y4] !... [#]

Enters a running or chained isometric dimension. Ang is the angle of

the dimension line. This will only work if you have entered Isometric
Mode in Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu. See Slope
Dimension.

SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang "Y/N" (witness lines at +60/+120 degrees) "F" (Free)
[xtext,ytext] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] ! [#]

Enters a free isometric dimension at a fixed angle, where ang is the

angle of the dimension line. See Slope Dimension. To enter several
free dimensions at once you can use the following:
SDIM "Y" (fixed angle) ang "Y/N" (witness lines at +60/+120
degrees) "F" (Free) [xtext1,ytext1] [x1,y1] [x2,y2] !
[xtext2,ytext2] [x3,y3] [x4,y4] !... [#]

ADIM "Y" "Y" [xL1,yL1] [xL2,yL2] [xstart,ystart] [xend,yend] ! ! ! [#]

Enters an angular dimension. "Y" for dimensioning an angle, "Y" for

dimensioning two existing lines, coordinate point on the first line,
coordinate point on the second line, witness line start, witness line
end, ! to accept the text of the dimension, ! to accept the arc radius, !
to accept the text position. See Angular Dimension.

ADIM "Y" "N" [xc,yc] [xstart,ystart] [xend,yend] ! ! ! [#]

Enters an angular dimension. "Y" for dimensioning an angle, "N" for

dimensioning three points, coordinate point of the centre point, first
angular point (witness line start), second angular point (text radius),
! to accept the text of the dimension, ! to accept the arc radius, ! to
accept the text position. See Angular Dimension.

ADIM "N" "Y" [xa,ya] ! ! ! [#]

Dimensions an arclength. "N" for dimensioning an arclength, "Y" for

dimensioning an existing arc, coordinate point on the arc, ! to accept
the text of the dimension, ! to accept the arc radius, ! to accept the
text position. This will position the dimension exactly on the arc. To
move it away, use the following:

ADIM "N" "Y" [xa,ya] ! "N" [xn,yn] ! [#]

"N" means not satisfied with the arc radius, and xn,yn is the new arc
radius position. See Angular Dimension.

17-78 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ADIM "N" "Y" [xc,yc] [xstart,ystart] [xend,yend] ! ! ! [#]

Dimensions an arclength. "N" for dimensioning an arclength "N" for

dimensioning three points, coordinate point of the centre point, first
point (arc radius), second point (text radius), ! to accept the text of
the dimension, ! to accept the arc radius, ! to accept the text
position. See Angular Dimension.

RDIM [xa,ya] ! "Y" (text on dim arrow) [#]

Enters a radial dimension. Xa,ya identifies the arc or circle. See

Radial Dimension.

RDIM [xa,ya] ! "N" (text not on arrow) [xt,yt] [#]

Enters a radial dimension. Xa,ya identifies the arc or circle. Xt,yt is

the text position. See Radial Dimension.

ODIM "Y/N" (Horizontal/Vertical) [x1,y1] (base point) [x2,y2] (text position)

[x3,y3] ! [x4,y4] !... [#]

Enters an ordinate dimension where x1,y1 is the base point, x2,y2 is

the text position and x3,y3 x4,y4 etc. are the points being
dimensioned. See Ordinate Dimension.

SURVEYDM [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3].... [#]

Enters survey dimensions between points x1,y1, x2,y2 etc.. See

Survey Dimension.

EDDIM [x,y] "T" "newtext" [#]

Edits the dimension text at position x,y so that it reads "newtext".

See Edit Dimension Properties.

EDDIM [x,y] "A" [xa,ya] [#]

Edits the dimension arrow at position xa,ya. The arrow belongs to

the dimension whose text is at position x,y. See Edit Dimension
Properties.

EDDIM [x,y] "P" newpen [#]

Edits the witness line color of the dimension whose text is at position
x,y. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255. See Edit Dimension Properties.

Macros 17-79
CUTDIMLN [x,y] (selectdim) [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#]

Cuts the dimension line of the dimension whose text is at position

x,y, within the box defined by the coordinates x1,y1 and x2,y2. See
Cut Dimension Line.

DIMALTER "N" (text) "text" "newtext" "A/L/P" (Area/Line/Point) "Y/N" (lower

left/upper right fixed) "Y" [#]

Searches for the dimension text "text" and changes it to "newtext".

The dimensioned object is stretched to fit "newtext". The extra "Y" at
the end is required for the function to end properly. See Alter
Dimension.

DIMALTER "Y" (cursor) [x,y] "newtext" "A/L/P" (Area/Line/Point) "Y/N" (lower

left/upper right fixed) "Y" [#]

Searches for the dimension text at the coordinate position x,y and
changes it to "newtext". The dimensioned object is stretched to fit
"newtext". The extra "Y" at the end is required for the function to end
properly. See Alter Dimension.

ARROW [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#x2,y2] [#]

Draws an arrow from x1,y1 (the tail) to x2,y2 (the head). Note that
you have to give the coordinate of the arrow head twice, and that a #
is required before the the last coordinate. See Add Arrow. To create
an arrow with several segments, use the following:
ARROW [x1,y1], [x2,y2], [x3,y3]... [xn,yn] [#xn,yn] [#]

BALLOON [xcentre,ycentre] "text1" "text2" [#xarrow,yarrow] [#]

Draws a balloon with its centre at xcentre,ycentre. See Add Balloon.

If you have specified two pieces of text in Set Balloon Defaults in
Settings, but only want one piece, type ! instead of "text2".
If you have not specified two pieces of text in Set Balloon Defaults,
leave out "text2" altogether.
If you have not specified arrows in in Set Balloon Defaults, you can
leave out [#xarrow,yarrow].

ADDRBALN [x,y] [#]

Adds or removes a balloon to or from the text at position x,y. See

Add/Rem Text Bubble.

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HATCH

Brings up the Hatch/Solid Fill dialog box. See Enter Hatch/Solid Fill.

STARTHAT hatch_pat_name index

Starts a hatch perimeter with a given index. All lines and arcs
subsequently entered will be part of this perimeter until you start a
new object, e.g. using the STARTOBJ command. For example:
STARTHAT testhatch 1
LINE [-50,-50] [50,-50] [50,50] [-50,50] [-50,-50] [#]
CIR [0,0] [20,0] [#]
STARTOBJ newobject
PLOTHAT

STARTHAT starts a hatch perimeter called testhatch, which will be

filled by hatch pattern 1. The hatch perimeter, comprising a line and
a circle, is drawn. STARTOBJ stops the hatch perimeter by starting a
new object. PLOTHAT draws the hatch on the screen.
You can also use functions such as AUTOPERIM to determine the
perimeter in place of functions such as LINE and CIR given in the
example above. See Perimeter Functions.

Macros 17-81
STARTHATCHEX "Object_Name" HatchIndex bOverRide HatchPen HatchScale

HatchIndex is a number from 1 to MaxHatches, the hatch index

bOverRide is set to 1 to override the hatch pen set in the
HATCH.PAT file
HatchPen is the pen number (from 1 to 256) used for the hatch color
if bOverRide is set to 1.
HatchScale is the scale of this current hatch.

Note that the index has the hexadecimal number 0x0F000000L

(=251658240 decimal) added to it to denote a hatch index (as
opposed to a solid fill color), and the number 0x00010000L (=65536
decimal) added to it to tell the hatching to take the color from the
HATCH.PAT file.
All lines and arcs subsequently entered will be part of this perimeter
until you start a new object, e.g. using the STARTOBJ command. For
example:
STARTHATCHEX “testhatch” 23 1 7 1.0
LINE [-50,-50] [50,-50] [50,50] [-50,50] [-50,-50] [#]
CIR [0,0] [20,0] [#]
STARTOBJ “newobject”
PLOTHAT

STARTHATCHEX starts a hatch perimeter called testhatch, which

will be filled by hatch pattern 23, the hatch pen will be overridden
with pen 7, and the hatch scale will be 7. The hatch perimeter,
comprising a line and a circle, is drawn. STARTPAT stops the hatch
perimeter by starting a new object. PLOTHAT draws the hatch on the
screen.
You can also use functions such as AUTOPERIM to determine the
perimeter in place of functions such as LINE and CIR given in the
example above. See Perimeter Functions.

STARTSOLID hatch_pat_name Red Green Blue

This is exactly the same as STARTHAT, except it starts a perimeter

for a solid fill. Red Green and Blue can vary from 0 to 255. For
example, to create a black solid fill, give "0 0 0". For white, give "255
255 255". For red, give "255 0 0", etc. See Perimeter Functions.

ADDHATCH [x,y] (select hatch to add to)

Selects the hatch to be altered at position x,y and enters the

Hatch/Solid Fill dialog box. See Alter Existing Hatch.

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PLOTHAT

Shows all the hatching on the screen. See Draw All Hatch.

PLOTWHAT

Shows selected hatching on the screen. See Draw Selected Hatch.

HATCHTOL [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [x3,y3] [#x4,y4]

Converts the hatches within the polygon defined by x1,y1, x2,y2,

x3,y3 etc. to lines. See Hatch->Lines.

PICKHATX [x,y]

Copies the hatch index from an existing hatch or solid fill perimeter.
x,y is a point on the perimeter of the hatch or solid fill whose hatch
pattern you want to use.

LABCOORD "Y/N" (table/label points) [xtable,ytable] ! (accept format) 0 (field to

increment) [x1,y1] !(accept pt) [x2,y2] !..... [#]

If you type "Y" for a coordinate table, the coordinates of points x1,y1,
x2,y2 etc. will be written into a table at position xtable,ytable. If you
type "N" to label points, the coordinates of points x1,y1, x2,y2 etc.
will be written next to the points. If you type "N" to label points, do
not include xtable,ytable. Coordinates will be displayed in the order
Northing,Easting or Easting,Northing, depending on how you have
set up Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu. See Label Coord.

Macros 17-83
Tools Functions

LOCKANG "L"

Sets the lock angle that the cursor will be locked to: "L" (Line), "J"
(Jump and Lock Line), "G" (Geometry Line) or "K" (Keyboard). See
Lock Cursor.

YPERP

Toggles the lock angle by 90°. See Perpendicular.

ISO120

Toggles the lock angle between the angles used in isometric drawing.
See 120 deg.

CURSORHOLD

Toggles locking the cursor to the lock angle and unlocking it. See
Hold.

LOCKANG "U"

Unlocks the cursor and cancels the lock angle. See Unlock.

JUMPALL

Jumps to the nearest point inside the Grab All cursor. See Jump to
Grab All Cursor.

JUMPGEOM

Jumps to the nearest geometry intersection. See Geom Intersection.

JUMPGD

Jumps to the nearest grid point. See Jump Grid.

JUMPINT

Jumps to the nearest intersection. See Jump Any Intersection.

JUMPPT

Jumps to the nearest point of any type. See Jump Point.

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JUMPCEN

Jumps to the nearest circle or arc centre. See Jump Circle Centre.

JUMPNEAR

Jumps to the nearest element. See Jump Near Element.

JUMPFIXED

Jumps to the last fixed point. See Last Fixed.

JUMPRATIO ratio "Y/N" [x1,y1] [x2,y2]

If you type "Y" and leave out x1,y1 and x2,y2, the cursor will jump to
a fixed ratio along the nearest line. If you type "N", the cursor will
jump to a fixed ratio between the points x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Mid
Point Jump and Ratio Jump.

CURTOCOORDENTER [x,y]

Jumps to coordinate position x,y and automatically snaps to it. See

Move to Coordinates. X and y are in the order Northing,Easting or
Easting,Northing, depending on what you have specified in Drawing
Settings.

CURTOCOORD [x,y]

Jumps to coordinate position x,y. X and y are in the order

Northing,Easting or Easting,Northing, depending on what you have
specified in Drawing Settings.

POLARENTER distance angle

Jumps the specified distance and angle and automatically snaps to

it. See Polar Move. The way the angle is measured depends on how
you have set it up in Drawing Settings.

POLAR distance angle

Jumps the specified distance and angle. The way the angle is
measured depends on how you have set it up in Drawing Settings.

HOME

Jumps to the screen centre.

Macros 17-85
SHOWNODE

Displays all the nodes on your drawing. See Show Nodes.

DUMPDATA "layers" "object names" "Y/N" (all elements/header only) "filename"

Dumps data about the drawing into the ASCII file "filename". To
dump data for all layers, type "*" for layers. To dump data about all
objects type "* *". See Dump Data.

DUMPDATA "BUILDING" "EXTWALLS *" Y "datafile"

In this example, data about all the objects with the parent name
"EXTWALLS" and on the layer "BUILDING" are written to the file
"datafile".

GRIDDEF

Brings up the Grid Settings dialog box. See Grid.

GRID xspacing yspacing density pen on/off

Sets up a grid. Xspacing and yspacing are the x and y grid spacings;
density is the grid display density; pen is the color; and on/off is 1 if
the grid is to be displayed and 0 if it is not. The pen is a number
between 1 and 255. See Grid.

QUERYDIST [x1,x2] [y1,y2]

Brings up an information box showing the distance and angle

between points x1,y1 and x2,y2. See Measure.

QRYAREA "A" (Autoperimeter) [x,y] (point inside perimeter) "Y" (satisfied with
perimeter) AVAR PVAR ! (skip pause) [#]

Queries an area inside a perimeter. Here AVAR and PVAR are the
variables into which the area and the perimeter are placed. See
Polygon Area and Perimeter Functions.

DATA [x,y] "data string" "Y/N" (visible/not visible) [#]

Enters a data item at x,y, with the text "data string". See Add Data
Item.

EDITDATA [x,y] "newdata" "Y/N" (visible/not visible) [#]

Edits the data item nearest to x,y. See Edit Data Item.

17-86 AllyCAD Reference Manual

QUERYEL [x,y] A$ B$ C$ [#]

Places three lines of information about the element nearest to x,y

into A$, B$ and C$. See Query Entity. For example, when you query
a line, the following information is placed into A$, B$ and C$:
A$: Line: 'A P98' Layer: 'A' (0)
B$: Length=100 Angle=180.00 Linetype= 1 Pen= 1 Width= 0.00
C$: Line coords: 50.000 0.000 -50.000 0.000

BOM "Template.BTM" "Bomfile.BOM" 0/1/2 (delimiter) 0/1 (field names) !

(dismiss confirming dialog with !)

Extracts a bill of materials. Template.BTM is the bill of materials

template file. Bomfile.BOM is the filename that the bill of materials
must be saved under. The delimiter determines how the BOM file will
be delimited: 0 for comma, 1 for tab and 2 for columns.
The Field Names parameter is set to 1 if you want AllyCAD to place
field names on the first line of the BOM file and is set to 0 otherwise.
The ! at the end dismisses the confirming dialog box.. See Bill of
Materials.

TIDYPOLY "A" (addnode) r (node_radius) [x1,y1] (node position) [#] " "

Adds a node with the radius r at position x1,y1. The trailing blank
enclosed in double quotes at the end is necessary to end the function
properly. See Tidy Polygons.

TIDYPOLY "T" (tidy boundaries) t (tolerance) [xn,yn] (start node) [xl,yl] (first line
segment) "S/K" (satisfied/keep old) [#] " "

Tidies the boundary beginning at node xn,yn, using a tolerance of t.

The point xl,yl is a coordinate on the first line segment of the
boundary. See Tidy Polygons.

TIDYPOLY "D" (drawingsnaptidy) t (snap tolerance) l (minimum line length)

"Y/N" (remove overlapping lines) [x1,y1] [#x2,y2] [#] " "

Tidies the area of the drawing enclosed within the polygon defined by
x1,y1, x2,y2. See Tidy Polygons.

TIDYPOLY "C" (drawingcliptidy) t (clip tolerance) [x1,y1] [#x2,y2] [#] " "

Tidies the area of the drawing enclosed within the polygon defined by
x1,y1, x2,y2. See Tidy Polygons.

Macros 17-87
EXPAND "N" (circle) "Y/N" (enter circle/do not enter circle) [xcent,ycent]
[xrad,yrad] magfactor [xexpand,yexpand] "Y/N" (arrow joining circles/no arrow)
"detail" (new layer) !

Produces a detailed view with a magnification of magfactor, on a

layer called "detail" and within a circle. Xcent,ycent is the position of
the circle's centre and xrad,yrad is a position on its circumference.
Xexpand, yxpand is the position of the centre of the detailed view.
See Expand.

EXPAND "Y" (box) "Y/N" (enter box/do not enter box) [x1,y1] [x2,y2] magfactor
[xexpand,yexpand] "detail" (new layer) !

Produces a detailed view with a magnification of magfactor, on a

layer called "detail" and within a box. The box is defined by x1,y1
and x2,y2. See Expand.

17-88 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Objects Functions
Object and parent names should always be in upper case.

BEGINGROUP "objname"

Starts a new object with the name "objname". Elements within the
object are grouped so you can select the entire object at once by
clicking on it. See Begin New Object.

STARTPAT "objname"

Starts a new object with the name "objname", but elements within
the object are not grouped.

LINKSEL "objname"

Groups the selection set into an object called "objname". Elements

within the object are grouped so you can select the entire object at
once by clicking on it. See Group Into Object.

LINK "Y" (box) "E/L/F" (everything / lines and arcs only / annotations only) l p w
[x1,y1] [x2,y2]... [#x3,y3]

Moves the elements within the polygon defined by x1,y1, x2,y2 etc.
into the current object. You can move everything, lines and arcs
only, or annotations only. You can further filter what is added to the
current object by line type (l), pen (p) and width (w). To select
everything, give values of 0 0 0. Line types are measured downwards
from 1 in the Line Type Display. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255.

LINK "N" (single) [xselect,yselect] [#]

Moves the single element at xselect,yselect into the current object.

MAKESYM "objname" [xhook,yhook] [x1snip,y1snip] [x2snip,y2snip] [x3,y3]

(enclosing box) [#x4,y4] (enclosing box) " " (no attributes) " " (stop making
symbols)

Groups the elements within the box defined by x3,y3 and x4,y4 into
an object called "objname". Elements within the object are grouped
so you can select the entire object at once by clicking on it. See Make
Symbol.
The object's hookpoint is at position xhook, yhook. Its snip box is
defined by x1snip,y1snip and x2snip,y2snip. You can also add
attributes to objects. In the example below, two attributes have been
added: "material", which has a default value of "pvc" and which is

Macros 17-89
located at position [50,0]; and "weight", which has a default value of
"100kg" and which is located at position [50,50]:
MAKESYM "objname" [0,0] [0,0] [50,50] [-10,-10] [#60,60] "material"
"pvc" [50,0] "weight" "100kg" [50,50] " " " "

EXPLODE

Explodes selected objects. See Explode Object.

ALLPATS "layer" "parent object"

Shows objects with the name "parent object" and on the layer "layer",
one at a time. You can use wildcards, e.g. ALLPATS "*" "* *" to show
all objects on all layers. See Show Objects.

LISTPAT "Y/N" (all layers/visible layers) "Y/N" (include/don't include areas and
perimeterss) "fileneme" !(pause)

Lists the objects in a drawing in an ASCII file. See List Objects.

RENAMPAT ! [x,y] "newparent newobject" [#]

Renames the object nearest to x,y with the new name. See Change
Name.

RENAMPAT "oldparent oldobject" "newparent newobject" [#]

Renames objects with the name "oldparent oldobject" with the new
name. See Change Name. You can use wildcards for "oldparent
oldobject", e.g. "* *".

PARENT "new parent name"

Sets a new default parent name. See Parent.

CHPTHOOK [x,y] [xnewhook, ynewhook] [#]

Moves the hook point of the object at x,y to the position

xnewhook,ynewhook. See Change Hook Point.

RENEW "Y/N" (sure you want to update) [x,y]

Updates all objects with the same name as the current object. X,y is
the hook point of the current object. See Update Objects.

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NEWCURP ! [x,y]

Selects the object at position x,y as the current object. See Select
Current Object.

NEWCURP "parent object"

Selects the object with the name "parent object" as the current
object. See Select Current Object.

BLNKCURP

Highlights the current object. See Blink Current Object.

BLOCK “Blockname” [xhook,yhook]

Moves all selected items into a block with the given name, and the
given hook point.

INSERT “Blockname” [xinsert,yinsert] xscale yscale rotation_angle [#]

Inserts the given block at the insertion point and gives it the required
scale and rotation.

INSERTINT

Does interactive block insertion with dynamic dragging for

positioning, scaling and rotation.

INSERTINT “Blockname” [xinsert,yinsert]

Does interactive block insertion with dynamic dragging for scaling

and rotation.

Macros 17-91
Settings Functions

SETPROMPT “prompt”

Useful to set your own message in the prompt area.

SETHELP “one line help at bottom of screen”

Sets your own message in the one line help/status area.

SETWAITCURSOR 0/1

This function switches the hourglass cursor off and on. Useful if you
are doing a long calculation

GEOMLINEPEN linetype pen

This function sets the geometry linetype and pen.

SETASKLOGON 0/1

If set to 1, AllyCAD asks for a user name on startup. See Multiple

Users in the User Guide.

SETWRITELOG 0/1

If set to 1, AllyCAD writes a log file of everything you do. See CAD.INI.

DRAWDEF

Brings up the drawing settings dialog box. See Drawing Settings.

SETPORTRAIT 0/1

Sets paper orientation to portrait (1) or landscape (0) mode.

SETPAPEREXTENTS width height

Sets the paper size to the specified width and height, measured in
mm. Sets the paper size option in the Drawing Settings dialog box to
User Defined.

17-92 AllyCAD Reference Manual

SETPAPERUNITS u

Sets the paper units in the Drawing Settings dialog box. The units
can be set to any of the following:
0 mm
1 meter
2 inches
3 user defined
4 feet and fractional inches
5 decimal feet
6 yards
7 km
8 miles

SETAREAUNITS A A$ C

Sets the area units. The variables have the following meanings:
A Area unit index. This can have the following values:
0 User defined
1 Square inches
2 Square feet
3 Square yards
4 Acres
5 Square miles
6 Square mm
7 Square cm
8 Square meters
9 Hectares
10 Square km
A$ Symbol for the area unit (e.g. "sq m")
C The number of square mm contained in the unit.

NEWSCALE papersize scale [x,y]

Changes the drawing paper size and scale. See Drawing Settings.
Papersize is a number corresponding to a paper size. Scale is the
scale that you want to draw at, e.g. if you want to draw at a scale of
1:100, then scale will be 100. If you want to draw at a scale of 1" to
100', then scale will be 1200. X,y is the point about which the
change to the new scale will take place, normally [0,0].
0 E 34x44"
1 D 22x34"

Macros 17-93
2 C 17x22"
3 B 11x17"
4 A 8.5x11"
5 LGL 8.5x14"
6 F 28x40"
7 Arch. C 18x24"
8 Arch. D 24x36"
9 Arch. E 35x48"
10 A0 841x1189mm
11 A1 594x841mm
12 A2 420x594mm
13 A3 297x420mm
14 A4 210x297mm
15 Use Driver Limits

SETUNITS

Brings up the units dialog box. See Drawing Settings.

UNITS variable "symbol"

Changes units. See Drawing Settings. The variable is a number

which represents the following:
0 mm
1 meter
2 inches
3 user defined
4 feet and inches
5 decimal feet
For example:
UNITS 0 "" millimetres, with no symbol.
UNITS 1 " m" meters with the symbol m. Note the space
before the m to separate it from the numbers
preceding it.
UNITS 2 """ decimal inches with the symbol ".
UNITS 3 300.56 " fun" a user defined unit called fun, which has
300.56 mm per fun.
UNITS 4 16 feet and inches with 16 as the largest
denominator.
UNITS 5 "'" decimal feet with the symbol '.

17-94 AllyCAD Reference Manual

CHGCOORD "C" (cartesian)

Changes to cartesian coordinates. See Drawing Settings.

CHGCOORD "S" (surveyor) "Y" (screen centre) xcentre ycentre

Change to surveyor coordinates and give the coordinates that the

screen centre should have. See Drawing Settings.

CHGCOORD "S" (surveyor) "N" (other point) [xpoint,ypoint] xcoord ycoord

Change to surveyor coordinates. See Drawing Settings. The present

coordinates of xpoint,ypoint are changed to coordinates xcoord
ycoord.

HEMISPHR "Y" (southern hemisphere)

Sets the coordinate system to the southern hemisphere LO (if used in

conjunction with CHGCOORD "S"). See Drawing Settings.

HEMISPHR "N" (northern hemisphere)

Sets the coordinate system to the northern hemisphere (if used in

conjunction with CHGCOORD S). See Drawing Settings.

SETNORTHEAST 1/0

If set to 1, the coordinate order is set to Northing, Easting.

Otherwise, it is set to Easting, Northing. See Drawing Settings.

ISODRAW "Y/N" (set/unset)

Sets or unsets isometric drawing mode. See Drawing Settings.

SETANGFORMAT u d m c

Sets the angular format. U is the unit to use and can be 0 (radians),
1 (decimal degrees), 2 (d.mm.ss), 3 (d°mm'ss") or 4 (Nd°m's"W). D is
the number of decimals to use when displaying angles. M is the point
from where angles must be measured and can be 3 (3 o'clock), 6 (6
o'clock), 9 (9 o'clock) or 12 (12 o'clock). C is 1 if angles should be
measured in a clockwise direction and 0 otherwise. These settings
only affect some functions, such as Polar Move and Survey
Dimension. In many functions, such as Rotate, angles are measured
in degrees anticlockwise from the 3 o'clock position regardless of the
angular format you have set. See Drawing Settings.

Macros 17-95
VIEWDEF

Brings up the View Settings dialog box. See View Settings.

SHOWPEN linetype pen

Briefly displays elements of the given line type and pen only. Line
types are numbered downwards from 1 in the Line Type Display.
Pens are numbered from 1 to 255.

USESWDOTTEDLINES 1/0

If you type USESWDOTTEDLINES 1, a slower but more precise

method of drawing dotted lines on the screen is used. This slower
more precise method is always used for printed or plotted output.

BACKCOL p

Sets the background color to pen p. Pens are numbered from 1 to

255. See View Settings.

TOGCOORDS

Switches coordinate display on and off. See View Settings.

TOGPOLAR

Switches the coordinate display between absolute and polar

coordinates. See View Settings.

TOGGEOM

Switches geometry on and off. See View Settings.

TOGARCDOT

Switches arc centres on and off. See View Settings.

SETPOWERBARFONT

Brings up the Control Bar Font dialog box. See View Settings.

TOGFIN A/T/D/B/N (All/Text only/Dimensions only/all text to Boxes/None)

Sets which annotations should be drawn when you do a redraw. See

View Settings.

17-96 AllyCAD Reference Manual

SETPOINTDEF style size

Sets point style and size. Point style is one of the following numbers:
0 Point
1 None
2 Cross
4 X Cross
8 Blip
A modifier can be added to the point style as follows:
0 No modifier
32 Circle
64 Box
128 Diamond
So, if you want points to be drawn as crosses with circles around
them, give a style of 34 (2+32).
Point size is measured in mm on final paper output. However if you
type a negative number it is interpreted as percentage of the screen
size. For example, a point size of -2 means that points will always be
drawn at 2% of screen size regardless of magnification. See View
Settings.

TOGGLEBIGCURSOR

Switches the big cursor on and off. See View Settings.

BIGCURSOR 1/0 (on/off)

Switches the big cursor on and off. See View Settings.

SETRULER 0/1

If set to 1, the ruler line is displayed at the bottom of the screen. See
View Settings.

TOGHATCH "A/S/N" (All/Selected/None)

Sets whether all, selected or no hatches should be drawn when you

do a redraw. See View Settings.

SCROLLBAROFF

Switches off the scroll bars. See View Settings.

Macros 17-97
SCROLLBARON

Switches on the scroll bars. See View Settings.

TINYPSIZ s

Sets the size, s, below which objects are not drawn fully. The size
below which text is not drawn fully is determined in Set Text
Defaults in the macro language. See View Settings.

TOGPBOX

Displays all the objects on your drawing except the current object as
boxes. Typing TOGPBOX again returns your objects to full detail.

LOADTOOLBAR toolbarFileName.tbr

Loads a toolbar on the fly. The format of the toolbar file is exactly the
same as that of a toolbar section in the menu file.

DELTOOLBAR toolbarname

Delete a toolbar on the fly.

CENTREPAPER [x,y]

Moves the paper sheet with respect to the drawing. The centre of the
paper is moved to position x,y. See Re-Centre Paper.

SNAPDLG

Brings up the Snap Modes dialog box. See Snap Modes.

CURMODE "F"

Changes the snap mode to Freehand ("F"). You can also change it to
"A" (Grab All), "G" (Grid), "I" (Geom Intersection), "N" (Nearest
Line/Arc), "E" (Circle Centre), "J" (Point), "P" (Perp) or "T" (Tan). See
Snap Modes.

CHMAG f

Changes the magnification factor to f. See Change Magnify Factor.

DXFSETTINGS

Brings up the To DXF/DWG and From DXF/DWG Conversion

Settings dialog boxes. See DXF/DWG Conversion Settings.

17-98 AllyCAD Reference Manual

SETVMEM

Brings up the Virtual Memory Settings dialog box.

SETDIGITIZER "type" "format" "init" C B D P S x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3 [x4,y4] [x5,y5]

[x6,y6]

Sets digitizer settings. The variables have the following meanings:

type Digitizer type. This must be the exact digitizer name given in
the Digitizer Settings dialog box, e.g. "Summa Graphics
MMBinary".
format Format string. The format string for the digitizer type you
have specified. If you give a format string of !, AllyCAD will
use the default format string for the digitizer type you have
specified.
init Initialization string. This van be empty, i.e. "".
C Comport.
B Baud rate.
D Data bits.
P Parity: 0 for none, 1 for odd, 2 for even.
S Stop bits.
x1, y1, The coordinates of the three scaling points on the digitizer, in
x2, y2, digitizer coordinates.
x3, y3
x4, y4, The coordinates of the three equivalent scaling points on the
x5, y5, screen, in current screen coordinates.
x6, y6

See Digitizer Settings

SETCOLOR Pen Red Green Blue

Defines a pen color shown in the Color toolbar. Pen is the number of
the pen whose color is being defined. Pens are numbered from 1 to
255. Red, Green and Blue are numbers between 0 and 255, which
determine the amount of red, green and blue in the pen being
defined. For example, red is defined by "255 0 0". White is defined by
"255 255 255". Black is defined by "0 0 0".
Defined pen colors are stored in the CAD.INI file in your user
directory.

TAKELPEN [x,y]

Picks line parameters from the line nearest to x,y. See Line Defaults.

Macros 17-99
PEN p

Sets the pen to p, which is a number from 1 to 255, e.g. PEN 2. See
Line Defaults. If you do not have the “Set AutoCAD colors” box
checked in the Pen dialog, then by default the numbers represent the
following colors (although you can change these default colors by
right clicking on the first sixteen color patches in the pen dialog):
0 Maroon
1 Red
2 Olive
3 Yellow
4 Lime
5 Green
6 Teal
7 Aqua
8 Blue
9 Navy
10 Purple
11 Fuschia
12 White
13 Grey
14 Black
15 Silver
256set pen By Layer

LINETYPE l p

Sets the line type to l and the pen to p. Line types are defined in the
linetype.mac file and are numbered downwards from 1 in the Line
Type Display. To set line type By Layer, give a line type of 256. Pens
are numbered as shown above. See Line Defaults.

LINETYPEDLG

Pops up the linetype dialog, to enable users to set pen and linetype
interactively.. See Line Defaults.

WIDTH w

Sets the line width to w. Line width is given in tenths of a mm on the

final plot or print on paper. See Line Defaults.

17-100 AllyCAD Reference Manual

SETLINEDEF L P W C S F R G B

Sets line and polyline defaults. The variables are:

L Line type: A number between 1 and MaxLinetype. Line types
are numbered from 1 to MaxLinetype downwards in the Line
Type Display. By default, 1 is continuous, 2 is long dashes, 3
is short dashes etc. Give a line type of 256 to set the line
type By Layer.
P Pen number: A number between 1 and 255. Give a pen of
256 to set the pen By Layer.
W Line width in 10ths of a mm.
C 1 for closed polyline, 0 for open.
S Spline type: 0 for no spline, 1 for 3pt Bezier, 2 for 4pt Bezier.
F Fill type: 0 = no fill, 1 = hatch, 2 = solid fill.
R Red component of solid fill (0-255) or hatch index number if
fill is a hatch. Remember that this index number has the
constant 0x00010000L (=65536 decimal) added to it if it
should take the color from the HATCH.PAT file.
G Green component of solid fill (0-255) or Hatch pen number (1
to 256) if fill is a hatch.
B Blue component of solid fill (0-255) or Hatch scale if fill is a
hatch.

See Line Defaults and Polyline Defaults.

LINESYMBOL "blockname" repeatfac

Sets the default linetype to draw symbol lines, where repeatfac is in

mm. Blockname must be the name of a previously entered block.

LINESTYLEAPPLY

This command with no parameters pops up the Apply What dialog

box before applying the default line style (linetype pen width symbol
spline fillcolor closed) to the entire selection set. You can set the
default line style with the LINETYPE, WIDTH, SETLINEDEF or
LINESYMBOL commands..

LINESTYLEAPPLY linetype pen width symbol spline fillcolor/hatch closed

This applies the default line style to the entire selection set. You can
set the default line style with the LINETYPE, WIDTH, SETLINEDEF
or LINESYMBOL commands. The last 3 parameters only apply to
polylines. The variables should be 0 or 1, depending on whether you
want to apply that attribute or not.

Macros 17-101
EDITLP "N" (single) [xselect,yselect] newl newp neww [#]

Edits the line type, pen and width of the element closest to
[xselect,yselect] to newl, newp and neww. Line types are numbered
downwards from 1 in the Line Type Display. Pens are numbered from
1 to 255. See Line Defaults. To set pen or line type By Layer, give a
pen or line type of 256.

EDITLP "Y" (selection set) oldl oldp oldw newl newp neww [#]

Edits the line type, pen and width of the selection set to newl, newp
and neww. Line types are numbered downwards from 1 in the Line
Type Display. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255. See Line Defaults.
To set pen or line type By Layer, give a pen or line type of 256.
To change the line type, pen and width of the entire selection set,
give 0 0 0 as the values for oldl, oldp and oldw, e.g.:
EDITLP Y 0 0 0 2 5 5 [#]

SETLINEDASH

Define a line type. See Line Types for details.

PARLLDEF 1/0 (draw fresh/around existing perimeter) A1 (starting angle) A2

(ending angle) 1/0 (straight lines/line arc line) 1/0 (close off ends/don't close off
ends) 1/0 (fillet corners/don't fillet corners) N (number of lines) L (linetype) P
(pen) W (width) O (offset)

Sets parallel defaults. See Parallel Defaults. L, P, W and O are

repeated N times, once for each parallel line. Line types are
numbered downwards from 1 in the Line Type Display. Pens are
numbered from 1 to 255. To set pen or line type By Layer, give a pen
or line type of 256.

PLINEDEF

Brings up the Polyline Defaults dialog box. See Polyline Defaults and
SETLINEDEF.

GEOMPEN pen

Sets the geometry line color to the specified pen. Pens are numbered
from 1 to 255. See New Geometry Color.

TEXTDEF

Brings up the Text Defaults dialog box. See Set Text Defaults.

17-102 AllyCAD Reference Manual

PICKTXTP [x,y]

Picks text parameters from the text nearest to x,y. See Set Text
Defaults.

WTEXTPARM textht lorg textwd boxsize linespacing "font_name" pen angle

bold italic underline strikeout justify balloon pitch&family charset

Sets text defaults. See Set Text Defaults.

textht Height of text in tenths of a mm (on final paper output).
lorg Text Label Origin How a piece of text is aligned around
its hook point.
textwd Width of a piece of text in tenths of a mm. A width of
zero uses the width specified by the font designer.
boxsize Screen percentage below which text is displayed as
boxes.
linespacing Spacing between lines of multi-line text. A value of 1
gives the most attractive default spacing. A value of 2
would give double spaced text.
font_name Name of the Font.
pen Text pen. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255. To set
pen By Layer, give a pen of 256.
angle Text angle in tenths of a degree.
bold Set to 1 if text is bold, else set to zero.
italic Set to 1 if text is italic, else set to zero.
underline Set to 1 if text is underlined, else set to zero.
strikeout Set to 1 if text is struckout, else set to zero.
justify 0 Left
1 Centre
2 Right
balloon Set to 1 if text has a balloon around it, else set to zero.
pitch&family A number giving the font type. Get this number for a
particular font by typing a sample piece of text on an
empty screen, then using Export Macro to create a
macro containing the wtextparm parameters for the
piece of text.
charset A number giving the character set. Get this number for
a particular font by typing a sample piece of text on an
empty screen, then using Export Macro to create a
macro containing the wtextparm parameters for the
piece of text.

Pitch&family and charset are numbers needed to ensure that the

correct font is used. Sometimes the font_name string is not

Macros 17-103
sufficient. If you want to ensure that you get a particular font, we
suggest that you create a sample of it using AllyCAD, write it out as a
macro using Export Macro, then use the values of Pitch&Family and
Charset that AllyCAD places after WTEXTPARM in the macro.

TEXTSTYLEAPPLY

This command with no parameters pops up the Apply What dialog

box before applying the default text style (Height, Width,
Linespacing, Color, Font, Angle, Lorg, Justification) to all text within
the entire selection set. You can set the default text style with the
WTEXTPARM command. See above).

TEXTSTYLEAPPLY Height, Width, Linespacing, Color, Font, Angle, Lorg,

Justification

This applies the default text style (Height, Width, Linespacing, Color,
Font, Angle, Lorg, Justification) to all text within the entire selection
set. You can set the default text style with the WTEXTPARM
command. See above). The variables should be 0 or 1, depending on
whether you want to apply that attribute or not.

DIMDEF

Brings up the Dimension Defaults dialog box. See Set Dim Defaults.

DIMPARM dimtextht ndecimal aspect linefeed witnesspen 1witoffset 2witoffset

1/0 (tolerance) "A/M" (Arch/Mech) textpen "font" arrowlen arrowwid ","(decimal
character)

Sets dimension defaults. See Set Dim Defaults.

dimtextht Height of dimension text in tenths of a mm.
ndecimal Number of decimals to display.
aspect
linefeed Distance between successive running dimensions.
witnesspen Color of witness lines and arrows. Pens are numbered
from 1 to 255. To set pen By Layer, give a pen of 256.
1witoffset Witness gap in tenths of a mm.
2witoffset Witness overshoot in tenths of a mm.
tolerance 1 if tolerances can be used, else 0.
Arch/Mech "A" for Architectural style dimensions, "M" for
Mechanical Style.
textpen Color of the dimension text. Pens are numbered from 1
to 255. To set pen By Layer, give a pen of 256.

17-104 AllyCAD Reference Manual

font Name of the font to use.
arrowlen Length of the dimension arrows in tenths of a mm.
arrowwid Width of the dimension arrows in tenths of a mm.
"." or "," decimal character

SURVEYDIMSETUP

Brings up the dialog box for Survey Dimension defaults. See Set
Survey Defaults.

ARROWDEF

Brings up the Arrow Defaults dialog box. See Set Arrow Defaults.

ARRSIZE length width pen blob slash

Sets the arrow defaults. Length and width are measured in tenths of
a mm. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255. See Set Arrow Defaults. To
set pen By Layer, give a pen of 256. Blob should be 0 or 1 depending
if you want arrow to be a blob or not. Slash should also be zero or 1
depending if you want the arrow to be a slash or not.

EDARROW [x,y] newlength newwidth newpen

Edits the arrow head at x,y to the new length, width and pen.
Newlength and newwidth are in tenths of a mm. Pens are numbered
from 1 to 255. To set pen By Layer, give a pen of 256. See Set Arrow
Defaults.

FITBALLN 0/1(add arrows) 0/1/2/3(balloon size) Y(one row of text)

Set balloon defaults. See Set Balloon Defaults.

NEWLAYER "Walls"

Changes the current layer to "Walls". See Set Current Layer.

SHOWLAYER "Walls,ELEC"

Displayes the layers "Walls" and "ELEC". See Set Visible Layers.

EDITLAY

Brings up the Layer Control dialog box. See Layer Control.

Macros 17-105
SETLAYERDEF N$ V K P L W X Y

Sets a layer's properties. The variables mean the following:

N$ Layer name. This layer will become the current layer.
V 1 to make the layer visible, else 0.
K 1 to lock the layer, else 0.
P Pen number assigned to the layer: A number between 0 and
15. Pens are numbered from 1 to 255.
L Line type assigned to the layer: A number between 1 and 11.
Line types are numbered from 1 to 11 downwards in the Line
Type Display. By default, 1 is continuous, 2 is long dashes, 3
is short dashes etc.
W Width assigned to the layer (currently ignored, but included
for future reference).
X Layer magnification in the X direction (currently used for both
X and Y magnification).
Y Layer magnification in the Y direction (currently ignored, but
included for future reference).

If the layer N$ doesn't exist, it is created. See Layer Control.

SETLAYERDEFINDEX IX N$ V K L P W X Y

Sets a layer's properties. The variables mean the following:

IX Layer Index, starting at zero. If this index does not exist the
function fails.
N$ Layer name.
V 1 to make the layer visible, else 0.
K 1 to lock the layer, else 0.
P Pen number assigned to the layer: A number between 1 and
255.
L Line type assigned to the layer: A number between 1 and
MaxLineType. Line types are numbered from 1 to
MaxLineType downwards in the Line Type Display. By
default, 1 is continuous, 2 is long dashes, 3 is short dashes
etc.
W Width assigned to the layer (currently ignored, but included
for future reference).
X Layer magnification in the X direction (currently used for both
X and Y magnification).
Y Layer magnification in the Y direction (currently ignored, but
included for future reference).

17-106 AllyCAD Reference Manual

This function is similar to SETLAYERDEF, except that it does not
create layers, nor change to the given layer. It assumes that the layer
with that index exists already. If the index is invalid then the
function fails. This enables you to change all the characteristics of a
given layer, including its name.

LAYNAME "B" "LAYERNAME"

Gives layer "B" the name "LAYERNAME". See Layer Control.

LOCKLAYER "Layername" 1/0

Locks or unlocks the layer layername. 1 locks the layer; 0 unlocks it.

ALLLAYER "Y/N"

If Alllayer is "N", operations will work on all unlocked layers. If

Allayer is "Y", they will only work on the current layer. See Layer
Control.

LAYERMAG "B" 0.5

Changes the magnification of layer "B" to 0.5. See Layer Control.

LAYHIGHL "O/P/R"

Switches layer highlighting Off, to no. 8 Pen or to Rainbow. See Layer

Control and Enquire “LAYHIGHL”.

HATCHSYLEAPPLY

This command with no parameters pops up the Apply What dialog

box before applying the default hatch style (Hatchindex / fillcolor,
Hatch Pen, Hatch Scaling) to all hatching within the entire selection
set. You can set the default hatch style with the STARTHATCHEX
command followed by a
STARTOBJ “”

command. You need to call the STARTOBJ function to terminate the

hatch object started by STARTHATCHEX.

HATCHSYLEAPPLY HatchIndex/Fillcolor, Hatch_Pen, Hatch_Scaling

This applies the default hatch (Hatchindex / fillcolor, Hatch Pen,

Hatch Scaling) to all hatching within the entire selection set. You can
set the default hatch style with the STARTHATCHEX command
followed by a

Macros 17-107
 STARTOBJ “”

command. You need to call the STARTOBJ function to terminate the

hatch object started by STARTHATCHEX. The variables should be 0
or 1, depending on whether you want to apply that attribute or not.

17-108 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Window Functions

WINDOWCASCADE

Cascades all the drawing windows.

WINDOWTILEHORZ

Tile all the drawing windows horizontally.

WINDOWTILEVERT

Tile all the drawing windows vertically.

WINDOWNEW

Creates a new view of the currently active drawing window.

WINDOWCLOSE winname$

Closes the window with the given name. See the ENQUIRE functions
for “NUMWINDOWS” and “WINDOWNAME” for number of windows
and window names.

WINDOWCLOSEALL $

Closes all drawing windows.

WINDOWACTIVATE winname$

Activates the window with the given name.

Macros 17-109
Perimeter Functions

PARLLINEPERIM

Adds parallel lines to the current object.

Parallel lines are drawn as defined in Parallel Defaults or by the
PARLLDEF macro command. Parallel Defaults must be set to draw
lines around an existing perimeter.
After you have used PARLLINEPERIM, the current object is deleted.

QRYAREAPERIM

Measures the area and perimeter of the current object.

The area and perimeter are measured using the units defined in
Drawing Settings or by the UNITS and SETAREAUNITS macro
commands.
When you use QRYAREAPERIM, an information box containing the
measured area and perimeter will appear on the screen. If you do not
want this box to appear, place an exclamation mark after the
QRYAREAPERIM command, i.e.
QRYAREAPERIM !

To extract the area and perimeter as variables, use the ENQUIRE

LASTAREA command.
After you have used QRYAREAPERIM, the current object is deleted.

To ensure that the correct area is measured, you should use

CIRPERIM, RECTPERIM, LINE, INTERSECTPERIM or AUTOPERIM
to create the current object. Unless all the entities in the object
have been drawn sequentially, OBJPERIM may result in an
incorrect area being measured.

Perimeter measurements can be affected by line thickness. If you

want to ensure this does not happen, type SETUSEWIDTHPERIM 0
before measuring the perimeter. SETUSEWIDTHPERIM 1 switches
line thickness / perimeter interaction back on. See Polygon Area.

17-110 AllyCAD Reference Manual

HATCHPERIM

This command hatches the current object. After you have used
HATCHPERIM, the current object is converted to a hatch perimeter.
When you use HATCHPERIM the Hatch/Solid Fill dialog box appears
so you can select the hatch pattern or solid fill you want to use.
If you do not want this dialog box to appear, use the STARTHAT or
STARTSOLID commands to create the hatch.

CIRPERIM

This command behaves as though you had selected the Circle icon
from the Perimeter menu. It prompts for a circle to be added to the
perimeter.
The circle is then copied to the current object where it can have
parallel lines added to it or be hatched or measured with the
functions HATCHPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or PARLLINEPERIM.
If you do not use PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM after you have used CIRPERIM, you may end up with
duplicate circles on your drawing. See the CLEARCURROBJ
command.

RECTPERIM

This command draws a rectangle and behaves as though you had

selected the Rectangle Icon from the Perimeter Menu. Like the
Rectangle Icon in the Perimeter Menu, it will prompt you for two
rectangle corners.
When you use RECTPERIM, the rectangle you draw is added to the
current object, which can then have parallel lines added to it or be
hatched or measured using PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM.
If you do not use PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM after you have used RECTPERIM, you will end up with
an ordinary rectangle. In fact, RECTPERIM can be used in place of
RECT to draw a rectangle. You can specify the rectangle coordinates
as follows:
RECTPERIM [x1,y1] [x2,y2] [#]

The difference between RECT and RECTPERIM is that RECTPERIM

does not start a new object or group the lines in the rectangle
together so that they can all be selected at once.

Macros 17-111
LINE

You can use the ordinary LINE macro command to add lines to a
perimeter as though you had selected the Line Icon in the Perimeter
Menu.
When you use LINE, the lines you draw are added to the current
object, which can then have parallel lines added to it or be hatched
or measured using PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM.

OBJPERIM

This command behaves as though you had selected the Object Icon
from the Perimeter Menu. It prompts for an object to be added to the
perimeter.
The entire selected object is then copied to the current object where
it can have parallel lines added to it or be hatched or measured using
PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or HATCHPERIM.
If you do not use PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM after you have used CIRPERIM, you will end up with a
duplicate object on your drawing. See the CLEARCURROBJ
command.

INTERSECTPERIM

This command behaves as though you had selected the Intersection

Icon from the Perimeter Menu. It allows you to trace over a perimeter
by prompting for elements and intersections in turn.
The elements you trace over are copied to the current object where
they can have parallel lines added to them or be hatched or
measured using PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM.
If you do not use PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM after you have used INTERSECTPERIM, you will end
up with duplicate entities on your drawing. See the CLEARCURROBJ
command.

AUTOPERIM 1/0

This command does an auto-perimeter track and behaves as though

you had selected the Auto Icon from the Perimeter Menu.
Like the Auto Icon in the Perimeter Menu, it will prompt you to place
the cursor inside the perimeter and near a line. You can avoid this
prompt by adding coordinates to the end of the command, i.e.
17-112 AllyCAD Reference Manual
 AUTOPERIM 1/0 [x,y]

where x,y identifies the perimeter to be tracked.

The 1/0 switch determines whether the first line is to be included in
the perimeter or not. AUTOPERIM 1 includes the first line in the
perimeter. Use AUTOPERIM 1 if you want to add parallel lines to the
perimeter. AUTOPERIM 0 does not include the first line in the
perimeter. Use AUTOPERIM 0 for hatching and area calculations.
When you use Autoperim, it copies the perimeter it has tracked and
adds this copy to the current object, which can then have parallel
lines added to it or be hatched or measured using PARLLINEPERIM,
QRYAREAPERIM or HATCHPERIM. See above).
If you do not use PARLLINEPERIM, QRYAREAPERIM or
HATCHPERIM after you have used Autoperim, you will end up with
duplicate lines and arcs along the perimeter. See the
CLEARCURROBJ command (below).

CLEARWS

This command clears the current object before you use CIRPERIM,
RECTPERIM, LINE, OBJPERIM, INTERSECTPERIM and
AUTOPERIM.
These functions create a current object which can then have parallel
lines added to it or be hatched or measured using PARLLINEPERIM,
QRYAREAPERIM or HATCHPERIM.

CLEARCURROBJ

This command deletes the current object. For example:

WHILE (1)
{
REM ask user to click in area they want to measure
CUR "Click in area to measure" X Y K
IF (K)
{
end
}
REM clear the current object
CLEARWS
REM copy the perimeter indicated by the user into
REM the current object using an auto perimeter track
AUTOPERIM 0 [x,y]
R=REPLY("Satisfied with Perimeter?")
IF (R=0)
{
REM if the user isn't satisfied with the perimeter
REM that's going to be measured, delete the current
REM object

Macros 17-113
 CLEARCURROBJ
}
ELSE
{
REM if the user is satisfied, measure the current
REM object
REM qryareaperim automatically deletes the current
REM object after measurement
QRYAREAPERIM
}
}
END

SHOWPERIM

Highlights the current perimeter.

17-114 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Notes:

Macros 17-115
Compiled Macros
Version 3.00x of AllyCAD windows includes a compiled macro
language as well as the ‘old’ interpreted macro language. This
chapter introduces the compiled macro language and explains the
process of developing programs for execution by the AllyCAD
windows version 3.0x (and later) CAD system.
The compiled macro is a high-level CAD language, which can be used
to automate repetitive or complex tasks in the AllyCAD design
system. Compiled macro programs can be used to customize
AllyCAD to specific applications.
This guide describes the compiled macro language, how to compile a
macro program use File  Compile Macro, how to run the program use
File  Exec Macro, to assign the compiled macro to a keystroke, icon or
menu item see Customizing the AllyCAD Menu file.

Advantages of using compiled macro programs

Earlier versions of AllyCAD provided the facility to execute macro
programs in an “interpreted” mode, i.e. AllyCAD would directly read
the English-like text of the macro program and would interpret the
commands as it went along.
From version 3.00x of AllyCAD windows onwards, macro programs
can be “compiled” by a separate program (compiler) before being
executed by AllyCAD. The compiler interprets the program source file
(which has the extension .MAC) and produces a “macro binary file”
(with the extension .MBF) which can be interpreted more quickly and
easily by AllyCAD.
The AllyCAD Windows macro compiler is built into AllyCAD, and is
no longer a separate program, as it was in the old DOS program.
Moving the interpretation of the source file into a separate compiler
has several advantages. Firstly, the compiler has better syntax-
checking capabilities than the AllyCAD interpreter; in other words,
you eliminate all grammatical errors from the program before you try
to run it.
Secondly, the compiled programs run a lot faster than the
interpreted programs. And thirdly, it has allowed the compiled macro
language to be extended to include such powerful constructs as
procedures (subroutines) and numeric arrays, while substantially
maintaining compatibility with previous interpreted programs.

Compiled Macros 18-1

The structure of a compiled macro program
Care has been taken to maintain compatibility as far as possible with
old-style (interpreted) macro programs. A compiled macro program
has the following general format, where the sections must be in the
order shown:
• Declarations of global numeric variables, string variables and
arrays. This section is optional.
• User procedure(s). This section is optional.
• Main executable statements. Execution starts at the first
statement in this section.
• END statement. Anything after the END statement is ignored.
Note that old-style macro programs do not contain the optional
declarations and procedures sections.
A compiled macro program must be completely contained in one
source file. The compiler does not support separate compilation and
linking of source modules.

An introductory sample compiled macro program

/* This is a simple program that draws a circle at
an arbitrary position, with an arbitrary
diameter, and places a cross over the circle. */

CUR “Enter circle center point” x y

ENTER “Enter circle diameter” diameter
PEN 2 /* select pen number 2 */
radius=diameter/2 /* calculate radius */
r2 = radius + 5 /* make cross 5 units larger than circle */

/* Now draw a circle at the selected point */

CIR [x,y] [x+radius,y] [#]

/* Now draw a cross at the center point */

LINETYPE 4 3
LINE [x - r2, y] [x + r2, y] [#]
LINE [x, y - r2] [x, y + r2] [#]
END

18-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Converting old-style macro programs
A converter program (INT2COMP) is supplied together with the
compiler, for converting old-style (interpreted) macro programs to the
new compiled macro syntax. This converter program modifies the
source text where necessary. Statements that cannot be converted
are flagged for manual editing; for example, the CHAIN command is
not supported in the new syntax because its function has been
superseded by the “procedure call” facility.
To convert an old-style macro program to the new syntax, use the
command:
INT2COMP filename

where filename does not include the “.MAC” extension. INT2COMP

will create a file called “filename.NEW” in the same directory as the
old macro file.
The minor incompatibilities between the old and the new syntax are
listed at the end of this chapter. In general, a program that has been
processed by the converter will not require any manual editing.

Compiled Macros 18-3

Language elements
Character set
The compiled macro program character set is the following subset of
the ASCII character set:
A..Z
a..z
0..9

the following special characters:

= . / () {} [] << >> ! : ^ + - * , @ # _ \

plus blank (space), tab, carriage-return and line-feed characters. The

blank and the tab are collectively known as whitespace characters.
Compiled macro does not distinguish between uppercase and
lowercase letters, except in string constants. For example, the
variable names “xyz” and “XYZ” are the same. In this manual, all
compiled macro syntax will be shown as uppercase, by convention.
The compiled macro compiler treats multiple contiguous blanks and
tabs as single blanks, by ignoring all blanks or tabs except the first
one.

18-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Special Characters
The table below explains the use of each of the special characters:
Character Meaning
() Used to enclose numeric expressions and the list of
arguments which follows a built-in numeric function, a
built-in string function, or a user-supplied procedure.
[] Used to enclose the coordinates of a point.
{} Used to enclose a block of statements in the WHILE, IF,
ELSE and SWITCH statements.
“ Double quote: used to enclose string constants
‘ Single quote: used to enclose character constants
# Symbolises a press of the SPACE BAR, and is used at
the end of most built-in commands to exit from the
command. In this context, it must be enclosed in square
brackets, i.e. [#]. It is also used in relational expressions,
as the “NOT-EQUALS” operator.
! As the first non-whitespace character in a line it indicates
that the rest of the line is a comment. In a built-in
command, it denotes a press of the ENTER key, and is
used to select a default operation or value
@ Used as a “modifier” within a coordinate pair, to denote
relative positioning of the cursor.
% Used as a “modifier” within a coordinate pair, to update
the cursor position.
, Used to separate arguments of built-in numeric functions,
built-in string functions and user procedures.
<< >> Used in relational expressions, as the LESS-THAN and
GREATER-THAN operators, and also in the LESS-
THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO and GREATER-THAN-OR-
EQUAL-TO operators( <<= and >>= )
= Used as the ASSIGNMENT operator, the EQUALS
operator, and as part of the LESS-THAN-OR-EQUALS
and GREATER-THAN-OR-EQUALS operators.
\ Used at the end of a line, to continue a long statement or
string constant on the following line.
. Used as the decimal point
+ Used as the addition operator
- Used as the subtraction and the unary minus operator
/ Used as the division operator
* Used as the multiplication operator
^ The exponentiation operator

Compiled Macros 18-5

Tokens, separators and the use of blanks
The smallest meaningful unit of a compiled macro program is a
“token”. Every token belongs to one of the following classes:
• Identifiers (i.e. names of variables, arrays and procedures)
• Keywords (reserved words)
• Simple delimiters (all of the special characters are delimiters)
• Compound delimiters (combinations of two special characters):
<<=, >>=, /*, */
• Numeric constants
• String constants
It is usually clear where one token ends and the next begins. For
example, in the statement:
EXACT=APPROX*(HEIGHT-3)/SCALE

EXACT, APPROX, HEIGHT and SCALE are identifiers, 3 is a numeric

constant, and all the other characters are simple delimiters.
Where two tokens appear together in a statement without a delimiter
between them, one or blanks must be used to separate them. Blanks
can be inserted around any token without changing the meaning of
the compiled macro statement. Thus, the above statement can be
rewritten:
EXACT = APPROX * (HEIGHT - 3) / SCALE

Indeed, the insertion of blanks is encouraged because it makes a

program more readable to humans.

Identifiers and reserved words

Identifiers are the names of numeric variables, numeric arrays,
character string variables and procedures.
Identifiers can be up to 31 characters long. The first character of a
variable or array name must be alphabetic or an underscore ( _ ),
and the remaining characters may be alphabetic, numeric, or the
underscore.

18-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Examples of valid variable, procedure and array names are:
INPUT_COUNT
A0 Note compatibility with old-style
variable names
GAMMA
Gamma Same as GAMMA
LONG_VARIABLE_NAME
VALUE_BETWEEN_3_AND_10
_MAIN
PROCEDURE_1

The first character of a character string variable name must be an

alphabetic character or an underscore. The remaining characters
may be alphabetic, numeric or underscores, except that the last
character must be a dollar sign ($).
Examples of valid string variable names are:
A0$ (Compatible with old-style syntax)
LONG_STRING_NAME$
_STRINGVAR1$

The identifiers you choose must not be the same as any of the
compiled macro keywords, built-in commands or built-in functions
that are listed in Appendix B.

Numeric constants
A numeric constant can be specified in two ways; as a number or as
a character enclosed in single quotes.

Number form
The normal syntax of a numeric constant is:
[+|-][digits][.digits][E[-|+]digits]

The square brackets ([ ]) indicate an optional item. The vertical bar

(|) between two items indicates that one or the other is used. The
constant contains an optional sign, an optional integer portion, an
optional fractional portion, and an optional exponent. The “digits”
are zero or more decimal digits (0 through 9), and E is the exponent
symbol.
You can omit either the digits before the decimal point (the integer
portion of the value) or the digits after the decimal point (the
fractional portion), but not both. You can leave out the decimal point

Compiled Macros 18-7

if the number is an integer. The exponent consists of the symbol E
followed by a constant integer value. The integer value may be
negative. No blanks or tabs may separate the digits or characters of
the constant.
The following examples illustrate some valid numeric constants:
15.75
1.575E1
+0.0025
100
1E6 3.14159 +3.5E+7

Numeric constants are stored and manipulated in the program as

floating-point numbers, even if they are represented in the source file
as integers.
The range of values that a numeric constant can have is
approximately:
+1.7E+308 to -1.7E-308
zero
+1.7E-308 to +1.7E308

Character constants
A single character enclosed in single quotes represents the ASCII
value of that character, and is treated as a numeric constant. For
example:
‘B’ equals 66 because the ASCII code for B is 66.

String constants
String constants are strings of printable ASCII characters enclosed
between quotation marks. The maximum length of a string constant
is 150 characters. To include a quotation mark in a string, precede it
with a backslash (\); for example,
This is a \”string constant\” containing quotation marks

If the last character of the string is intended to be a backslash, you

have to “escape” the backslash with another backslash, otherwise
the terminating quotation mark will be interprted as a quotation
mark embedded within the string. For example, the string
“D:\ALLY\CAD\” is represented as:
D:\ALLY\CAD\\”

18-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Coordinate pairs
In compiled macro, the coordinates of a point are represented in two
ways, depending on whether the user must supply the position of the
point interactively, or whether the program specifies the position.
There is also another way to get the user to enter a point or sequence
of points interactively which will be explained at the end of this
section.
If the point’s position must be supplied interactively using the mouse
or keyboard, represent the point as a question mark enclosed in
square brackets as follows:
[?]

If the program must supply the coordinates, represent the point as a

pair of numeric expressions, separated by a comma and enclosed in
square brackets, as follows:
[xcoord, ycoord]

For example, the following command draws a circle with its centre at
[5,5], and prompts the user to enter a point on the circumference of
the circle:
CIR [5,5] [?] [#]

The above example represents the absolute coordinates of the circle

centre, and does not change the current cursor position. If you want
to indicate that a pair of coordinates is relative to the current cursor
position, place an ampersand (@) between the opening bracket and
the x coordinate, as follows:
[@xcoord, ycoord]

To update the current cursor position, insert a percentage sign as

follows:
[%xcoord, ycoord]

which moves the current cursor position to the absolute coordinates

xcoord, ycoord. The pair [@%x,y] gives a relative movement and
leaves the cursor at the new position.
You can use all three “modifier” characters # @ and % in one
coordinate pair, but they must always be in the order shown. The #
character denotes a press of the SPACE BAR after the coordinate was
entered, and is used to terminate the built-in command which is
executing.

Compiled Macros 18-9

If the AllyCAD program is executing a macro program and comes
across something else while it is expecting a coordinate pair, it
prompts the user to enter the point interactively.
You would typically use this method to get the user to enter a
polygon, since the program doesn’t know in advance how many
corners the polygon has. If you want the user to enter only a single
point interactively, possibly followed by other program-supplied
points, you would use the [?] symbol described above.

Comments
There are three ways of inserting comments into a compiled macro
program.
Use an exclamation mark (!) as the first non-whitespace character in
a line. All characters in the line will be ignored by the compiler.
Use the keyword REM (for REMARK) in the line. The REM and all
text after it, until the end of the line, will be ignored by the compiler.
Comments can be embedded within a line, or can span several lines,
by starting the comment with the character pair /* and ending the
comment with */, as in the C programming language. Such
comments cannot be nested. They are very useful for commenting
out sections of a program. The following is an example of this type of
comment:
/* Here is a comment which
spans two lines */

In this manual, comments are presented in lowercase to distinguish

them visually from program code, which is presented in uppercase.

18-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Variables
Numeric variables
Two types of numeric variables are used; local and global. Global
variables are declared at the start of the program, and can be
accessed from any part of the program; i.e. from any of the
procedures or from the main section. The syntax of the declaration
statement is as follows:
NUMERIC variablename [=initialvalue]

Each global variable must be declared on a separate line. The

optional initial value must be a numeric constant.
Local variables are those which have not been declared at the start of
the program. If a local variable occurs within a procedure, it can be
accessed only from inside that procedure. If a local variable occurs
within the main section of the program, it can be accessed only from
within the main section.
If two procedures both reference a (non-declared) variable with the
same name, each procedure actually maintains its own copy; the two
variables are logically distinct.
Note that all variables used in old-style compiled macro programs are
local variables, as they are not declared.
Numeric variables are manipulated as floating-point values, and
have the same range of values that numeric constants have.

String variables
The name of a string variable must end in a dollar sign. String
variables are classified as global or local, in the same way that
numeric variables are. The syntax of the declaration statement for
string variables is:
STRING stringvariable [=initialvalue]

Each string variable must be declared on a separate line. The

optional initial value must be a string constant.
A string value can be any number of characters long, subject to the
available memory space on the machine executing the compiled
macro program.

Compiled Macros 18-11

Arrays
A new feature of compiled macro is the ability to manipulate arrays
of numeric values. Arrays must be declared at the start of the
program, and are therefore accessible from any part of the program.
Any number of arrays may be declared, and the dimension of each
array may be as large as you wish, within the limits of available
memory on the machine that is executing the compiled macro
program. The syntax of the array declaration is:
ARRAY arrayname[dimension]

Note that in this case, the square brackets are required, and do not
represent an optional item. The dimension must be a positive integer.
Within the program, elements of the array are referenced with the
following syntax:
arrayname[element_index]

where “element_index” is a numeric expression which evaluates to

an integer between zero and “dimension-1”. If the index is outside
this range, an error message is produced during program execution,
and the program is aborted.

18-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Numeric expressions
A numeric expression is a combination of values (“operands”) and
operators which yields (“expresses”) a single value.

Operands
An “operand” is a constant or variable value that is manipulated in
the expression. Each operand of an expression is also an expression,
since it represents a single value. A numeric operand can be any of
the following:
• a numeric constant
• a numeric variable
• an array element
• a built-in numeric function (described in section 4.5)

Operators
“Operators” specify how the operand or operands of the expression
are manipulated. There are three types of operators; arithmetic,
relational and logical.

Arithmetic operators
The arithmetic operators are as follows:
+ addition
- subtraction
unary minus (ie. the negative of a value)
/ division
* multiplication
^ exponentiation

For example:
X = 987
Y = -X

In this example, the value of Y is the negative of 987, or -987. The

addition, subtraction, division and multiplication operators have the
usual meaning. The “exponentiation” operator is used to raise one
number to the power of another; for example:
X = 8
Y = X ^ 2

Compiled Macros 18-13

In this example, Y is assigned the value 64, or the square of 8.

Relational operators
The relational operators compare their first operand with their
second operand to test the validity of the specified relationship. The
result of a relational expression is 1 if the tested relationship is true
and 0 if it is false.
Operator Relationship
<< First operand less than second operand
>> First operand greater than second operand
<<= First operand less than or equal to second operand
>>= First operand greater than or equal to second operand
= First operand equal to second operand
# First operand not equal to second operand

Logical operators
The logical operators perform logical-AND, logical-OR and logical
complement operations. These operators are represented by the
keywords
AND, OR and NOT.

The AND operator evaluates to 1 if both its operands are nonzero,

and evaluates to 0 if either of its operands is zero.
The OR operator evaluates to 1 if either of its operands is nonzero,
and evaluates to 0 if both of its operands is zero.
The NOT operator evaluates to 1 if its operand is zero, and evaluates
to 0 if its operand is nonzero.
The following examples use these operators:
Example 1:
IF X << Y AND Y >> = Z
CALL DRAW_BOX

In example 1, the procedure DRAW_BOX is called if X is less than Y

and Y is greater than or equal to Z.
Example 2:
IF NOT FINISHED
CALL TRY_AGAIN

In this example, the procedure TRY_AGAIN is called if the variable

FINISHED is zero.

18-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Indirection and “address-of” operators
The keyword “AT” is the indirection operator, and the keyword “PTR”
is the “address-of” operator.
The PTR operator followed by a numeric variable evaluates to an
integer value that represents the “address” of the variable. The first
variable to be declared in a compiled macro program has an
“address” of zero; the second has an address of 1, and so on.
The AT operator followed by a numeric expression refers to a
numeric variable whose “address” is given by the expression.

Precedence of operators
The precedence of operators affects the grouping and evaluation of
operands in expressions. Expressions with higher-precedence
operators are evaluated first.
The numeric operators are listed here in descending order of
precedence. Operators listed on the same line are considered to have
equivalent precedence.
NOT, -, AT, PTR Logical complement, unary minus, indirection
operator, “address-of” operator
*, / Multiplication, division
^ Exponentiation
+, - Addition, subtraction
<<, >>, <<=, >>= Relational, inequality
=, # Relational, equality
AND Logical AND
OR Logical OR

Expressions in parentheses
You can enclose any operand or expression in parentheses ( ) without
changing the value of the enclosed operand or expression. For
example, in the expression:
(10 + 5) / 5

the parentheses around 10 + 5 mean that the value of 10 + 5 is the

left operand of the division (/) operator. The result of
(10 + 5) / 5

Compiled Macros 18-15

is 3. Without the parentheses, 10 + 5 / 5 would evaluate to 11, since
the division operator has a higher precedence than the addition
operator.

Built-in numeric functions

Arithmetic functions
The following numeric functions are available:
SQRT(x) Square root of x
INT(x) Integer portion of x
ABS(x) Absolute value of x
LN(x) Natural logarithm of x

Trigonometric functions
The trigonometric functions work in degrees, not radians:
SIN(x)
COS(x)
TAN(x)
ASIN(x)
ACOS(x)
ATAN(x)
ATAN2(y,x)

The ATAN and ATAN2 functions calculate the arctangent of x and

y/x, respectively; ATAN returns a value in the range -90 to +90
degrees;
ATAN2 returns a value in the range -180 to +180 degrees. The
ATAN2 function uses the signs of both parameters to determine the
quadrant of the return value.

String-related functions
There are also some functions whose parameters are string values,
but which return numeric values:

STRCMP(a$,b$)

Compares string A$ to string B$. If A$ equals B$ then it returns

zero. If A$ is less than B$ it returns -1; if A$ is greater than B$ it
returns 1.

18-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

STRSTR(a$,b$)

searches for string B$ in string A$. If string B$ is found in string A$,

then the function returns the offset in string A$ where the first
character of B$ was found. If string B$ is not found then it returns -
1. For example:
index = STRSTR(“Hello world”,”Hello”)

will set index to 0.

val = STRSTR(“Hello world”,”wor”)

will set val to 6.

x = STRSTR(“Hello world”,”Zorro”)

will set x to -1.

LEN(a$)

Returns the length (number of characters) of string A$. For example:

LEN(“ABCDE”)

will return the value 5.

VAL(a$)

Converts the string A$ to a number. For example:

VAL(“123.45”)

will return the numeric value 123.45

NUM(a$)

Returns the ASCII equivalent of the first character in the string A$.
For example:
N = NUM(“abc”)

will set N to 97.

Miscellaneous numeric functions

REPLY (question$)

This function can be used wherever a numeric variable would be

used. “question$” may be any string expression. The function
evaluates the string expression and displays it on the screen, then
waits for the user to reply. It returns 1 if the user presses Y or
[ENTER], and returns 0 if he presses N or [SPACE BAR].
Example 1:

Compiled Macros 18-17

 R = REPLY (“Do you want to continue?”)

Example 2:
IF (REPLY (JOIN$ (string1$, string2$))
{
.
.
.
.
}

NOREPLY (question$)

This function is similar to REPLY but the default reply is NO. It

returns 1 if the user presses N or [ENTER], and returns 0 if he
presses Y or [SPACE BAR].

18-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

String expressions
A string expression is any of the following:
• a string constant
• a string variable
A compiled macro contains several built-in string functions, i.e.
functions which return a character-string value. A string function
can be used anywhere that a string variable or constant would be
used, except of course on the left-hand side of an assignment
statement.

JOIN$(string1$, string2$)

This function returns a string which is the concatenation of

STRING1$ and STRING2$, where STRING1$ and STRING2$ can be
any string expressions (i.e. string variable, constant or function). For
example,
A$ = “brown fox jumps over “
B$ = JOIN$(JOIN$(“The quick “,a$),”the lazy dog”)

copies the string “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” into
string B$.

VAL$(value, width, ndecimal)

VALUE, WIDTH and NDECIMAL are numeric expressions. This

function converts the number VALUE to a string. The format of the
string is controlled by WIDTH, which gives the maximum length of
the string (including the decimal point and decimal digits) and
NDECIMAL, which gives the number of digits to the right of the
decimal point.
If WIDTH is too small, it will be ignored, i.e. the number will always
be converted with the specified precision. For example:
C = 3.145729
A$ = VAL$(C,6,2)

will copy the string “ 3.14” into A$. The string contains two spaces,
then “3.14”, giving a total width of six characters.

SUBSTR$(string$, startpos, endpos)

STRING$ is a string expression and STARTPOS and ENDPOS are

numeric expressions. The function extracts a substring, of length
ENDPOS-STARTPOS+1, from string STRING$, starting at character

Compiled Macros 18-19

position STARTPOS. The first character of a string is at position 0.
For example:
SUBSTR$(“abcd”,1,2)

is “bc”.

CHR$(asciival)

This function converts the numeric expression “asciival” to a string

containing a single character whose ASCII code is ASCIIVAL. For
example:
A$ = CHR$(66)

sets A$ to “B” since “B” is 66 in ASCII code.

STRUPR$(string$)

Converts a string expression “string$” to uppercase, for example:

S$ = STRUPR$(“This is a Fine Day”)

will set S$ to “THIS IS A FINE DAY”

STRLWR$(string$)

Converts a string expression “string$”to lowercase, for example:

S$ = STRUPR$(“This is a Fine Day”)

will set S$ to “this is a fine day”

18-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Statements
The statements of a compiled macro program control the flow of the
program, assign values to variables, and perform built-in CAD
commands.
Each statement must be contained on a single line, unless the last
character on the line is a backslash “\”, in which case the statement
may be continued on the next line. In this case, the backslash and
the newline character following it are ignored.
The backslash-newline combination may also be used inside a string
constant to continue the string constant on a new line. A statement
may be continued over any number of lines in this way.

Assignment statements

Numeric assignments
The general form of a numeric assignment statement is:
[numeric_variable | array_element] = numeric_expression

The expression on the right hand side of the assignment operator (=)
is evaluated and the resulting value is assigned to the numeric
variable or array element on the left of the assignment operator.

String assignments
The general form of a string assignment statement is:
string_variable = string_expression

The string expression on the right side of the assignment operator (=)
is evaluated and its value is copied into the string variable on the left
of the assignment operator.
The string variable on the left side, may also appear any number of
times on the right side. The right side is always evaluated fully before
its value is copied into the left side. The storage space which was
allocated to the left side is released for re-use by the program. For
example:
stringvar$ = “This is a short string”
stringvar$ = JOIN$(stringvar$, “which has been made\ longer”)

copies the string:

“This is a short string which has been made longer”

into stringvar$.

Compiled Macros 18-21

IF and ELSE statements
The IF statement may be used on its own or in conjunction with the
ELSE statement. If it is used on its own, it has the following form:
IF numeric-expression
{
statement
.
.
.
statement
}

The statements inside the curly brackets are executed if the

“numeric-expression” evaluates to TRUE. Note that the numeric
expression does not have to be enclosed in parentheses, although
doing so will not do any harm. An expression is regarded as TRUE if
its value is nonzero.
Note that each curly bracket must be on a line by itself, otherwise
the compiler will produce an error message. If you want to execute
only one statement if the expression is true, you can leave out the
curly brackets, as follows:
IF numeric-expression
statement

If you want to execute another set of statements if the expression is

FALSE, you can use the ELSE statement in conjunction with the IF
statement, as follows:
IF expression
{
statement
.
.
.
statement
}
ELSE
{
statement
.
.
.
statement
}

Here too, you can leave out the curly brackets if only one statement
is to be executed in the event of the expression being FALSE. IF and
ELSE statements can be nested, to a maximum depth of 20.
An example of nested IF statements is:

18-22 AllyCAD Reference Manual

IF haircolor = blonde
{
IF eyecolor = blue
MESS “This is a blue-eyed blonde”
ELSE
MESS “This blonde does not have blue eyes”
}
ELSE
MESS “This is not a blonde”

WHILE statement
The WHILE statement is used to repeatedly execute a statement of
group of statements while a certain condition is true. Its format is:
WHILE expression
{
statement
.
.
.
statement
}

Execution of the WHILE statement proceeds as follows:

1. The “expression” is evaluated.
If it is zero, execution continues with the statement after the closing
bracket. If it is nonzero, all the statements within the curly brackets
are executed and the process is repeated beginning at step 1.
Here, too, each curly bracket must be on a line by itself. If only
one statement appears between the curly brackets, the curly
brackets may be omitted, as follows:
WHILE a >> 1
a = a - 1

Compiled Macros 18-23

BREAK statement
The BREAK statement is used to transfer control out of an enclosing
WHILE or SWITCH block. Control is transferred to the first statement
after the closing bracket of the block. If a BREAK statement occurs
within a WHILE or SWITCH block, it terminates only the WHILE or
SWITCH statement which immediately encloses it.

SWITCH statement
The SWITCH statement has the following form:
SWITCH numeric-expression
{
CASE integer-constant1:
statement(s)
CASE integer-constant2:
statement(s)
.
.
.
DEFAULT : (Optional)
statement(s)
}

This statement transfers control to a statement within the block

enclosed by curly brackets. Control passes to the statement whose
CASE integer-constant matches the value of the SWITCH numeric-
expression.
The SWITCH statement may contain any number of CASE instances.
Execution begins at the selected statement and continues until the
end of the block, or until a BREAK statement transfers control out of
the block.
An optional DEFAULT case can be specified in the block. If the
SWITCH expression does not match any of the CASE integer-
constants, control will be passed to the DEFAULT statement(s).
If there is no DEFAULT case and the SWITCH expression does not
match any of the CASE constants, none of the statements in the
block will be executed, and control will pass to the first statement
after the block. If there is a DEFAULT case, it must be the last case
in the block.

Each curly bracket must be on a line by itself.

A colon is required after each CASE constant, and after the

DEFAULT.

18-24 AllyCAD Reference Manual

SWITCH statements may be nested to a maximum depth of 20.
Here is an example of a SWITCH statement:
SWITCH switchval
{
CASE 1:
y = SIN(x)
CASE 2:
p = 2 * q
BREAK
DEFAULT:
MESS “This is the default case”
}

If switchval is 1 in this example, control will be passed to the

statement “y = SIN(x)”. Then the statement “p = 2 * q” will be
executed, after which the BREAK statement will transfer control to
the statement following the closing bracket of the SWITCH block.

CALL and RETURN statements

The CALL and RETURN statements are mentioned here only for
completeness, since they control the flow of a program.
The CALL statement is used to activate a user-written procedure that
does not return a value. The RETURN statement is used within a
procedure body to cause a return of control from the procedure to
the point from which it was activated.

EXIT statement
The EXIT statement causes the compiled macro program to
terminate immediately. It may appear anywhere within the program.

Compiled Macros 18-25

Procedures
A procedure is a section of code that is activated from other parts of
the program. A procedure reference or CALL statement activates the
procedure.
Program control is passed from the point of activation to the
beginning of the procedure code, and the code is executed. Upon exit
from the procedure code, program control is passed back to the
statement immediately after the point of activation.
The use of procedures forms the basis of modular programming. It
makes programs more understandable, and therefore more
maintainable.

Format of a procedure
A procedure consists of three parts:
• a PROC statement
• a sequence of statements forming the procedure body
• an ENDPROC statement.
The following is a simple example:
PROC doorcheck(NUMERIC front_lock, NUMERIC side_lock)
IF front_lock AND side_lock
CALL power_on
ELSE
CALL door_alarm
ENDPROC

where “power_on” and “door_alarm” are procedures declared

previously in the same program. “doorcheck” is the name of the
procedure in this example.
A procedure name may be up to 32 characters long. The first
character must be a letter or underscore; the remaining characters
may be letters, numbers or the underscore. The procedure name
must not be the same as the name of any variable or keyword.

Procedure parameters
In the PROC statement, the procedure name is followed by a list of
“formal parameters” in parentheses, and separated by commas. Each
formal parameter has the following form:
NUMERIC argname

or

18-26 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 STRING argname$

where “argname” is a numeric identifier and “argname$ is a string

identifier (see section 2.3). A maximum of 20 formal parameters is
allowed.
When a procedure is activated, the CALL statement or procedure
reference contains a list of actual parameters. Each actual parameter
is an expression whose value is assigned to the corresponding formal
parameter in the procedure before the procedure begins to execute.
For example, the following procedure takes three parameters, called
“label”, “x” and “y”.
PROC writelabel(STRING label$, NUMERIC x, NUMERIC y)
TEXT “Y” [x,y] STRUPR$(label$) [#]
ENDPROC

The statement in the body of the procedure converts the text string
“label$” to uppercase and writes it at the coordinates [x,y]. You can
use the following statement inside the main body of the program to
call the procedure and write a label at coordinates [8,10].
CALL writelabel(“This is a label”,5+3,10)

The three actual parameters in the CALL statement (“This is a label”,

5+3, and 10) are assigned to the three formal parameters which were
declared in the PROC statement (label$, x, and y). These parameters
are referenced from within the body of the procedure using the
names declared in the PROC statement.
The number of actual parameters in the CALL statement must
exactly match the number of formal parameters declared in the
corresponding PROC statement, otherwise the compiler will produce
an error message. Also, the type of each actual parameter (NUMERIC
or STRING) must match the type of the corresponding formal
parameter.
Procedure parameters (whether numeric or string) are allocated
temporary storage for the duration of the procedure execution.
Therefore a procedure can call itself recursively (up to a maximum
recursion depth of 20).

Compiled Macros 18-27

Return value of a procedure
The statements in the body of a procedure are executed in sequence
until a RETURN or ENDPROC statement is encountered; at which
time control is returned to the statement following the one which
activated the procedure.
The RETURN statement passes the value of a numeric expression
back to the calling program. If the procedure does not contain a
RETURN statement, a value of zero will be passed back to the calling
program.
A procedure may contain any number of RETURN statements but
must contain one and only one ENDPROC statement, which must be
the last statement in the procedure.
The syntax of the RETURN statement is:
RETURN(numeric_expression)

Note that the parentheses are required.

Ways of activating a procedure

There are two ways of activating a procedure. The first is to use the
CALL statement. In this case, any value which is returned by the
procedure is ignored; therefore the RETURN statement would
normally not be used in such a procedure. The syntax of the CALL
statement is:
CALL procedurename(param1, param2, param3, ....)

where param1, param2 etc are numeric or string expressions, which

match the formal parameters in the PROC statement of the
corresponding procedure. The second way to activate a procedure is
to reference it as though it were a numeric expression, for example:
variable = expression1 + procedurename(param1,\ param2, param3, ...)

This type of procedure would return a numeric value using the

RETURN statement.

Passing parameters by reference

Often it is desirable to have a procedure return more than one value,
or to have the procedure modify a variable that is passed to it as a
parameter. Compiled macro provides a method of achieving this,
called passing parameters by reference.

18-28 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Normally, parameters are passed by value, i.e. the actual parameter
is evaluated and the value of the expression is passed to the
procedure.
The “address-of” operator PTR provides a means of passing the
address of a variable to the procedure, rather than the value of the
variable.
The “indirection operator” AT provides a means for the procedure to
access a numeric variable, given only the address of the variable.
The following example shows how a procedure can modify the value
of a numeric variable whose address is passed to it as a parameter:
/* First, we have declarations of global variables */
NUMERIC variable1
NUMERIC variable2
/* Here we have a procedure */
PROC procname(NUMERIC param1, NUMERIC param2)
.
.
.
AT param2 = expression1
AT param2 + 1 = expression2
.
.
.
ENDPROC
/* Here we have the start of the main body of statements */
.
.
CALL procname(actualparam1, PTR variable1)
.
.
END

In this example, the CALL statement passes the “address” of

variable1 to procedure “procname”. Since this was the first variable
to be declared, its address is zero. The first statement shown in the
procedure modifies the variable whose address is passed to it in
param2; this variable is “variable1”. The following statement modifies
the variable following “variable1”, i.e. “variable2”.
This example shows that a procedure can modify multiple numeric
variables, if the base address of a block of variables is passed to it.

Compiled Macros 18-29

Compiling a compiled macro program
Compiled macro programs are written in an ASCII file, which means
written in English on a word processor or text editor. You can access
the on-line word processor from within AllyCAD by using the
File  Edit macro function. The name of the program text file must
end in a “.MAC” extension.
To compile a compiled macro source file from AllyCAD select
File  Compile Macro.
The compiler will generate a binary file (i.e. not human-readable)
called “programname.MBF”, where MBF stands for Macro Binary File

Error and warning messages

The normal error message displayed by the compiler if it finds a
syntax error is:
*** syntax error *** filename, line x : at or near column y

where ”filename” is the name of the program text file, and x and y
are the line number and column number at which the error was
found. The offending line of the program is displayed after this
message, with a vertical bar (|) immediately after the token which
caused the error.

If the column number is reported as 0, then the compiler expected

to find something more at the end of the previous line, and instead
found a newline character.

Other error messages that the compiler may produce are as follows:
Error: number of variables exceeds 500

If you are using more than 200 different numeric variables in your
program, try putting some of them into ARRAYs.
Error: number of string variables exceeds 200
Error: number of string constants in a statement exceeds 150

You may have any number of string constants in a program, but no

more than 150 in each statement.
Error: found end of file before end of comment

You may get this error message if you forget to terminate a comment
that starts with “/*”.
Error: String “...” too long; truncated.

18-30 AllyCAD Reference Manual

The maximum length of a string constant is 255 characters;
anything longer will be truncated. This is a warning message; the
compiler still generates a binary file.
Error: number of constants in a statement exceeds 150

You may have any number of numeric constants in a program, but

no more than 150 in each statement
Symbol ... too long; truncated

The maximum length of an identifier is 31 characters.

Error on line x; array “....” has already been declared

This message reports a duplicated array name.

Error: number of procedures exceeds 30

If 30 procedures in a program is not enough for your application,

contact Knowledge Base.
Error: Duplicate procedure name “....”

You have two procedures with the same name in the macro. Change
the name of one of the procedures.
Error: maximum of 20 parameters per procedure

You may only pass in less than 20 parameters into a procedure.

Error: Constant too long; truncated

A numeric or string constant’s name is longer than 31 characters.

Error on line x; illegal dimension in array declaration

The dimension of an array must be a positive integer.

Error: number of arrays exceeds 50

There may not be more than 50 arrays in the program.

Compiled Macros 18-31

How does a compiled macro program differ?
String constants enclosed in quotation marks
The major difference between old-style (interpreted) macro programs
and the new compiled program syntax is that in the new syntax, all
character string constants must be enclosed in quotation marks,
otherwise they will be interpreted as numeric variables.
In the old-style syntax, this was not the case. For example, look at
the CURMODE and PARLLINE commands:
CURMODE f
PARLLINE Y Y [-160,115] [-50,115] 20 [-50,-35] 0

In the new syntax these commands would be:

CURMODE “f”
PARLLINE “Y” “Y” [-160,115] [-50,115] 20 [-50,-35] 0

Unintentional combination of numeric arguments

In the new syntax, when a command takes a numeric argument that
is followed by a negative numeric argument, the two arguments will
be interpreted as a subtraction expression, for example:
PARLLINE “Y” “N” 10 3 2 0 -10 4 2 0 0 “R”

In this example, the zero followed by the -10 will be interpreted as (0-
10). To prevent this unintentional effect, enclose the “-10” in
parentheses as follows:
PARLLINE “Y” “N” 10 3 2 0 (-10) 4 2 0 0 “R”

Commands/functions whose syntax has changed

ATAN2

Use a comma, not a colon, to separate the x and y parameters within

parentheses.

CIRDIA and GCIRDIA

The list of radii must not be enclosed in quotes. Numeric expressions

may be used for the radii, not only numeric constants.

18-32 AllyCAD Reference Manual

DIMPARM

The argument corresponding to the answer to the question “Do you

want tolerances on or off?” must now be a string containing “Y” or
“N”, not a numeric argument of 0 for NO or 1 for YES. This makes
the syntax more consistent.

WRITE

The TAB function can no longer be used.

List of compiled macro reserved words

Keywords
AND ARRAY AT
BREAK CALL CASE
DEFAULT END PROC ELSE
END EXIT IF
NOT NUMERIC OR
P ROC PTR RETURN
STRING SWITCH WHILE

Built-in numeric functions

ABS ACOS ASIN
ATAN ATAN2 COS
EOF INT LEN
LN NUM REPLY
NOREPLY SHELL SIN
SQRT STRCMP STRSTR
TAN VAL

Built-in string functions

CHR$ JOIN$ STRLWR$
STRUPR$ SUBSTR$ TRIM$
TRIMLEFT$ TRIMRIGHT$ VAL$
VALUNIT$ VALANG$ VALANGREL$

Compiled Macros 18-33

Compiled macro limits

Maximum number of numeric constants in one statement: 150

Maximum number of string constants in one statement: 150
Maximum number of numeric variables in a program: 500
Maximum number of string variables in a program: 200
Maximum number of arguments for one procedure: 20
Maximum number of procedures in a program: 50
Maximum number of numeric arrays in a program: 50
Maximum nesting level of WHILE statements: 20

18-34 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Appendix A - Functions
This Appendix lists the names of AllyCAD's functions as they appear
on the pull-down menus together with the actual names of these
functions that are executed when the menu options are chosen. You
need to know these names if you want to customise the menus,
toolbars or accelerators. Refer to CAD.MEN for details.
For further details on these functions see Macros, under the
headings given in brackets. Details of all the functions listed below
are given in the Macros section except the arrow key functions,
abort_repeat, about, done, enterpt, escape, helphelp, helpindex,
helpsearch, spnlinearc, and toresponse, as these are not relevant to
writing macros.

Appendix A - Functions 19-1

Function by Menu Name
This list shows the names of the functions as they appear on the
menu alphabetically on the left with the actual names of the
functions on the right.
Name Function
1 Parallel Element parll1
• 120 deg iso120
About about
Add Arrow arrow
Add Balloon balloon
Add Data Item data
Add/Rem Text Bubble addrbaln
Add Text text
• Align align
AllyCAD DOS Conversion Settings doscadsettings
Alter Dimension dimalter
Alter Existing Hatch addhatch
Angular Dimension adim
Arc 3 Point arc
Arc Radius arcr
Arrow keys a_down
a_downnoask
a_downleft
a_downleftnoask
a_downright
a_downrightnoask
a_left
a_leftnoask
a_right
a_rightnoask
a_up
a_upnoask
a_upleft
a_upleftnoask
a_upright
a_uprightnoask

19-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Name Function
Begin New Object begingroup
Bill of Materials bom
Blink Current Object blnkcurp
Cascade (Windows) cascade
Chamfer chamfer
Change Hook Point chpthook
• Change Magnify Factor chmag
Change Name renampat
Change Parent parent
Change Text Parameters edtext "C"
Circle (Draw) cir
Circle (Geometry) gcir
Circle 3 Point gc3point
• Circle Center Mode curmode "E"
Circle Diameter (Draw) cirdia
Circle Diameter(Geometry) gcirdia
Circle Tan 3L gctan3l
Circle Tan CC gctancc
Circle Tan LC gctanlc
Circle Tan LL gctanll
Circle Tan CPtRad gctancpt
Circle Tan LPt&Rad gctanlp
Circular Spline spline
Clear All (File) delall
Clear Selection clearsel
Close All (Windows) windowclose all
Contents helpindex
Copy copy
Copy Selected New Layer copytolayer
Create Block block
Cross gcross
Cubic Spline curve
Cut cut
Cut and Rub exec ".\macro\cut&rub"
Cut Dimension Line cutdimln

Appendix A - Functions 19-3

Name Function
.Define Zoom View zoom “D” , e.g. zoom "D" "0"
Delete delete
Delete All Geometry delgeom
Delete Geometry El delgeoel
• Demagnify demag
Digitizer Settings setdigitizer
Divide/Edit exec ".\macro\divedln";
Divide/Extend divide
Done done
Draw All Hatch plothat
Drawing Settings drawdef
Draw Selected Hatch plotwhat
Drop drop
Dump Data dumpdata
DXF Defaults dxfsettings
DXF/DWG Conversion Settings
Edit Data Item editdata
Edit Description descrip
Edit Dimension Properties eddim
Edit macro (File)
Edit Text edtext "E"
Ellipse ell
Ellipse 2 Arcs el2arc
Encode Macro encode
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill hatch
Exec Macro exec
Exit quit
Expand expand
Explode Object explode
Export Macro importexp "M"
Export Text importexp "T"
Fillet fillet
Fill Geom fillgeom
Fill Geom Arc fillgarc
Fill Geom Cir fillgcir

19-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Name Function
• Freehand Mode curmode "F"
• Geom Intersection Jump jumpgeom
• Geom Intersection Mode curmode "I"
• Grab All Mode curmode "A"
• Grid griddef
• Grid Mode curmode "G"
Group Into Object linksel
Hatch->Lines hatchtol
• Hold cursorhold
Horizontal Dimension hdim
How to Use Help helphelp
Import ASCII importext "A"
Import HPGL importexp "H"
Insert Block (Objects) insert
• Intersection Mode curmode "Z"
• Join Lines joinline
• Jump and Lock Line lockang "J"
• Jump Any Intersection jumpint
• Jump Circle Center jumpcen
• Jump Near Element jumpnear
• Jump to Grab All Cursor jumpall
• Jump Grid jumpgd
• Jump Point jumppt
Label Coord labcoord
• Last Fixed jumpfixed
Layer Control editlay
Line (Chained) line
Line Arc Line bentline
• Line Defaults linetype
Lines (Pt-Pt) ptline
Line Tan C glntanc
Line Tan CC glntancc
List Objects listpat
Load Bitmap loadbitmap
Load Geom loadgeom

Appendix A - Functions 19-5

Name Function
Load Layers loadlay
Load New Menu loadmenu
Load Symbol File newsymfl
Load Title Block exec ".\macro\loadtitl"
• Lock Geom Line lockang "G"
• Lock to Line lockang "L"
• Lock Keyboard lockang "K"
• Long Pan longpan
• Magnify magnify
Make Geometry makegeom
Make Symbol makesym
• Measure querydist
• Mid Point Jump jumpratio .5 "Y"
Mirror Image mirror
Move move
Move to Back movetoback
• Move to Coordinates curtocoordenter
Move To Front movetofront
Move Point exec ".\macro\movept"
Move Selected->New Layer wsnewlay
Move Text edtext "M"
Nearest Line/Arc Mode curmode "N"
New delall
New Geometry Colour geompen
Open readanyfile
Ordinate Dimension odim
• Pan pan
Parallel Defaults parlldef
Parallel Line (Draw) parlline
Parallel Line (Geometry) glineprl
Part Ellipse ellbit
Paste paste
Perp Bisector glnperpb
• Perpendicular yperp
Pick Index from Hatch (Annotate)

19-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Name Function
Point point
• Point Mode curmode "J"
Point-Point Line glinepp
• Polar Move polarenter
Polygon exec ".\macro\polygon"
Polygon Area qryarea
Polyline pline
Polyline Defaults plinedef
Polysnip
Print hardcopy
Print Setup printsetup
Purge Redundant Elements purge
Query Entity queryel
Radial Dimension rdim
• Ratio Jump jumpratio
Re-Center Paper centerpaper
Rectangle rect
• Redo redo
• Redraw refresh
Repair DRG File repair
Repeat repeat
Rotate rotate
Save save
Save AllyCAD DOS writedosally
Save As writeanyfile
Save Geometry storegeom
Save Layer storelay
Save Selected storews
Save Settings autosavedlg
Save Visible storevis
Scale scale
Scale Text edtext "S"
Search for Help On helpsearch
Select select
Select Normal selectnormal

Appendix A - Functions 19-7

Name Function
Select by Polygon selectpoly
Select Current Object newcurp "!"
Select Nodes selectnodes
Selection Filters selectdef
Set Alignment setalign
Set Arrow Defaults arrowdef
Set Balloon Defaults fitballn
Set Current Layer newlayer
Set Dim Defaults dimdef
Set Survey Defaults surveydimsetup
• Set Text Defaults textdef
Set Visible Layers showlayer
Sheet Size and Scale newscale
Show Nodes shownode
Show Objects allpats
Sketch freehand
Slope Dimension sdim
Slope Line glineslp
• Snap Mode snapdlg
Snip snip
Stretch stretch
Survey Dimension surveydim
Symbol symbol
System Settings
Tidy Polygons tidypoly
Tile Horizontally
Tile Vertically
Toolbars (View)
Trim trim
• Undo undo
• Unlock lockang "U"
Update Objects renew
Vertical Dimension vdim
• View Settings viewdef
Virtual Memory Settings setvmem

19-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Name Function
• Zoom All zoom "A"
• Zoom Last zoom "L"
• Zoom Next zoom "N"
Zoom Print zoomplot
• Zoom Scaled zoom "S"
• Zoom Selected zoom "E"
• Zoom Paper redraw
• Zoom View zoom "V" e.g. zoom "V" "0"
• Zoom Window zoom "W"

Appendix A - Functions 19-9

Functions A to Z
This list shows the actual names of the functions alphabetically on
the left with their corresponding menu names on the right. The
functions preceded by bullet points (•) are functions that it is safe to
make transparent.
Functions with a menu name of “n.i.” are not included in the default
menu.

Function Name
• a_down move down (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_downnoask move down the same distance you moved last time you moved
down (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_downleft move down and left (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_downleftnoask move down and left the same distance you moved last time
you moved down and left (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_downright move down and right (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_downrightnoask move down and right the same distance you moved last time
you moved down and right (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_left move left (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_leftnoask move left the same distance you moved last time you moved
left (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_right move right (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_rightnoask move right the same distance you moved last time you moved
right (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_up move up (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_upnoask move up the same distance you moved last time you moved up
(Accurate Drawing ).
• a_upleft move up and left (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_upleftnoask move up and left the same distance you moved last time you
moved up and left (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_upright move up and right (Accurate Drawing ).
• a_uprightnoask move up and right the same distance you moved last time you
moved up and right (Accurate Drawing ).
abort_repeat repeat last function.
about about AllyCAD (Help).
addhatch Alter Existing Hatch (Annotate).
addrbaln Add or Remove Text Bubble (Annotate).
addsym n.i. (Draw).
adim Angular Dimension (Annotate).

19-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Function Name
• align Align (Annotate).
e.g. Align "L"
alllayer n.i. (Settings).
allpats Show Objects (Objects).
arc Arc 3 Point (Draw).
arcr Arc Radius (Draw).
arrow Add Arrow (Annotate).
arrowdef Set Arrow Defaults (Settings).
arrsize n.i. (Settings).
autosavedlg Save Settings (File).
autosttg n.i. (File).
backcol n.i. (Settings).
backuptm n.i. (File)
balloon Add Balloon (Annotate).
beep n.i. (General Purpose Functions).
begingroup Begin New Object (Objects).
beginobj same as startpat.
bentline Line Arc Line (Draw).
bigcursor n.i. (Settings).
blnkcurobj same as blnkcurp.
blnkcurp Blink Current Object (Objects).
block Create block
bom Bill of Materials (Tools).
cascade Cascade (Windows)
centerpaper Re-Center Paper (Settings).
chamfer Chamfer (Modify).
chgcoord n.i. (Settings).
• chmag Change Magnify Factor (Settings).
chpthook Change Hook Point (Objects).
cir Circle (Draw).
cirdia Circle Diameter (Draw).
clearfilter n.i. (Edit).
clearsel Clear Selection (Edit).
close n.i. (ASCII Files).
copy Copy (Edit).

Appendix A - Functions 19-11

Function Name
copytolayer Copy Selected->New Layer (Modify).
create n.i. (ASCII Files).
cur n.i. (Data Entry Functions).
• curmode enter a Snap Mode (Settings).
e.g. curmode "F" = Freehand.
• cursorhold Hold (Tools).
• curtocoord n.i. (Tools).
• curtocoordenter Move to Coordinates (Tools)
curve Cubic Spline (Draw).
cut Cut (Edit).
cutdimln Cut Dimension Line (Annotate).
data Add Data Item (Tools).
ddeconnect n.i. (DDE Commands)
ddedisconnect n.i. (DDE Commands)
ddeexecute n.i. (DDE Commands)
ddepoke n.i. (DDE Commands)
dderequest n.i. (DDE Commands)
delall Clear All (File).
delel n.i. (Edit).
delgeoel Delete Geometry El (Geometry).
delgeom Delete All Geometry (Geometry).
delhatch n.i. (Edit).
dellayer n.i. (Edit).
delprev n.i. (Edit).
delselect Delete (Edit).
• demag Demagnify (View).
descrip Edit Description (File).
dimalter Alter Dimension (Annotate).
dimdef Set Dim Defaults (Settings).
dimparm n.i. (Settings).
divide Divide/Extend (Modify).
done cancels a function.
doscadsettings AllyCAD DOS Conversion settings
drawdef Drawing Settings (Settings).
drawlayer same as newlayer.

19-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Function Name
drop Drop (Modify).
dumpdata Dump Data (Tools).
dxfsettings DXF Defaults (Settings).
edarrow n.i. (Settings).
eddim Edit Dimension Properties (Annotate).
eddrinfo same as descrip.
editdata Edit Data Item (Tools).
editlay Layer Control (Settings).
editlp n.i. (Settings).
edpthook same as chpthook.
edtext Edit Text (Annotate). E.g.edtext “M” =Move Text
el2arc Ellipse 2 Arc (Modify).
ell Ellipse (Draw).
ellbit Part Ellipse (Draw).
encode Encode Macro (File).
endblock AutoCAD command - do not use.
enquire n.i. (Enquire).
• enterpt accept an answer or a point.
entsym same as symbol.
• escape cancel a function.
exec “\macro\cut&rub Cut and Rub
exec ".\macro\divedln"; Divide/Edit
execstep n.i. (Introduction and File).
expand Expand (Tools).
explode Explode Object (Objects).
filemenu n.i. (ASCII Files).
filetxt same as importexp "A".
fillet Fillet (Modify).
fillgarc Fill Geom Arc (Draw).
fillgcir Fill Geom Cir (Draw).
fillgeom Fill Geom (Draw).
fitballn Set Balloon Defaults (Settings).
freehand Sketch (Draw).
gc3point Circle 3 Point (Geometry).
gcir Circle (Geometry).

Appendix A - Functions 19-13

Function Name
gcirdia Circle Diameter (Geometry).
gcross Cross (Geometry).
gctan3l Circle Tan 3L (Geometry).
gctancc Circle Tan CC (Geometry).
gctancpt Circle Tan CPtRad (Geometry).
gctanlc Circle Tan LC (Geometry).
gctanll Circle Tan LL (Geometry).
gctanlp Circle Tan LPtRad (Geometry).
geompen New Geometry Colour (Geometry).
glinepp Point-Point Line (Geometry).
glineprl Parallel Line (Geometry).
glineslp Slope Line (Geometry).
glnperpb Perp Bisector (Geometry).
glntanc Line Tan C (Geometry).
glntancc Line Tan CC (Geometry).
grid n.i. (Tools).
• griddef Grid (Tools).
groupsel same as linksel.
hardcopy Print (File).
hatch Enter Hatch (Annotate).
hatchtol Hatch -> Lines (Annotate).
hdim Horizontal Dimension (Annotate).
helphelp How to Use Help (Help).
helpindex Contents (Help).
helpsearch Search for Help On (Help).
hemisphr n.i. (Settings).
• home jump to screen center.
impotexp Import/Export (File). e.g. importexp "H" = Import HPGL
insert Insert block
• iso120 120 deg (Tools).
isodraw n.i. (Settings).
joinline Join Lines (Modify).
• jumpall Jump to Grab All Cursor (Tools).
• jumpcen Jump Circle Center (Tools).
• jumpfixed Last Fixed (Tools).

19-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Function Name
• jumpgd Jump Grid (Tools).
• jumpgeom Geom Intersection (Tools).
• jumpint Jump Any Intersection (Tools).
• jumpnear Jump Near Element (Tools).
• jumppt Jump Point (Tools).
• jumpratio Jump Ratio (Tools).
labcoord Label Coord (Annotate).
layermag n.i. (Settings).
layhighl n.i. (Settings).
layname n.i. (Settings).
line Line (Chained) (Draw).
linestyleapply n.i. (Settings).
• linetype Line Defaults (Settings).
link n.i. (Objects).
linksel Group Into Object (Objects).
listpat List Objects (Objects).
load n.i. (File).
loadbitmap Load Bitmap (File).
loadgeom Load Geom (File).
loadlay Load Layers (File).
loadmenu n.i. (File).
• lockang Lock Cursor (Tools)e.g. lockang "L" = Lock to Line.
locklayer n.i. (Settings).
• longpan Long Pan (View).
• magnify Magnify (View).
makegeom Make Geometry (Geometry).
makesym Make Symbol (Objects).
mess n.i. (General Purpose Functions).
mirror Mirror (Modify).
move Move (Modify).
movetoback Move to Back (Edit).
movetofront Move to Front (Edit).
newcurp "!" Select Current Object (Objects).
newlayer Set Current Layer (Settings).
newscale n.i. (Settings).

Appendix A - Functions 19-15

Function Name
newsymfil Load Symbol File (File).
objhook same as chpthook.
odim Ordinate Dimension (Annotate).
open n.i. (ASCII Files).
opena n.i. (ASCII Files).
opendr n.i. (File).
• pan Pan (View).
parent Change Parent (Objects).
parll1 1 Parallel Element (Draw).
parlldef Parallel Defaults (Settings).
parlline Parallel Line (Draw).
paste Paste (Edit).
patnwlay n.i. (Modify).
pccwarcvertex AutoCAD command - do not use.
pcwarcvertex AutoCAD command - do not use.
pen n.i. (Settings).
pickhatx n.i. (Annotate).
picktxtp n.i. (Settings).
pline Polyline (Draw).
plinedef Polyline Defaults (Settings).
plothat Draw All Hatch (Annotate).
plotwhat Draw Selected Hatch (Annotate).
point Point (Draw).
• polar n.i. (Tools).
• polarenter Polar Move (Tools).
printsetup Print Setup (File).
ptline Line (Pt-Pt) (Draw).
purge Purge Redundant Elements (File).
pvertex n.i. (Draw).
qryarea Polygon Area (Tools).
• querydist Measure (Tools).
queryel Query Entity (Tools).
quit Exit (File).
rdim Radial Dimension (Annotate).
read n.i. (ASCII Files).

19-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Function Name
readacad n.i. (File).
readanyfile Open (File).
readln n.i. (ASCII Files).
rect Rectangle (Draw).
• redo Redo (Edit).
• redraw Zoom Paper (View).
• refresh Redraw (View).
renameobj same as renampat.
renampat Change Name (Objects).
renew Update Objects (Objects).
repair Repair DRG File (File).
repeat Repeat (Modify).
rewind n.i. (ASCII Files).
rotate Rotate (Modify).
rubberband n.i. (General Purpose Functions).
save Save (File).
scale Scale (Modify).
scrollbaron n.i. (Settings).
scrollbaroff n.i. (Settings).
sdim Slope Dimension (Annotate).
seek n.i. (ASCII Files).
select n.i. (Edit).
selectdef Selection Filters (Edit).
selecthatch n.i. (Edit).
selectlayer n.i. (Edit).
selectname n.i. (Edit).
selectnew n.i. (Edit).
selectnodes Select Nodes (Edit).
selectnormal Selectnormal (Edit).
selectobj same as selectname.
selectpoly Select Polygon (Selection Filters in Edit).
setalign Set Alignment (Annotate).
setangformat n.i. (Settings).
setareaunits n.i. (Settings).
setasklogon n.i. (Settings).

Appendix A - Functions 19-17

Function Name
setcur n.i. (General Purpose Functions).
setcurobj same as newcurp.
setdigitizer Digitizer Settings (Settings).
setlinedash n.i. (Settings).
setlayerdef n.i. (Settings).
setlinedef n.i. (Settings).
setmacpath n.i. (File).
setmacundo n.i. (General Purpose Functions).
setmacvar n.i. (Running Other Programs).
setnortheast n.i. (Settings).
setpaperextents n.i. (Settings).
setpaperunits n.i. (Settings).
setpath n.i. (File).
setpointdef n.i. (Settings).
setportrait n.i. (Settings).
setpowerbarfont n.i. (Settings).
setruler n.i. (Settings).
setsympath n.i. (File).
setunits n.i. (Settings).
setvmem Virtual Memory Settings (Settings).
setwritelog n.i. (Settings).
showlayer Set Visible Layers (Settings).
shownode Show Nodes (Tools).
showobjs same as allpats.
showpen n.i. (Settings).
• snapdlg Snap Modes (Settings).
snip Snip (Modify).
spline Circular Spline (Draw).
• spnlinearc add a line to a Circular Spline (Draw).
starthat n.i. (Annotate).
startpat n.i. (Objects).
showwindow n.i. (DDE Commands).
startsolid n.i. (Annotate).
store n.i. (File).
storegeom Save Geometry (File).

19-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Function Name
storelay Save Layer (File).
storevis Save Visible (File).
storews Save Selected (File).
stretch Stretch (Modify).
surveydimsetup Set Survey Defaults (Settings).
surveydm Survey Dimension (Annotate).
symbol Symbol (Draw).
tabfocustopower moves corsor to and from Control Bar.
• takelpen take line style from an existing line (see Line Defaults in
Settings).
tell n.i. (ASCII Files).
text Add Text (Annotate).
• textdef Set Text Defaults (Settings).
tidypoly Tidy Polygons (Tools).
• tinypsiz n.i. (Settings).
• togarcdot n.i. (Settings).
• togcoords n.i. (Settings).
• togfin n.i. (Settings).
• toggeom n.i. (Settings).
• togglebigcursor n.i. (Settings).
• toghatch n.i. (Settings).
• togpbox n.i. (Settings).
• togpolar n.i. (Settings).
• toresponse move the cursor to the Response Area so you can type in
commands.
trim Trim (Modify).
txtfile same as importexp "T".
• undo Undo (Edit).
units n.i. (Settings).
usehandles n.i. (Edit).
useswdottedlines n.i. (Settings).
vdim Vertical Dimension (Annotate).
• viewdef View Settings (Settings).
waitformessage n.i. (Running Other Programs).
width n.i. (Settings).
windowcloseall Close All (Windows)

Appendix A - Functions 19-19

Function Name
write n.i. (ASCII Files).
writeanyfile Save As (File).
writedosally Save AllyCAD DOS
wsnewlay Move Selected -> New Layer (Modify).
wtextparm n.i. (Settings).
• yperp Perpendicular (Tools).
• zoom Zooms (View). e.g. Zoom All = Zoom "A"
zoomplot Zoom Print (File).

Notes:

19-20 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Appendix B - Bitmap Names
This section lists all the bitmaps that are available and the function
each bitmap is usually associated with.

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-1

File Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
DELALL delall Clear drawing sheet
FILENEW filenew Start a new drawing
FILEOPEN fileopen Open DRG, DXF or DWG drawing
READANYFILE readanyf Merge a drawing with drawing on
screen
READACAD readacad Open AutoCAD DWG drawing
LOADBITMAP loadbitm Load raster file as backdrop
LOADMENU loadmenu Load new menu
FILETXT filetxt Import text from an ASCII file
LOADLAY loadlay Load layer
LOADGEOM loadgeom Load geometry
AUTOSAVEDLG autosave Set Save Settings
BACKUPTM backuptm Set time between auto backups
FILESAVE filesave Save
FILESAVEAS filesava Save As
STOREWS storews Save the selection set
STOREVIS storevis Save visible layers
STORELAY storelay Save layer
WRITEDOSALLY writedos Save drawing in DOS AllyCAD format
TXTFILE txtfile Save text on drawing to an ASCII file
STOREGEOM storegeo Save geometry
DUMPDOSMACRO dumpdosm Save drawing as AllyCAD DOS
macro
DESCRIP descrip Edit drawing description
NEWSYMFL newsymfl Load new symbol library
HARDCOPY hardcopy Print/Plot
ZOOMPLOT zoomplot Print part of a drawing
PRINTSETUP printset Print Setup
EXEC exec Execute a macro
EXECSTEP execstep Debug a macro by stepping through it

20-2 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
ENCODE encode Encode a macro
EDMACRO edmacro Edit a macro
REPAIR repair Repair a corrupted drawing
PURGE purge Delete duplicate
entities/unreferenced blocks/empty
layers
QUIT quit Exit

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-3

Edit Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
UNDO undo Undo
REDO redo Redo
CUT cut Copy selection set to Clipboard and
delete
COPY copy Copy selection set to Clipboard
PASTE paste Paste from Clipboard into CAD
DELSELECT delselec Delete selection set
DELPAT delpat Delete object
DELHATCH delhatch Delete hatch
SELECTDEF selectde Set selection filters
CLEARFILTER clearfil Clear the selection filters
SELECTHATCH selectha Select hatch
SELECTNAME selectna Select objects by name
SELECTOBJ selectob Select objects by clicking on them
SELECTLAYER selectla Select everything on a layer
SELECT select Select items by clicking / dragging
box
SELECTNODES selectno Select and drag nodes
SELECTPOLY selectpo Select entities inside a box or
polygon
CLEARSEL clearsel Clear selection set
USEHANDLES usehandl Turn dynamic stretch/rotate on/off
MOVETOFRONT movetof Move selection set to front
MOVETOBACK movetob Move selection set to back

20-4 AllyCAD Reference Manual

ViewMenu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
ZOOM zoom Show menu of zoom options
ZOOM W zoomw View area within a user-defined box
ZOOM L zooml Step backwards through zoom
sequence
ZOOM N zoomn Step forwards through zoom
sequence
ZOOM A zooma View whole drawing at maximum
size
ZOOM S zooms View drawing at specific scale
ZOOM E zoome Zoom into the selection set
ZOOM V zoomv Zoom into a pre-defined view
ZOOM D zoomd Define zoom views
MAGNIFY magnify Magnify drawing at cursor position
DEMAG demag Demagnify drawing at cursor position
PAN pan Pan to cursor position
LONGPAN longpan Pan using pan box
REFRESH refresh Refresh screen after editing or
deleting
REDRAW redraw View entire sheet of paper

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-5

Draw Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
LINE line Draw joined lines
PTLINE ptptline Draw individual lines
POINT point Draw point
RECT rect Draw rectangle
ARC arc Draw arc through three points
ARC arcr Draw arc by end points and radius
CIR cir Draw circle by centre point and point
on circumference
CIRDIA cirdia Draw up to 5 concentric circles by
centre point and diameter
CIR2P cir2pt Draw circle through two points
BENTLINE bentline Draw line-arc-line sequence with
variable arc radii
PARLLINE parlline Draw multiple pre-defined parallel
lines
PARLL1 parll1 Draw single lines/arcs parallel to
existing lines/arcs
FILLGCIR fillgcir Draw circle by tracing over geometry
circle
FILLGARC fillgarc Draw arc by tracing over portion of
geometry circle
FILLGEOM fillgeom Draw lines and arcs by tracing over
geometry
ELL ell Draw ellipse by centre point, aspect
ratio and angle
ELLBIT ellbit Draw part-ellipse by centre point,
aspect ratio and angle

SP SPLINE spline Draw a circular spline composed of

arcs
SPNLINEARC spnline Add a tangential line to a circular
spline
CURVE curve Draw cubic spline composed of
many small lines
PLINE polyline Draw polyline or Bezier curve
SYMBOL symbol Add pre-drawn symbol to drawing
FREEHAND sketch Draw freehand

20-6 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Modify Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
STRETCH stretch Stretch
MOVE move Move selection set
MIRROR mirror Mirror selection set
SCALE scale Resize selection set
REPEAT repeat Copy selection set in a linear or polar
fashion
DROP drop Copy selection set
ROTATE rotate Rotate selection set
TRIM trim Trim lines/arcs
FILLET fillet Fillet (insert radiused corner between
two lines/arcs)
CHAMFER chamfer Chamfer (insert sloping line between
two lines/arcs)
DIVIDE divide Break or extend a line or arc
JOINLINE joinline Heal a broken line
SNIP snip Rub out everything inside/outside a
box/circle
POLYSNIP polysnip Rub out everything inside/outside an
irregular polygon
WSNEWLAY wsnewl Move selection set to another layer
COPYTOLAYER copytola Copy selection set to another layer
EL2ARC el2arc Convert ellipse to 12 arcs for
snapping/hatching

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-7

Geometry Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
GCROSS gcross Draw geometry cross
GLINESLP glineslp Draw geometry line through a point
and at a specified angle
GLINEPP glinepp Draw geometry line through two
points
GLINEPRL glineprl Draw geometry line/circle paralell to
existing line/arc/circle
GCIR gcir Draw geometry circle by centre point
and point on edge
GCIRDIA gcirdia Draw up to 5 concentric geometry
circles
GCTANLL gctanll Draw geometry circle tangent to two
lines
GCTANLC gctanlc Draw geometry circle tangent to a
line and a circle
GCTANCC gctancc Draw geometry circle tangent to two
circles
GCTAN3L gctan3l Draw geometry circle tangent to
three lines
GCTANLP gctanlp Draw geometry circle tangent to line
and through point
GCTANCPT gctancpt Draw geometry circle tangent to
circle and through point
GC3POINT gc3point Draw geometry circle through three
points
GLNTANC glntanc Draw geometry line tangent to circle
GLNTANCC glntancc Draw geometry line tangent to two
circles
GLNPERPB glnperpb Draw a perpendicular bisector
MAKEGEOM makegeom Copy an existing entity to geometry
DELGEOEL delgeoel Delete a geometry element
DELGEOM delgeom Delete all geometry

20-8 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Annotate Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
TEXT text Add text
EDTEXT edtext Edit text
SETALIGN align setalign
ALIGN align Align or distribute selection set using
current align settings
HDIM hdim Dimension a horizontal distance
VDIM vdim Dimension a vertical distance
SDIM sdim Dimension a sloped distance
ADIM adim Dimension an angle or arclength
RDIM rdim Dimension an arc or circle
ODIM odim Dimension points with ordinate
dimensions
SURVEYDM surveydm Dimension a line with its length and
bearing
DIMALTER dimalter Alter entity by changing dimension
text
EDDIM eddim Edit dimension
CUTDIMLN cutdimln Cut dimension witness line
ARROW arrow Add arrow
EDARROW edarrow Edit arrow
BALLOON balloon Add balloon (item reference)
ADDRBALN addrbaln Add/remove text bubble from piece
of text
HATCH hatch Hatch/solid fill an area
PICKHATX pickhatx Take hatch settings from existing
hatch
ADDHATCH addhatch Edit or add to a hatch/solid fill
HATCHTOL hatchtol Convert hatch to lines
PLOTHAT plothat Display all hatching
PLOTWHAT plotwhat Display selected hatching
LABCOORD labcoord Add coordinate labels at points or in
a table

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-9

Tools Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
SHOWNODE shownode Display nodes
DUMPDATA dumpdata Create ASCII file of detailed
information about objects
GRIDDEF griddef Set up grid
QUERYDIST querydis Measure the distance and angle
between two points
QRYAREA qryarea Measure an area and perimeter
SETUSEWIDTHPERIM setusewp Use line weights in perimeter
calculations
DATA data Attach data to a coordinate location
EDITDATA editdata Edit data attached to a coordinate
location
QUERYEL queryel Query an entity for all of its
properties
BOM bom Create a bill of materials
TIDYPOLY tidypoly Tidy digitized / vectorized input
EXPAND expand Automatically produce a detailed
view

20-10 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Objects Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
BEGINOBJ beginobj Start a new object - object can’t be
selected with one click
BEGINGROUP begingro Start a new object – object can be
selected with one click
LINKSEL linksel Group selection set into an object
MAKESYM makesym Create an object by following
prompts
PARENT parent Start new parent
RENAMPAT renampat Rename object
OBJHOOK objhook Move object hook point
EXPLODE explode Explode Object
SHOWOBJS showobjs View Objects
LISTPAT listpat Write ASCII list of objects
RENEW renew Search and replace objects
SETCUROBJ setcurob Set current object
BLNKCUROBJ blnkcuro Blink current object

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-11

Settings Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
DRAWDEF drawdef Set up drawing, e.g. scale, units,
paper size
CHGCOORD chgcoord Set coodinate system
NEWSCALE newscale Set sheet size and scale
SETUNITS setunits Set drawing units
SETANGFORMAT setangfo Set angular format, e.g. degrees, dd
mm ss
SETPORTRAIT setportr Set paper orientation - portrait or
landscape
SETPAPEREXTENTS setpaper Type user-defined paper width and
height
SETNORTHEAST setnorth Set coordinates – northing,easting or
easting,northing
HEMISPHR hemisphr Set coordinate system for
northern/southern hemisphere
ISODRAW isodraw Set grid to isometric, i.e. points at 30,
-30 and 90 degrees
VIEWDEF viewdef Set view settings, e.g. background
colour, hatch display
BACKCOL backcol Set screen background colour
SETPOWERBARFONT setpower Set font used on control bar
SETPOINTDEF setpoint Set point style, e.g. size, shape
TOGCOORDS togcoord Turn coordinate display on/off
TOGGEOM toggeom Turn geometry on/off
TOGFIN togfin Turn annotations on/off
TOGPOLAR togpolar Switch between absolute and polar
coordinate display
TOGHATCH toghatch Turn hatch display on/off
TOGARCDOT togarcd Turn arc/circle centre dot display
on/off
TOGLSYM toglsym Display symbol strings/wide lines in
detail/as ordinary lines
SCROLLBARON togscrol Turn scrollbars on/off
USESWDOTTEDLINES useswdot Display dashed lines less/more
accurately (faster/slower)

20-12 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
TOGGLEBIGCURSOR togglebi Turn big cursor on/off
SETRULER setruler Turn ruler on/off
TINYPSIZ tinypsiz Set size below which objects are
displayed as boxes
CENTERPAPER recenter Recentre the drawing on the paper
CHMAG chmag Change magnification factor
SETVMEM setvmem Set virtual memory
SETDIGITIZER setdigit Set up digitiser
DXFSETTINGS dxfsetti Set up DRG/DXF/DWG font
conversions
DOSCADSETTINGS dosset Set up AllyCAD32 to AllyCAD DOS
conversion
GEOMPEN geompen Set geometry line colour
PEN pen Set line colour
WIDTH width Set line width
LINETYPE linetype Set line colour, type and width
TAKELPEN takelpen Take line style settings from existing
line
LINESYMBOL linesymbol Create a line style made up of
objects
PLINEDEF plinedef Set up polylines, e.g. colour, hatch,
whether it’s a Bezier
PARLLDEF parlldef Set up parallel lines, e.g. number of
lines, offsets, colours
TEXTDEF textdef Set text parameters, e.g. colour, font
PICKTXTP picktxtp Take text parameters from existing
text
DIMDEF dimdef Set dimension parameters, e.g.
colour, font, arrow style
SURVEYDIMSETUP surveydi Set up survey dimensions, e.g.
bearing and distance positions
ARROWDEF arrowdef Set arrow parameters, e.g. colour,
size and type of head
FITBALLN fitballn Set balloon parameters, e.g.
draw/don’t draw an arrow
SYSTEMDEF systemde Set system defaults, e.g. log file, ask
for logon etc.
SETWRITELOG setwrite Write log of drawing session/Don’t

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-13

Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
write log
SETMACAUTOCOMP setmacau Autocompile macros / use old
macros
SETASKLOGON setasklo Ask for user name when ChoiceCAD
starts up
NEWLAYER newlayer Set current layer
SHOWLAYER showlaye Set visible layers
EDITLAY editlay Add, edit, lock or highlight layers
LAYNAME layname Rename a layer
LOCKLAYER locklaye Lock layer so contents cannot be
edited
DELLAYER dellayer Delete a layer
LAYHIGHL layhighl Highlight Layers
ALLLAYER alllayer Allow functions to work on all
layers/current only
LAYERMAG layermag Set layer magnification

20-14 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Windows Menu
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
WINDOWNEW windowne Create a new window
WINDOWCASCADE windowca Cascade windows
WINDOWTILEHORZ windowth Tile windows horizontally
WINDOWTILEVERT windowtv Tile windows vertically

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-15

Cursor Movement
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
A_UP a_up Move up
A_DOWN a_down Move down
A_LEFT a_left Move left
A_RIGHT a_right Move right
A_UPRIGHT a_upr Move up and right
A_DOWNRIGHT a_downr Move down and right
A_UPLEFT a_upl Move up and left
A_DOWNLEFT a_downl Move down and left
A_UPNOASK na_up Move up by last used distance
A_DOWNNOASK na_down Move down by last used distance
A_LEFTNOASK na_left Move left by last used distance
A_RIGHTNOASK na_right Move right by last used distance
A_UPRIGHTNOASK na_upr Move up and right by last used
distance
A_DOWNRIGHTNOASK na_downr Move down and right by last used
distance
A_UPLEFTNOASK na_upl Move up and left by last used
distance
A_DOWNLEFTNOASK na_downl Move down and left by last used
distance
JUMPALL jumpall Jump to nearest point within Graball
cursor box
JUMPGD jumpgd Jump to nearest grid point
JUMPPT jumppt Jump to nearest point of any type
JUMPCEN jumpcen Jump to nearest arc or circle centre
point
JUMPNEAR jumpnear Jump to nearest element of any type
JUMPGEOM jumpgeom Jump to nearest geometry
intersection
JUMPINT jumpint Jump to nearest intersection of any
type
JUMPRATIO jumprat Jump to fraction of distance between
two points or along line
JUMPRATIO .5 Y jumpmid Jump to mid-point of a line

20-16 AllyCAD Reference Manual

Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
JUMPFIXED jumpfix Jump to last fixed point
HOME home Jump to screen centre
POLAR polar Jump to a specific distance and
angle (polar move)
CURTOCOORD curtocoo Jump to a specific XY coordinate
location
SNAPDLG snapdlg Select snap mode
CURMODE F curmodef Freehand Mode
CURMODE A curmodea Graball Snap Mode
CURMODE G curmodeg Grid Snap Mode
CURMODE J curmodej Point Snap Mode
CURMODE E curmodee Circle Centre Snap Mode
CURMODE N curmoden Nearest Snap Mode
CURMODE I curmodei Geometry Intersection Snap Mode
CURMODE Z curmodez Intersection Scap Mode
CURMODE P curmodep Perpendicular Mode
CURMODE T curmodet Tangent Mode
POLARENTER polarent Move a specific distance and angle
CURTOCOORDENTER curtocoe Move to a specific XY coordinate
location
LOCKANG lockang Set lock angle
LOCKANG U lockangu Clear lock angle
LOCKANG L lockangl Set lock angle to angle of a line
LOCKANG G lockangg Set lock angle to angle of a geometry
line
LOCKANG K lockangk Set lock angle by typing it in
YPERP yperp Set lock angle to orthogonal of
current lock angle
ISO120 iso120 Toggle lock angle between 30, -30
and 90 degrees
CURSORHOLD setsquar Lock cursor to lock angle/unlock
cursor

Appendix B - Bitmap Names 20-17

General
Bitmap Function File Name Help Description
ABORT_REPEAT abort_re Repeat last function
DONE done End current function
ENTERPT enterpt Accept a point
ESCAPE cancel Cancel current function
HELPINDEX helpind Help
SHOWTOOLBAR showtool Display a toolbar
TORESPONSE torespon Move cursor focus to command line

20-18 AllyCAD Reference Manual

 Index
.
.BAK Files .................................................................................. 1-24

1
1 Parallel Element ...................................................................... 4-17
120 deg........................................................................................ 8-4

A
ABACKUP1.DRG ........................................................................ 1-30
ABACKUP2.DRG ........................................................................ 1-30
Accelerator Keys
adding macros to .................................................................... 14-8
customising ............................................................................ 14-6
Accept Button (in Perimeter Menu) ......................................... 12-144
Accuracy of AllyCAD................................................................. 10-11
Add Arrow.................................................................................. 7-61
Add Balloon ..................................... 7-63, see Add/Rem Text Bubble
Add Data Item............................................................................ 8-31
Add Nodes.................................................................................. 8-46
Add Text ...................................................................................... 7-2
Add/Rem Text Bubble........................................... 7-65, see Balloons
Adding Users.............................................................................. 13-3
Add-Ons, Loading ...................................................................... 1-18
Align ................................................................................... 7-7, 7-18
Alignment
aligning objects to a grid ........................................................... 7-7
aligning objects with each other ................................................ 7-7
aligning text ............................................................................ 7-18
spacing objects evenly ............................................................. 7-15
All Colours to Black ................................................................... 1-45
Alter Dimension ................................................................ 7-26, 7-55
Alter Existing Hatch ................................................................... 7-72
Angles
dimensioning .......................................................................... 7-36
how measured and displayed ................................................ 10-12
isometric ................................................................................... 8-4
locking the cursor to move at ......................................... see Cursor
measuring............................................................................... 8-28
querying.................................................................................. 8-34
Angular Dimension .................................................................... 7-36
Angular Format........................................................................ 10-12
dialogue box.......................................................................... 10-12
saving defaults ........................................................................ 13-1
Annotation to Draw.................................................................. 10-15
Application Error Message ......................................................... 1-51
Arc 3 Point................................................................................... 4-6
Arc Lengths
dimensioning .......................................................................... 7-36
Arc Lengths, Querying ............................................................... 8-34
Arc Radius ................................................................................... 4-7
Architectural Style Dimensions ....................................... 7-27, 10-44
Arcs
adding to a perimeter ..............................................12-144, 12-146
between 2 lines ................................................................. see Fillet
by 2 points and radius .............................................................. 4-7
by 3 points................................................................................ 4-6
circle by 2 points..................................................................... 4-11
circle by centre point and diameter ......................................... 4-10
circle by centre point and radius ............................................... 4-9
concentric circles .................................................................... 4-10
deleting part of........................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-33, 5-36
dimensioning arc lengths ........................................................ 7-36
dimensioning diameters .......................................................... 7-45
dimensioning radii .................................................................. 7-45
dividing................................................................................... 5-29
don't print or print incorrectly ................................................. 1-45
extending or shortening ............................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29
extracting information about ................................................... 8-21
joining ......................................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29
line arc line sequences ............................................................ 4-12
parallel ............................................................... 4-15, 4-17, 10-28
projecting to geometry ............................................................. 6-36
splitting .................................................................................. 5-29
text around ............................................................................... 7-4
tracing over geometry arcs ...................................................... 4-23
tracing over geometry circles ................................................... 4-22
trimming.................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-33, 5-36
viewing centre points ............................................................ 10-15
ARCTEXT.MAC ............................................................................ 7-4
Areas, Measuring .............................................................. 8-29, 9-13
Arithmetic Operators
in macros.............................................................................. 17-14
Arrows ........................................................... see Set Arrow Defaults
dimension ........................................................... see Dimensioning
drawing................................................................................... 7-61
editing ......................................................................... 2-13, 10-49
extracting information about ................................................... 8-24
part of arrow doesn't behave like an arrow .............................. 7-61
saving defaults........................................................................ 13-1
ASCII Files
exporting................................................................................. 1-41
importing ................................................................................ 1-39
Associative Dimensions .............................................................. 7-20
Attributes................................................................... 4-41, 9-4, 9-17
adding to an object in a drawing.............................................. 8-43
adding to an object in a symbol library .................................... 8-41
creating an object with ............................................................ 8-40
deleting from an object in a drawing ........................................ 8-43
deleting from an object in a symbol library .............................. 8-42
displaying ............................................................................... 1-36
editing in a drawing ................................................................ 8-43
editing in a symbol library....................................................... 8-41
extracting in a bill of materials ................................................ 8-36
inserting objects with attributes into a drawing ....................... 8-42
viewing in a drawing................................................................ 8-43
AutoCAD
block statistics ........................................................................ 1-32
centering drawings on the paper ........................................... 10-20
drawing origin ........................................................................... 1-7
drawing scale ................................................................... 1-7, 1-24
exporting bitmaps to ............................................................... 1-24
exporting colours to ................................................................ 1-23
exporting DWG files to............................................................. 1-21
exporting DXF files to .............................................................. 1-21
exporting fonts to .................................................................... 1-23
exporting line types to .................................................... 1-24, 16-2
imported drawings are very slow ............................................... 1-8
importing attributes from .......................................................... 1-8
importing colours from .............................................................. 1-6
importing dimensions from........................................................ 1-8
importing DWG files from ............................................ 1-3, 1-4, 1-9
importing DXF files from ............................................. 1-3, 1-4, 1-9
importing fonts from ................................................................. 1-6
importing line types from ................................................. 1-7, 16-2
part of imported drawing is missing........................................... 1-7
version .................................................................................. 10-55
what AllyCAD supports .................................................... 1-4, 1-22
Automatic Perimeter Tracking ................................................ 12-147

B
Background Colour .................................................................. 10-15
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
Backups
.BAK files ................................................................................ 1-24
ABACKUP1.DRG ..................................................................... 1-30
 ABACKUP2.DRG ..................................................................... 1-30
prompting for.......................................................................... 1-30
where stored ........................................................................... 1-30
Balloons.................................................... see Add/Rem Text Bubble
drawing................................................................................... 7-63
saving defaults........................................................................ 13-1
setting style .......................................................................... 10-51
Bearings .................................................................................. 10-12
Begin New Object ......................................................................... 9-6
Bezier Curves......................................................... 4-31, 4-33, 10-25
Bill of Materials................................................................. 1-36, 8-35
troubleshooting....................................................................... 8-44
Bitmaps
appear as hatched rectangles ................................................ 10-18
cut and paste............................................................................ 2-3
displaying .................................................. 1-14, 1-15, 1-16, 10-18
editing parameters .................................................................. 2-13
exporting to AutoCAD ............................................................. 1-24
loading........................................................................... 1-12, 1-17
moving behind other elements................................................. 1-13
placeholders.......................................................................... 10-18
real world pixel size................................................................. 1-13
resample mode...................................................... 1-14, 1-15, 1-16
saving drawings containing ............................................ 1-13, 1-24
viewing selected .................................................................... 10-18
Bitmaps to Draw ...................................................................... 10-18
Blink Current Object.................................................................. 9-25
Block Inserts
extracting information about ................................................... 8-25
Blocks
extracting information about ................................................... 8-19
purging unreferenced .............................................................. 1-52
statistics ................................................................................. 1-32
BOM ....................................................................see Bill of Materials
Bubbles ..................................... see Add/Rem Text Bubble; Balloons

C
CAD.INI ............................................................................ 13-3, 13-5
CAD.LOG ................................................................................... 13-3
CAD.MEN .................................................................................. 13-3
Calculations
in macros.............................................................................. 17-13
Cancel Button (in Perimeter Menu)......................................... 12-144
Centering Drawing on Paper..................................................... 10-20
Chained Dimensions .................................................................. 7-21
Chamfer..................................................................................... 5-27
Change Hook Point.............................................................. 9-3, 9-21
Change Magnify Factor............................................................. 10-22
Change Name...................................................................... 9-3, 9-19
Change Text Parameters............................................................... 7-6
Circle (Draw) ................................................................................ 4-9
Circle (Geometry).......................................................................... 6-7
Circle 2 Point ............................................................................. 4-11
Circle 3 Pt .................................................................................. 6-27
Circle Diameter (Draw) ............................................................... 4-10
Circle Diameter (Geometry)........................................................... 6-8
Circle Tan 3L ............................................................................. 6-19
Circle Tan CC............................................................................. 6-14
Circle Tan CPtRad...................................................................... 6-23
Circle Tan LC ............................................................................. 6-11
Circle Tan LL................................................................................ 6-9
Circle Tan LPtRad ...................................................................... 6-21
Circles ................................................................................. see Arcs
isometric ............................................................................... 10-11
Circular Copy............................................................................. 5-13
Circular Spline ........................................................................... 4-28
Clear Selection ........................................................................... 2-22
Clipboard .............................................................................. 2-3, 2-4
Colour, Background ................................................................. 10-15
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
COMPASS.DRG.......................................................................... 13-3
COMPASSN.DRG ....................................................................... 13-3
Macros....................................................................................... 18-1
Compiled Macro ......................................................................... 18-1
Control Bar Font ...................................................................... 10-15
Coordinate Display
absolute or polar coordinates ................................................ 10-14
Coordinate System ..................................................................... 10-9
Coordinates
displaying ............................................................................. 10-14
extracting................................................................................ 8-17
in macros.............................................................................. 17-11
labelling .................................................................................. 7-77
linking information to.............................................................. 8-31
linking text to.......................................................................... 8-31
listing...................................................................................... 7-77
querying.................................................................................. 8-34
saving defaults ........................................................................ 13-1
table of.................................................................................... 7-77
Copy ............................................................................................ 2-3
Copy Selected->New Layer.......................................................... 5-41
Copying...................................................................................... 5-17
 by cursor ....................................................................... 2-12, 2-14
circular copy ........................................................................... 5-13
items to another layer ............................................................. 5-41
linear copy .............................................................................. 5-13
polar copy ............................................................................... 5-13
to Clipboard .............................................................................. 2-3
Corrupted Drawings................................................................... 1-51
Counting Objects ....................................................................... 9-13
Create Block .............................................................................. 9-27
Cross ........................................................................................... 6-2
Cubic Spline .............................................................................. 4-29
Current Layer ............................................................... 10-68, 10-72
Current Object
highlighting............................................................................. 9-25
selecting ................................................................................. 9-25
Cursor
changing locked angle by 120 degrees ....................................... 8-4
changing locked angle by 90 degrees......................................... 8-3
locking...................................................................................... 8-4
locking to a user-defined angle.................................................. 8-3
locking to isometric angles ........................................................ 8-4
locking to the angle of a geometry line ....................................... 8-3
locking to the angle of a line...................................................... 8-3
select cursor (arrow-shaped) ..................................................... 2-6
unlocking permanently ............................................................. 8-6
unlocking temporarily ............................................................... 8-4
Customising AllyCAD
accelerator (short-cut) keys ..................................................... 14-6
icons....................................................................................... 14-2
toolbars .................................................................................. 14-2
Cut .............................................................................................. 2-3
Cut and Rub .............................................................................. 5-33
Cut Dimension Line ................................................................... 7-54

D
Data Items ................................................................................. 8-31
editing .................................................................................... 8-33
viewing ................................................................................. 10-18
Debugging Macros ..................................................................... 17-7
Decimal Places
number of angular ................................................................ 10-12
number shown on dimensions .............................................. 10-44
number that AllyCAD is accurate to ...................................... 10-11
Define Zoom View ........................................................................ 3-8
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds................................................. 10-12
Delete .......................................................................................... 2-5
Delete All Geometry.................................................................... 6-39
Delete Geometry El..................................................................... 6-38
Deleting ....................................................................................... 2-5
duplicate entities............................................................ 1-52, 8-45
everything inside a box or circle .............................................. 5-36
everything outside a box or circle ............................................ 5-36
geometry ........................................................................ 6-38, 6-39
layers .................................................................................... 10-71
overlapping entities ................................................................. 8-45
part of a defined perimeter .................................................. 12-148
part of a dimension witness line .............................................. 7-54
part of a line or arc..................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-33, 5-36
part of an ellipse ............................................................ 4-26, 5-42
redundant lines....................................................................... 8-45
snipping.................................................................................. 5-36
trimming .................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-33, 5-36, 8-45
unreferenced blocks ................................................................ 1-52
unused layers ......................................................................... 1-52
users....................................................................................... 13-4
very short lines ....................................................................... 8-45
Demagnify.................................................................................. 3-12
changing demagnify factor..................................................... 10-22
Deselecting
everything ...................................................................... 2-18, 2-22
individual primitives / objects ................................................... 2-8
Digitizer ..................................................................................... 8-45
Digitizer Settings ...................................................................... 10-58
Dimensioning
angles ..................................................................................... 7-36
arc lengths .............................................................................. 7-36
diameters ................................................................................ 7-45
radii ........................................................................................ 7-45
Dimensions....................................................... see Set Dim Defaults
adding notes to ....................................................................... 7-52
angular ................................................................................... 7-36
architectural style ........................................................ 7-27, 10-44
arrow style ............................................................................ 10-41
associative .............................................................................. 7-20
chained................................................................................... 7-21
deleting parts of witness lines.................................................. 7-54
editing............................................................................ 2-13, 7-52
editing arrow heads................................................................. 7-52
editing text and resizing object to fit .................see Alter Dimension
editing text without affecting dimensioned object............ 7-25, 7-52
editing witness line colour ....................................................... 7-52
extracting information about ................................................... 8-22
 free ......................................................................................... 7-22
generic............................................................. see Alter Dimension
horizontal ............................................................................... 7-20
isometric...................................................................... 7-30, 10-11
mechanical style .......................................................... 7-21, 10-43
number of decimal places shown........................................... 10-44
ordinate .................................................................................. 7-48
radial ...................................................................................... 7-45
running .................................................................................. 7-21
saving defaults........................................................................ 13-1
sloped ..................................................................................... 7-30
style...................................................................................... 10-41
survey..................................................................................... 7-50
survey dimension style.......................................................... 10-46
switching off ......................................................................... 10-15
text ......................................................................................... 7-24
text disappears .......................................................... 10-15, 10-19
text drawn as boxes ................................................... 10-16, 10-19
text drawn as dots ................................................................ 10-19
text style ............................................................................... 10-44
tolerances ...................................................................... 7-24, 7-52
vertical.................................................................................... 7-29
witness line style................................................................... 10-41
Display Scroll Bars .................................................................. 10-18
Distance, Measuring .................................................................. 8-28
Distribution ............................................................................... 7-15
Divide/Edit ................................................................................ 5-30
Divide/Extend ........................................................................... 5-29
Dividing Lines or Arcs ................................................................ 5-29
DOM .......................................................see Drawing Office Manager
DOM.TXT................................................................................... 13-3
Dos Conversion........................................................................ 10-56
Dotted (in Perimeter Menu) .................................................... 12-148
Double Click Editing .................................................................. 2-12
Drag and Snap........................................................................... 2-12
Dragging ........................................................................... 2-12, 2-14
Draw All Hatch .......................................................................... 7-73
Draw Menu .................................................................................. 4-1
Draw Selected Hatch.................................................................. 7-73
Drawing Border................................................... see Load Title Block
Drawing Description .................................................................. 1-32
Drawing Frame ................................................... see Load Title Block
Drawing Information .................................................................. 8-17
Drawing Office Manager .................................. 1-25, 1-26, 1-31, 1-32
Drawing Scale..................................................................... see Scale
Drawing Settings........................................................................ 10-2
Drawing Sheet..................................................... see Load Title Block
Drawing Statistics ...................................................................... 1-32
Drawing Units ............................................................................ 10-6
area ........................................................................................ 10-7
changing ................................................................................. 10-8
imperial and metric on same drawing...................................... 10-8
linear ...................................................................................... 10-7
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
Drawing won't Load.................................................................... 1-51
DrawingCliptidy ......................................................................... 8-51
Drawingsnaptidy ........................................................................ 8-49
Drop .......................................................................................... 5-17
Dump Data ................................................................................ 8-17
Duplicate Entities, Deleting ............................................... 1-52, 8-45
DWG Files..................................................................... see AutoCAD
DXF Files ...................................................................... see AutoCAD
DXF/DWG Conversion Settings................................................ 10-54

E
Edit Data Item ........................................................................... 8-33
Edit Description ......................................................................... 1-32
Edit Dimension .......................................................................... 7-52
Edit Dimension Properties.......................................................... 7-52
Edit Macro ................................................................................. 1-50
Edit Object................................................................................. 9-19
Edit Text ...................................................................................... 7-5
Elements...................................................................... see Primitives
Ellipse2Arcs ...................................................................... 5-42, 5-44
Ellipses ...................................................................................... 4-25
extracting information about ................................................... 8-21
hatching ........................................................................ 4-26, 5-42
jumping and snapping to ............................................... 4-26, 5-42
part ellipses ............................................................................ 4-26
snipping part of.............................................................. 4-26, 5-42
Encode Macro ............................................................................ 1-50
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill ................................................................ 7-66
Entities ........................................................................ see Primitives
Erasing ........................................................................... see Deleting
Error Messages .......................................................................... 1-51
Exec Macro ....................................................................... 1-50, 17-8
Exit............................................................................................ 1-58
Expand ............................................................................. 8-53, 8-60
Export Macro .................................................................... 1-40, 17-6
Export Text ................................................................................ 1-41
Exporting
ASCII ...................................................................................... 1-41
 drawing data........................................................................... 8-17
DWG files................................................................... see AutoCAD
DXF files .................................................................... see AutoCAD
HPGL ...................................................................................... 1-46
Plot Files ................................................................................. 1-46
via Clipboard ............................................................................ 2-3
Extending Lines ......................................................................... 8-45
Extending Lines or Arcs .................................. 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29

F
File Menu..................................................................................... 1-1
Fill Geom ................................................................................... 4-21
Fill Geom Arc ............................................................................. 4-23
Fill Geometry Cir........................................................................ 4-22
Fillet .......................................................................................... 5-23
Filters ........................................................................................ 2-17
Fonts ......................................................................... 10-36, see Text
exporting to AutoCAD ............................................................. 1-23
importing from AutoCAD........................................................... 1-6
on the Control Bar ................................................................ 10-15
FP Error Message....................................................................... 1-51
Free Dimensions ........................................................................ 7-22
Freehand Drawing ..................................................................... 4-44

G
Geom Intersection (jump) ............................................................. 8-8
Geometry
circle by centre point and diameter ........................................... 6-8
circle by centre point and radius ............................................... 6-7
circle tangent to circle ............................................................. 6-23
circle tangent to line................................................................ 6-21
circle tangent to line and circle................................................ 6-11
circle tangent to three lines ..................................................... 6-19
circle tangent to two circles ..................................................... 6-14
circle tangent to two lines.......................................................... 6-9
circle through three points ...................................................... 6-27
colour ................................................................................... 10-34
concentric circles ...................................................................... 6-8
crossed lines ............................................................................. 6-2
deleting.......................................................................... 6-38, 6-39
inking in ................................................................................. 4-21
line perpendicular to another line............................................ 6-32
line perpendicular to two points .............................................. 6-32
line tangent to circle................................................................ 6-28
line tangent to two circles........................................................ 6-30
line through point at specific angle............................................ 6-3
 line through two points ............................................................. 6-4
loading saved .......................................................................... 1-12
parallel lines / circles................................................................ 6-5
projecting from existing lines / arcs ........................................ 6-36
saving ................................................................... 1-24, 1-31, 1-34
switching on and off ..................................................... 6-37, 10-15
tracing over ............................................................................. 4-21
Geometry Trace-Over ................................................................. 4-21
Grid ........................................................................................... 8-26
can't jump or snap to .............................................................. 8-27
isometric ...................................................................... 8-26, 10-11
Grid Display Density .................................................................. 8-26
Group Into Object ........................................................................ 9-7
Guest Sub-directory ................................................................... 13-2

H
Handles ................................................................................ 2-6, 2-8
rotating with ........................................................................... 2-11
stretching and scaling with ....................................................... 2-9
turning off temporarily .............................................................. 2-8
Hatch -> Lines ........................................................................... 7-76
Hatch or Solid Fill Dialogue Box ................................................. 7-68
Hatch Patterns
defining................................................................................... 15-2
defining, example 1 - line ........................................................ 15-5
defining, example 2 - dash ...................................................... 15-6
defining, example 3 - newbrick ................................................ 15-7
defining, example 4 - triang................................................... 15-11
Hatch Perimeters
viewing.................................................................................... 9-11
Hatch to Draw.......................................................................... 10-18
HATCH.PAT....................................................................... 13-3, 15-1
Hatching .................................................................................... 7-66
combining solid fills with bitmaps ........................................... 7-71
combining solid fills with cross hatches................................... 7-70
converting to lines ................................................................... 7-76
disappears .......................................................... 7-67, 7-73, 10-18
editing..................................................................................... 7-72
ellipses........................................................................... 4-26, 5-42
selecting.................................................................................. 2-20
solid fill colours....................................................................... 7-71
switching off.......................................................................... 10-18
tips ......................................................................................... 7-70
viewing selected ........................................................... 7-73, 10-18
Healing Breaks in Lines..................................................... 5-29, 5-31
Hold............................................................................................. 8-4
Home Directories .......... see also Progam Home Directory; User Home
Directory
Hook Point .......................................................................... 9-3, 9-15
changing.......................................................................... 9-3, 9-21
Horizontal Dimension ................................................................ 7-20
HPGL files
accuracy ................................................................................. 1-39
HPGL Files
exporting ................................................................................ 1-46
importing ................................................................................ 1-38

I
Icons
adding macros to .................................................................... 14-8
customising ............................................................................ 14-2
Illegal Operation Message........................................................... 1-51
Imperial Units ............................................................................ 10-6
on same drawing as metric...................................................... 10-8
Import ASCII.............................................................................. 1-39
Import HPGL.............................................................................. 1-38
Import/Export ........................................................................... 1-38
Importing
DWG Files.................................................................. see AutoCAD
DXF Files ................................................................... see AutoCAD
plot files .................................................................................. 1-38
text ......................................................................................... 1-39
via Clipboard ............................................................................ 2-4
Insert Block ............................................................................... 9-28
Invalid Backup Path Message..................................................... 1-31
Isometrics
circles ................................................................................... 10-11
dimensions .................................................................. 7-30, 10-11
grid.............................................................................. 8-26, 10-11
locking cursor to isometric angles ............................................. 8-4
Item References ............................................................. see Balloons

J
Joining Lines .................................................................... 5-31, 8-45
Joining Lines or Arcs ...................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29
Jump Any Intersection ................................................................. 8-9
Jump Circle Centre .................................................................... 8-10
Jump Grid ................................................................................... 8-8
Jump Near Element ................................................................... 8-10
Jump Point .................................................................................. 8-9
Jumps ......................................................................................... 8-7
jumping to ellipses ......................................................... 4-26, 5-42
 L
Label Coord................................................................................ 7-77
Landscape.................................................................................. 10-3
Compiled Macro ......................................................................... 18-4
Last Fixed (jump) ....................................................................... 8-11
Layer Control ........................................................................... 10-70
Layers
adding................................................................................... 10-71
copying and pasting between drawings...................................... 2-4
copying items to another layer................................................. 5-41
current....................................................................... 10-68, 10-72
deleting ................................................................................. 10-71
deleting unused ...................................................................... 1-52
editing................................................................................... 10-71
highlighting........................................................................... 10-72
loading specific ....................................................................... 1-10
locking .................................................................................. 10-71
magnification ........................................................................ 10-71
moving items to another layer ................................................. 5-40
name .................................................................................... 10-70
pen and line type by ................................................... 10-71, 10-73
querying which layer something is on...................................... 8-34
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
saving specific ......................................................................... 1-33
saving visible........................................................................... 1-34
selecting everything on ............................................................ 2-20
visible ............................................................. 10-69, 10-70, 10-72
Lengths
querying.................................................................................. 8-34
Line (Chained).............................................................................. 4-2
Line Arc Line.............................................................................. 4-12
Line Defaults............................................................................ 10-23
Line Tan C ................................................................................. 6-28
Line Tan CC ............................................................................... 6-30
Line Type
by layer...................................................................... 10-71, 10-73
editing..................................................................................... 2-12
exporting to AutoCAD.............................................................. 1-24
importing from AutoCAD ........................................................... 1-7
querying.................................................................................. 8-34
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
selecting by ............................................................................. 2-17
Line Types
exporting to AutoCAD.............................................................. 16-2
how displayed ......................................................................... 16-3
 how printed ............................................................................ 16-2
importing from AutoCAD......................................................... 16-2
Line Width
by pen colour .......................................................................... 1-45
querying ................................................................................. 8-34
Linear Copy ............................................................................... 5-13
Lines
adding to a perimeter ..............................................12-145, 12-146
chained..................................................................................... 4-2
deleting part of........................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-33, 5-36
deleting redundant.................................................................. 8-45
deleting very short .................................................................. 8-45
dividing................................................................................... 5-29
drawing at an angle................................................see Lock Cursor
extending or shortening ...................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 8-45
extracting information about ................................................... 8-20
healing breaks ............................................................... 5-29, 5-31
joining ....................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-31, 8-45
line arc line sequences ............................................................ 4-12
mid-point jump ....................................................................... 8-11
parallel ............................................................... 4-15, 4-17, 10-28
projecting to geometry ............................................................. 6-36
single ........................................................................................ 4-3
splitting .................................................................................. 5-29
trimming........................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-33, 5-36, 8-45
Lines (Pt to Pt).............................................................................. 4-3
LINETYPE.MAC................................................................. 13-3, 16-1
List Objects................................................................................ 9-13
Listing Coordinates .................................................................... 7-77
Load ............................................................................................ 1-9
Load Bitmap ..................................................................... 1-12, 1-17
Load Drawing............................................................................... 1-9
Load Geom................................................................................. 1-12
Load Layers ............................................................................... 1-10
Load New Menu ......................................................................... 1-18
Load Symbol File............................................................... 1-35, 8-42
Load Title Block ......................................................................... 1-19
Loading Drawings into Other Drawings .................. see Load Drawing
Lock Cursor ................................................................................. 8-2
Lock Geom Line ........................................................................... 8-3
Lock Keyboard ............................................................................. 8-3
Lock to Line ................................................................................. 8-3
Logical Operators in Macros ..................................................... 17-14
Long Pan.................................................................................... 3-14
 M
Macros
accessing files ......................................................................... 17-8
adding to menus, icons or accelerator keys ............................. 14-8
arithmetic operators.............................................................. 17-14
coordinate pairs .................................................................... 17-11
debugging ............................................................................... 17-7
description of language ........................................................... 17-9
encoding ................................................................................. 1-50
examples................................................................................. 17-5
executing ....................................................................... 1-50, 17-8
exporting a drawing as a macro...................................... 1-40, 17-6
general purpose functions ..................................................... 17-16
hints and tips.......................................................................... 17-5
how do I write my first macro .................................................. 17-2
line length limitation ............................................................. 17-15
logical operators.................................................................... 17-14
special characters used in ..................................................... 17-10
statement types....................................................................... 17-9
stepping through one line at a time ......................................... 17-7
strings ......................................................................... 17-3, 17-11
trigonometric operators ......................................................... 17-14
variables ...................................................................... 17-3, 17-11
writing in Windows '95 ............................................................ 17-7
Magnify...................................................................................... 3-12
changing magnify factor ........................................................ 10-22
MainCAD caused a General Protection Fault Message ................ 1-51
Make Arcs from Lines................................................................. 1-44
Make Geometry .......................................................................... 6-36
Make Symbol .................................................................... 8-40, 9-15
Mapping Colours to Line Widths................................................. 1-45
Measure..................................................................................... 8-28
Measuring.................................................................................. 8-34
angles ..................................................................................... 8-28
areas.............................................................................. 8-29, 9-13
distances ................................................................................ 8-28
perimeters...................................................................... 8-29, 9-13
Mechanical Style Dimensions .......................................... 7-21, 10-43
Memory.................................................................................... 10-57
Menus
adding macros to .................................................................... 14-8
loading alternative................................................................... 1-18
Merging Drawings .................................................. see Load Drawing
Metafiles ...................................................................................... 2-3
Metric Units ............................................................................... 10-6
 on same drawing as imperial................................................... 10-8
Mid Point Jump ......................................................................... 8-11
Mirror Image ................................................................................ 5-6
Move ............................................................................................ 5-4
Move Point ................................................................................... 5-5
Move Selected->New Layer ......................................................... 5-40
Move Text .................................................................................... 7-5
Move to Back ............................................................................. 2-23
Move to Coordinates................................................................... 8-14
Move to Front............................................................................. 2-23
Moving......................................................................................... 5-4
dragging accurately with cursor .............................................. 2-12
dragging with cursor ...................................................... 2-12, 2-14
items to another layer ............................................................. 5-40
nudging .................................................................................. 2-15
point and lines attached to it.......................... 5-5, see Select Nodes
Moving the Cursor
at an angle.............................................................see Lock Cursor
Multiple Parallel Line Defaults Dialogue Box ............................ 10-28
Multiple Users ........................................................................... 13-2

N
New ............................................................................................. 1-2
New Geometry Colour .............................................................. 10-34
Nodes ........................................................................................ 2-14
displaying ............................................................................... 8-16
moving.................................................................................... 2-14
selecting ................................................................................. 2-15
Nudge ........................................................................................ 2-15
Compiled macro....................................................................... 18-16

O
Object Extends off Edge of World Message.................................. 1-51
Object Name ......................................................... 9-3, 9-6, 9-7, 9-15
changing.......................................................................... 9-3, 9-19
querying ................................................................................. 8-34
viewing ..................................................................................... 9-9
Object Too Long Message ........................................................... 1-51
Objects
adding to a perimeter .......................................................... 12-146
aligning to a grid ....................................................................... 7-7
aligning to each other................................................................ 7-7
attributes..................................... 1-36, 4-41, 8-40, 8-42, 9-4, 9-17
bill of materials ....................................................................... 8-35
changing hook point ........................................................ 9-3, 9-21
changing object name ...................................................... 9-3, 9-19
 changing parent name...................................................... 9-3, 9-19
counting ................................................................................. 9-13
current.................................................................................... 9-25
disappear .............................................................................. 10-19
drawn as boxes ..................................................................... 10-19
editing..................................................................................... 9-19
extracting details..................................................................... 8-19
hook point........................................................................ 9-3, 9-15
inserting ........................................................................ 4-38, 8-42
listing...................................................................................... 9-13
measuring areas ..................................................................... 9-13
measuring perimeters ............................................................. 9-13
name .................................................................9-3, 9-6, 9-7, 9-15
parent name ............................................................................. 9-3
properties.................................................................................. 9-2
querying.................................................................................. 8-34
rotating on insertion................................................................ 4-39
scale .............................................................................. 1-35, 4-39
search and replace ......................................................... 9-23, 9-24
selecting by cursor ........................................................... 2-7, 2-19
selecting by name.................................................................... 2-19
selecting individual primitives within......................................... 2-7
snip box ........................................................................... 9-4, 9-16
spacing evenly......................................................................... 7-15
updating ........................................................................ 9-23, 9-24
Objects Menu............................................................................... 9-1
Offsets
closing off ends ..................................................................... 10-31
saving defaults ........................................................................ 13-1
Open............................................................................................ 1-3
Ordinate Dimension ................................................................... 7-48
Orientation
of paper .................................................................................. 10-2
Overlapping Entities, Deleting .................................................... 8-45

P
Pan ............................................................................................ 3-13
Panning
Long Pan................................................................................. 3-14
Pan ......................................................................................... 3-13
Paper Orientation....................................................................... 10-2
Paper Size .................................................................................. 10-2
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
Parallel Defaults....................................................................... 10-28
Parallel Line (Draw) .................................................................... 4-15
Parallel Line (Geometry) ............................................................... 6-5
Parallel Lines
closing off ends ..................................................................... 10-31
saving defaults........................................................................ 13-1
Parents
changing name ................................................................ 9-3, 9-19
name ........................................................................................ 9-3
Part Ellipse ................................................................................ 4-26
Paste............................................................................................ 2-4
Pen Mapping.............................................................................. 1-45
Pens
by layer...................................................................... 10-71, 10-73
editing pen of existing entities ................................................. 2-12
exporting to AutoCAD ............................................................. 1-23
geometry ............................................................................... 10-34
importing from AutoCAD........................................................... 1-6
mapping to line widths............................................................ 1-45
print all as black ..................................................................... 1-45
print very faintly ..................................................................... 1-45
querying ................................................................................. 8-34
saving default ......................................................................... 13-1
selecting by ............................................................................. 2-17
Perimeter Menu
icons on .............................................................................. 12-143
Perimeters
deleting part of defined........................................................ 12-148
measuring...................................................................... 8-29, 9-13
Perp Bisector ............................................................................. 6-32
Perpendicular (Lock Cursor)......................................................... 8-3
Pick Index from Hatch................................................................ 7-75
Pixels ................................................................................ 1-13, 1-15
Placeholder for Bitmap............................................................. 10-18
Plot Files
accuracy ................................................................................. 1-39
exporting ................................................................................ 1-46
importing ................................................................................ 1-38
Plot to Fit ................................................................................... 1-47
Plotting ........................................................................... see Printing
Point............................................................................................ 4-4
extracting information about ................................................... 8-20
style...................................................................................... 10-17
Point Style ............................................................................... 10-17
Point-Point Line ........................................................................... 6-4
Polar Copy ................................................................................. 5-13
Polar Move ................................................................................. 8-15
Polygon ...................................................................................... 4-36
Polygon Area .............................................................................. 8-29
Polyline Defaults ...................................................................... 10-25
Polylines ................................................................ 4-31, 4-33, 10-25
editing style of existing ............................................................ 2-13
extracting information about ................................................... 8-20
saving defaults ........................................................................ 13-1
Polysnip ..................................................................................... 5-39
Portrait ...................................................................................... 10-3
Preserve Black (bitmaps) ............................................................ 1-15
Preserve White (bitmaps) ............................................................ 1-15
Primitives
cannot select individual............................................................. 2-7
extracting information about ................................................... 8-17
querying.................................................................................. 8-34
selecting individual ................................................................... 2-7
Print .......................................................................................... 1-43
Print Setup ................................................................................ 1-49
Printing............................................................................. 1-43, 1-47
all colours to black .................................................................. 1-45
arcs don't print or print incorrectly.......................................... 1-45
at a scale other than your drawing scale.................................. 1-47
colours print very faintly ......................................................... 1-45
line widths by colour ............................................................... 1-45
part of a drawing..................................................................... 1-47
text prints at wrong orientation ............................................... 1-43
to fit the paper ........................................................................ 1-47
Purge Redundant Elements ............................................... 1-32, 1-52

Q
Query Entity .............................................................................. 8-34
Quit ........................................................................................... 1-58

R
Radial Dimension....................................................................... 7-45
Raster to Vector Conversion Programs........................................ 8-45
Real World Pixel Size .................................................................. 1-13
Re-Centre Paper ....................................................................... 10-20
Rectangle ..................................................................................... 4-5
Redo ............................................................................................ 2-2
Redraw ...................................................................................... 3-15
Redraws
very slow ............................................................... 1-52, 7-67, 7-73
Reference Point .......................................................... see Hook Point
drawing................................................................................... 1-31
Repair DRG File ......................................................................... 1-51
Repeat ....................................................................................... 5-13
Replace Objects................................................................. 9-23, 9-24
Resample Mode (bitmaps)......................................... 1-14, 1-15, 1-16
Rotate ........................................................................................ 5-18
Rotate Icon .................................................................................. 2-6
Rotating
by cursor ....................................................................... 2-11, 5-18
by keyboard ............................................................................ 5-18
Rubbing Out ................................................................... see Deleting
Ruler Bar
turning on and off ................................................................. 10-17
Running Dimensions ................................................................. 7-21

S
Save........................................................................................... 1-20
Save AllyCAD DOS ..................................................................... 1-29
Save As...................................................................................... 1-21
Save Geometry ........................................................................... 1-34
Save Layer ................................................................................. 1-33
Save Options.............................................................................. 1-30
Save Selected ............................................................................. 1-33
Save Settings ............................................................................. 1-30
Save Visible ............................................................................... 1-34
Saving Selected Entities .................................................... 1-21, 1-33
Scale.......................................................................................... 10-3
changing................................................................................. 10-6
more than one on a drawing.................................................. 10-71
saving default ......................................................................... 13-1
Scale (Scaling Entities) ................................................................. 5-9
Scale Text .................................................................................... 7-6
Scales
more than one on a drawing........................................... 8-53, 8-60
Scaling (Entities)
by cursor ........................................................................... 2-9, 5-9
by keyboard .............................................................................. 5-9
Scroll Bars
switching on and off.............................................................. 10-18
Search and Replace Objects .............................................. 9-23, 9-24
Security ..................................................................................... 1-53
Select........................................................................................... 2-6
Select All.................................................................................... 2-18
Select by Polygon ....................................................................... 2-16
Select Cursor ............................................................................... 2-6
Select Nodes .............................................................................. 2-14
Selecting
by colour................................................................................. 2-17
by entity type .......................................................................... 2-17
by line type ............................................................................. 2-17
 can’t select individual primitive ................................................. 2-7
everything on a layer ............................................................... 2-20
everything on the drawing ....................................................... 2-18
everything within a polygon............................................ 2-16, 2-18
everything within a rectangle..................................................... 2-8
hatches ................................................................................... 2-20
individual primitives.................................................................. 2-7
individual primitives within objects ........................................... 2-7
nodes ...................................................................................... 2-15
objects by cursor.............................................................. 2-7, 2-19
objects by name ...................................................................... 2-19
using the nodes cursor............................................................ 2-14
zoom into selection set .............................................................. 3-7
Selection Filters ......................................................................... 2-17
Send to Back.............................................................................. 2-23
Send to Front............................................................................. 2-23
Set Alignment .............................................................................. 7-7
Set Arrow Defaults ................................................................... 10-49
Set Balloon Defaults................................................................. 10-51
Set Current Layer..................................................................... 10-68
Set Dim Defaults ...................................................................... 10-41
Set Survey Defaults.................................................................. 10-46
Set Text Defaults...................................................................... 10-35
Set Text Defaults Dialogue Box................................................. 10-35
Set Visible Layers..................................................................... 10-69
Settings for Dos........................................................................ 10-56
Settings Menu............................................................................ 10-1
Sheet Size ................................................................................ 10-21
Shortening Lines ........................................................................ 8-45
Shortening Lines or Arcs ............... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-29, 5-33, 5-36
Show Arc Centres..................................................................... 10-15
Show Coordinates .................................................................... 10-14
Show Data Items...................................................................... 10-18
Show Geometry ........................................................................ 10-15
Show Nodes ............................................................................... 8-16
Show Objects ............................................................................... 9-9
Sketch ....................................................................................... 4-44
Slope Dimension ........................................................................ 7-30
Slope Line .................................................................................... 6-3
Slow Drawings ......................................................... 1-52, 7-67, 7-73
Snap Modes
snapping to ellipses........................................................ 4-26, 5-42
Snip ........................................................................................... 5-36
Snip Box ............................................................................. 9-4, 9-16
Splines....................................................................................... 4-28
Bezier curves.................................................................. 4-31, 4-33
 circular ................................................................................... 4-28
cubic....................................................................................... 4-29
Splitting Lines or Arcs................................................................ 5-29
STARTUP.DRG........................................................................... 13-3
Statistics, Drawing..................................................................... 1-32
Stretch......................................................................................... 5-2
Stretching By Cursor ................................................................... 2-9
Survey Dimension...................................................................... 7-50
style...................................................................................... 10-46
Switch Geometry On/Off............................................................ 6-37
Symbol (Function)............................................................. 4-38, 8-42
Symbol Libraries
loading.................................................................................... 1-35
System Settings ....................................................................... 10-63

T
Tangents
circle tangent to circle ............................................................. 6-23
circle tangent to line................................................................ 6-21
circle tangent to line and circle................................................ 6-11
circle tangent to three lines ..................................................... 6-19
circle tangent to two circles ..................................................... 6-14
circle tangent to two lines.......................................................... 6-9
line tangent to circle................................................................ 6-28
line tangent to two circles........................................................ 6-30
Text ........................................................see Fonts; Set Text Defaults
adding to a drawing .................................................................. 7-2
aligning................................................................................... 7-18
around an arc ........................................................................... 7-4
at top of screen is too big or small ......................................... 10-15
changing style of existing text ............................................... 10-39
dimension .............................................................. see Dimensions
disappears ................................................................. 10-15, 10-19
drawn as boxes .......................................................... 10-16, 10-19
drawn as dots ....................................................................... 10-19
editing ............................................................... 2-12, 7-3, 7-5, 7-6
exporting ................................................................................ 1-41
extracting information about ................................................... 8-22
importing ................................................................................ 1-39
inside a balloon / bubble ............................................... 7-63, 7-65
matching the style of existing text ......................................... 10-39
moving................................................................... 7-5, see Moving
prints at wrong orientation...................................................... 1-43
saving defaults........................................................................ 13-1
scaling ................................................................... 7-6, see Scaling
switching off ......................................................................... 10-15
Text Entry Dialogue Box............................................................... 7-2
Thin Pixels (bitmaps) .................................................................. 1-15
Tidy Polygons .................................................................... 8-45, 8-52
Tidy Up Boundaries ................................................................... 8-47
Tiled Bitmaps........................................................................... 10-66
Title Block........................................................... see Load Title Block
To DXF/DWG Conversion Settings Dialogue Box ...................... 10-55
Tolerance (in Perimeter Menu) ................................................ 12-148
Tolerances......................................................................... 7-24, 7-52
Toolbar
customising ............................................................................ 14-2
Toolbars..................................................................................... 3-11
Tracking Perimeters Automatically ......................................... 12-147
Trigonometric Operators
in macros.............................................................................. 17-14
Trim......................................................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23
Trimming ...................................... 5-20, 5-22, 5-23, 5-33, 5-36, 8-45

U
Undo............................................................................................ 2-2
Units of Measure ........................................................................ 10-6
area ........................................................................................ 10-7
changing ................................................................................. 10-8
imperial and metric on same drawing...................................... 10-8
linear ...................................................................................... 10-7
saving default.......................................................................... 13-1
Unlock (Cursor)............................................................................ 8-6
Unlocking Cursor
permanently.............................................................................. 8-6
temporarily ............................................................................... 8-4
Unreferenced Blocks
purging ................................................................................... 1-52
Update Objects.................................................................. 9-23, 9-24
Use Plotter Arcs ......................................................................... 1-44
User Home Directory .................................................................. 13-2
Users
adding..................................................................................... 13-3
deleting ................................................................................... 13-4

V
Variables......................................................................... 17-3, 17-11
Vertical Dimension..................................................................... 7-29
View Settings ........................................................................... 10-14
Virtual Memory Settings........................................................... 10-57
Visible Layers................................................................ 10-69, 10-72
 W
Windows '95
writing macros in .................................................................... 17-7

Z
Zoom All ...................................................................................... 3-5
Zoom Last.................................................................................... 3-4
Zoom Next ................................................................................... 3-5
Zoom Print................................................................................. 1-47
Zoom Scaled ................................................................................ 3-6
Zoom Selected.............................................................................. 3-7
Zoom Sheet.................................................................................. 3-6
Zoom View ................................................................................... 3-7
Zoom Window .............................................................................. 3-2
Zooming
pre-defined views ............................................................... 3-7, 3-8
show drawing at specific scale................................................... 3-6
show selected entities................................................................ 3-7
show whole drawing.................................................................. 3-5
show whole sheet of paper......................................................... 3-6
step backwards through zoom sequence.................................... 3-4
step forwards through zoom sequence....................................... 3-5
AllyCAD 3.5
User Guide

Copyright 2006

Knowledge Base Software (Pty) Ltd

 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, AllyCAD, on
the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
3. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any subsidiary,
agent or third party, sell, lease, license, sub-license or otherwise deal
with the software.
5. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the software
shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor and it’s
principals.
6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk, or security module the license must be re-purchased in
full.
8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
application of the software or it’s fitness for any particular purpose.
The verification of all results and output is entirely the responsibility
of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the AllyCAD
program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s employees and
agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage (including in
particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and penalties)
suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in
connection with the AllyCAD program or the use thereof whether
such loss or damage results from breach of contract (including a
fundamental breach), negligence or any other cause and whether or
not this contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee arising
from any cause whatsoever in connection with the AllyCAD program
or the use thereof whether or not this contract is at any time
cancelled.
 Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1-1
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-1
How to get support 1-2
Online Help 1-2
Online Documentation 1-2
INSTALLATION AND STARTUP 2-1
What you need to know 2-1
Disks 2-1
System Requirements 2-1
Reading the README file 2-2
Installation 2-2
What is installed 2-2
Directory Structure 2-3
User Home directory 2-5
Multiple users 2-6
Adding new users 2-7
Starting AllyCAD from Windows 2-9
Security 2-9
Safety Precautions 2-9
What to do now 2-10
Tutorials 2-11
Things You Should Know 2-11
Customizing AllyCAD 2-12
Conventions used in this manual 2-13
SCREEN, MOUSE AND KEYBOARD 3-1
Screen Overview 3-2
Title Bar 3-3
Menu Bar 3-3
Prompt Area and Control Bar 3-4
Line Type Display 3-9
Layer Display 3-9
Pen Selection 3-10
Toolbars 3-12
Drawing Area 3-14
Cursor 3-14
Dialog Boxes 3-15
Smart Cursor Help and Coordinate Display 3-15
The Mouse 3-16
The Keyboard 3-18
TUTORIAL 1 – THE SCREEN 4-1
Important notes to read before you start this tutorial 4-2
In case you get lost or stuck ... 4-3
Loading a drawing 4-4
Magnifying 4-5
Panning 4-6
Demagnifying 4-8
Zooming 4-9
Multiple Drawings 4-12
TUTORIAL 2 - ACCURATE DRAWING 5-1
Setting up your drawing 5-2
Using specific coordinate locations 5-4
An aside - Undo 5-5
[Home] [End] [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys 5-5
The arrow keys 5-6
Moving the same distance again 5-7
Polar coordinates 5-9
Using a locked cursor 5-10
Using Geometry 5-12
Using a grid 5-15
Jumps and Snap Modes 5-16
Transparent commands 5-19
Changing line styles 5-22
Saving your drawing 5-23
TUTORIAL 3 – CAD BASICS 6-1
Loading a drawing 6-2
Fillets and chamfers 6-3
Filleting 6-3
Chamfering 6-5
Drawing parallel lines 6-6
Drawing lines around an existing perimeter. 6-6
Drawing Fresh Parallel Lines 6-8
Hatching 6-12
A simple hatch 6-12
Hatching with islands 6-13
Text 6-17
Entering text 6-17
Editing Text 6-18
Dimensions 6-20
Stretching 6-31
Producing an automatic detailed view 6-34
Saving your drawing 6-38
TUTORIAL 4 - OBJECTS 7-1
Setting up your drawing 7-2
Drawing the window, desk and chair 7-4
Drawing the window 7-4
Drawing the desk 7-6
Drawing the chair 7-6
Creating objects 7-7
Creating the Window 7-7
Creating the desk and chair 7-8
Viewing objects 7-9
Merging objects 7-10
Dividing objects 7-11
Changing object names and hook points 7-12
Adding to an object 7-14
Saving your drawing 7-15
TUTORIAL 5 – SYMBOLS 8-1
Loading a drawing 8-2
Inserting symbols - the windows 8-3
Layers 8-6
Inserting symbols - the desk and chair 8-7
Moving using Drag and Snap 8-9
Nudging 8-11
Copying 8-12
Scaling 8-14
Rotating 8-15
Repeating 8-16
Mirroring 8-18
Updating 8-19
Counting the objects in your drawing 8-23
Saving your drawing 8-24
ACCURATE DRAWING 9-1
Move an exact distance up, down, left, or right 9-2
Move diagonally by exact horizontal / vertical distances 9-4
Move an exact distance in a specific direction 9-6
Lock cursor to an exact angle (ortho mode) 9-7
Move to an exact coordinate location on the screen 9-9
Move exactly onto an existing part of the drawing 9-9
Jumps 9-10
Snap Modes 9-11
Drawing with geometry or with a grid 9-12
Making calculations 9-13
DRAWING STRUCTURE 10-1
Primitives, objects and parents 10-2
Primitives 10-2
Objects 10-3
Parents 10-4
Properties of objects 10-4
Object and Parent names 10-4
Hook Point 10-5
Snip Box 10-5
Attributes 10-6
Grouping primitives into objects 10-7
Automatically 10-7
Begin New Object 10-8
Group Into Object 10-8
Make Symbol 10-8
Merging Objects 10-8
Dividing Objects 10-8
Adding primitives to an existing object 10-9
Viewing and listing objects 10-10
Extracting details about the objects in your drawing 10-11
Selecting objects 10-12
Using Select 10-12
Using Selection Filters 10-12
Manipulating objects 10-13
Symbols 10-14
Using symbols. 10-14
Making a symbol. 10-14
Creating a symbol library 10-17
Blocks 10-18
GEOMETRY 11-1
Geometry elements 11-2
Properties of geometry 11-2
Using geometry as guidelines to trace over 11-3
Projecting solid lines and arcs to geometry lines and circles 11-4
Jumping to geometry lines, arcs and intersections 11-4
Snapping to geometry lines, arcs and intersections 11-4
Switching geometry on and off 11-7
Saving geometry 11-7
Deleting geometry 11-7
ISOMETRICS 12-1
Drawing the lines at the right angles 12-2
Drawing an Isometric Grid 12-3
Drawing Isometric Circles 12-4
Isometric Dimensions 12-5
ARCHITECTURAL TOOLKIT 13-1
Changing the drawing setup 13-2
Changing the drawing defaults and symbol tree root 13-3
Drawing external walls 13-5
Drawing internal walls 13-7
Drawing a closed internal wall 13-10
Adding a roofline to the plan 13-12
Placing symbols on your drawing 13-14
Draw the elevations 13-20
Adding a roof to the elevation 13-26
Drawing cross sections 13-33
Drawing stairs 13-40
Adding a straight section of the stair to a drawing plan 13-42
Adding a straight section of the stair to a drawing elevation 13-47
Adding a landing section to a drawing plan 13-49
Adding a landing section to a drawing elevation 13-56
MECHANICAL TOOLKIT 14-1
Activating the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar 14-2
Set AllyCAD drawing defaults 14-3
Set the Mechanical Toolkit defaults 14-4
Drawing Bolts, Nuts, Screws or Rivets 14-6
Drawing Holes 14-10
Drawing Shafts 14-14
Drawing Gears 14-18
Drawing Links 14-21
Drawing Weld Annotations 14-23
Drawing Tolerance Annotations 14-26
Drawing Surface Finish Annotations 14-29
SURVEY TOOLKIT 14-1
The Setup dialog 14-1
Title bar 14-2
OK and Cancel 14-2
Template drawing files grid 14-2
Settings grid 14-3
Template drawings 14-5
Example: Diagram scale 14-5
Problems with erf numbering and multiple dimensioning 14-7
COMMON QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS 15-1
Printing Problems 15-2
A function doesn't work, or doesn't work properly 15-8
Parts of the drawing can't be selected 15-18
Symbols 15-19
Symbols split into two or more parts 15-19
AllyCAD has lost my symbols 15-20
Symbols are inserted at the wrong angle 15-20
Symbols include hatches or solid fills 15-20
Hatching 15-23
Problems with redraws or with what is displayed 15-27
How do I change colours 15-29
How do I ... 15-32
Add a title block (border) to a scaled drawing 15-32
Get more than one scale on a drawing 15-32
Get a diameter, degree or other special character 15-33
Move dimension text 15-34
Write a macro with Notepad 15-34
Introduction
This manual will help you install AllyCAD and get started. It also
includes easy-to-follow tutorials for hands-on experience with the
program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• how to get AllyCAD up and running
• use the menus and the on-line help system
• design principles used
• how to input and edit data files
• how to start an analysis
• how to view and output the results of the analysis

Typefaces in this manual

The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”

This button on the control bar is used to accept a
setting or function.

 This button in the control bar is used to cancel a

setting or function.
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose
by opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Introduction 1-1
How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 (CAT) Mondays to
Fridays excluding public holidays.
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850
You can also email your support enquiries to our Customer Support
Centre at [email protected]

Online Help

While using the program you can press F1 for context sensitive help at
any time. The help items can be printed if required using the Windows
Help system.

Online Documentation

The User Guide and the Reference Manual are supplied on the CD-ROM
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You have the option to install the Acrobat
Reader when installing AllyCAD. This allows you to browse through the
manual, to search for specific subjects, and to print out all or any
selection of pages.
Chapters 1 - 10 of the Reference Manual describe the CAD's functions by
menu. The menus are fully customisable and the way they are structured
ultimately depends on you.
If you do change the menu structure, it will no longer correspond to the
manual's layout. However, as each function is listed in the Index, you will
still be able to find the information you need.

1-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Installation and Startup
Before you begin working:
• check the contents of your package
• make sure that your hardware satisfies the requirements
• run the installation program
• plug the security module into your printer port
• start AllyCAD.

What you need to know

This manual assumes that you are familiar with basic Windows
operations. If you are not, you should read the documentation that came
with your copy of Windows before installing and using the program.

Disks

If you have any problems with your AllyCAD CD-ROM, please contact
the support centres.

System Requirements

Before you install AllyCAD, ensure that your hardware and system
software meets the following requirements:
• 500 MHz Pentium II or better
• 64Mb or more RAM (128Mb or more recommended)
• 120Mb or more free hard disk space
• Microsoft Windows XP/2000 or later.
• A screen sub-system configured to SVGA (800 x 600) resolution.
• CD-ROM drive
All printers, plotters, screens, and mice are supported via Windows. If
Windows does not include a driver for your particular printer or plotter,
please contact your printer or plotter manufacturer. They should be able
to provide you with a Windows driver for your device.

Installation and Startup 2-1

Reading the README file

Any last-minute changes or additions to AllyCAD are documented in the

README.TXT file. When the Setup program has finished installing
AllyCAD on your hard disk it displays the README file. You can view
the README file using Windows WordPad and print the contents at any
stage.

Installation

1. Insert the program CD into the CD-ROM drive.

2. If you are using Windows XP/2000 or later, click on Start ► Run to
run the SETUP program on the CD.
3. Follow the prompts of the AllyCAD installation program. AllyCAD
will be installed in the directory that you choose.

What is installed

The Setup program creates a number of directories and also modifies the
Windows Registry. These changes are explained in the following
sections.

2-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Directory Structure

The directory that AllyCAD is installed into is called your Program Home
directory. Unless you specified another name when you installed
AllyCAD, your Program Home directory is called AllyCAD34. It contains
a number of sub-directories:

AllyCAD34

AcrobatReader

Docs

Examples

Macros

Support

Symbols

Users

Guest

Macro

AcrobarReader sub-directory

This directory contains the Acrobat Reader installation software that is

required to read the online documentation stored in the Docs sub-
directory.

Docs sub-directory

The on-line version of the printed documentation is stored in this

directory.

Examples sub-directory

This directory contains example drawings and sheet files.

Installation and Startup 2-3

Macro sub-directory

This directory is used to store CAD macros that are executed from the
menu. These macros should not be deleted.

Support sub-directory

This directory contains various supporting files used to test the DDE link
to Visual Basic.

Symbols sub-directory

By default, symbol is the directory where the program looks for symbol
files when you use File ►Load Symbol File. To change the default directory
where the program looks for symbol files, you must edit the CAD.INI file
in your User Home directory (see below) using any text editor such as
Windows Notepad or the DOS editor.
The symbol directory will contain some sample symbol files as well as
symbol files for you to use when you are working through the tutorials.

Users sub-directory

The Users sub-directory contains another sub-directory called Guest. By

default, Guest is your User Home directory.

2-4 AllyCAD for Windows

User Home directory

The directory where your menus, hatch patterns, defaults and line types
are stored is called your User Home directory. Each user can have his or
her User Home directory. See Multiple Users later in this chapter.
The User Home directory contains the following files:
• CAD.MEN
This defines the menu structure, icon functions and accelerator
keys in the CAD.
• HATCH.PAT
This contains hatch pattern definitions.
• STARTUP.DRG
This is a drawing that contains your drawing defaults. It is
loaded each time you start the CAD or start a new drawing.
• CAD.INI
This stores defaults relating to printing, DXF and DWG
transfers, digitizer setup, colours etc.
• DOM.TXT
The Drawing Office Manager data file. This is updated if you
have specified you want to use the Drawing Office Manager (see
Save Settings in the Reference Manual).
• CAD.LOG
If activated this logs everything you do during a CAD session.
See CAD.INI.
• COMPASS.DRG
This is a compass that you can automatically insert on your
drawing when you print using Zoom Print in the File Menu.
There is also a compass called COMPASSN.DRG. COMPASSN
is a more elaborate compass. If you want to use COMPASSN
instead of COMPASS, rename COMPASSN.DRG to
COMPASS.DRG.
It also contains the MACRO sub-directory where the line type definitions
are stored in the LINETYPE.MAC file. Do not delete this file.

Installation and Startup 2-5

Multiple users

Different users can have their own User Home directories storing their
own menus, hatch patterns, defaults and line types.
For example, one user's preferred menus, hatch patterns, defaults and
line types may be stored in the default User Home directory, guest. Other
users can then create their own personal sub-directories in which their
preferred menu, hatch patterns, defaults and line types are stored. See
Adding new users below.

AllyCAD34

Users
Guest

Macro

Paul

Macro

Civil

Macro

Arch

Macro

Mech

Macro

As well as creating sub-directories for different users, you can also create
sub-directories for different types of drawing.
For example, in the diagram above, all of Guest's preferred settings will
be stored in the Guest sub-directory, all of Paul's preferred settings will
be stored in the Paul sub-directory, etc.
The arch sub-directory may contain defaults suitable for architectural
drawings, e.g. a default scale of 1:50 and special brick hatch patterns.
The mech sub-directory may contain defaults suitable for mechanical
drawing, etc.

2-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Adding new users

Before you can add a new user sub-directory, you must switch on the Ask
Logon name at Startup checkbox in the Settings ► System Settings dialog
box.
Now, when you start the CAD, the Login dialog box is displayed.

To add a new user sub-directory, click on the Add new name button in
this dialog box. The dialog below is displayed.

Type the new user sub-directory's name into the New name box. From
the Copy from list box, select one of the existing sub-directories. The
contents of the existing sub-directory will be copied into the new sub-
directory. These copied files can later be edited or overwritten, for
example with the new user's preferred menu system.
When you click on OK, the CAD will start up using the new user sub-
directory.
Whenever you start the CAD in future, the Login dialog box will be
displayed. Select the login name you want to use and click on OK. The
menu, hatch patterns, defaults and line types stored in that sub-directory
will be loaded.
If you click on Help ► About a dialog box will appear. The name of the
current sub-directory will be displayed at the bottom of this dialog box.

Installation and Startup 2-7

Deleting user sub-directories

To delete a user sub-directory, simply delete it form your hard drive

using Windows Explorer. Do not do this while AllyCAD is running.

Disabling the User Login

Refer to the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual for details
on enabling and disabling the login.

2-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Starting AllyCAD from Windows
Once installation is complete, you can run the CAD by
clicking on:
Start ► Programs ► AllyCAD35 ► AllyCAD
To exit from inside the CAD, select File ► Exit.

Security

Before you can use the CAD you must call for an authorization code as
follows:
4. Start the program.
5. Ensure that the security module is plugged into your printer port.
6. Select the File ► Security ► Authorize option.
7. A dialog box with your program code will be displayed. Contact your
support centre for your return code or click on the Save button and
email the support centre with the contents of the
AUTHORISATION.TXT file.
8. Input the return code and press the [Authorize] button.
You are now ready to go. For more details refer to Security in the
Reference Manual.

Safety Precautions

Please insure your program for the full replacement value. Should your
security module be lost or stolen you will have to purchase a new license.

Installation and Startup 2-9

What to do now

While the CAD is easy to use even without a manual, you will get up and
running more quickly if you read the following chapters:
• Screen, Mouse and Keyboard
• Accurate Drawing
• Drawing Structure
• Geometry
• Isometrics
• Common Questions and Problems
Also work through the Tutorials
Once you begin working on your own drawings you can consult the
relevant chapters of the manual for explanations of individual
commands, and as you gain confidence you can start customising the
CAD to your own requirements.
Refer to the following chapters in the Reference Manual that is supplied
on disk in PDF format.
• Macros
• Colours
• Line Types
• Hatch Patterns
• CAD.MEN
• Defaults
Many CAD functions have short cuts associated with them. These are
given in the relevant chapters and are also listed in Appendices I, II and
III of the Reference Manual.
In order to get the best out of the CAD we strongly recommend that you
learn the short cuts relating to the functions you use. You can also define
your own short cuts. To do this, see the above- mentioned chapters.

2-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Tutorials

The CAD is supplied with five tutorials.

Ideally, you should do all five tutorials consecutively. However, each
tutorial is a complete exercise and the draughtsperson in a hurry can do
any tutorial in isolation if necessary.
Tutorial 1 - The Screen
Shows you how to load a drawing and move around the screen, i.e. zoom,
magnify, pan etc.
Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing
Draw eight rectangles using absolute, relative and polar methods. These
include using a grid, geometry, jumps and snaps.
Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics
Covers CAD basics like filleting, chamfering, parallel lines, hatching,
text, dimensions and how to extract an automatic detailed view.
Tutorial 4 - Objects
Teaches you about creating objects (symbols).
Tutorial 5 - Symbols
Covers some more CAD basics including symbol insertion, layers,
moving, copying, scaling, rotating, mirroring and updating.

Things You Should Know

If you read nothing else you should read the following chapters as they
contain information that is vital for producing accurate drawings quickly.
Screen, Mouse and Keyboard is an introduction to the CAD screen and
the terms used to describe its components.
Accurate Drawing lists methods of absolute, relative and polar cursor
movement.
Drawing Structure explains how CAD drawings are organised and
describes objects and symbols.
Geometry explains how to set up construction lines.
Isometrics details the methods used to produce isometric drawings.
Common Questions and Problems is a basic trouble-shooting guide.

Installation and Startup 2-11

Customizing AllyCAD

Once you have enough confidence, you can customise AllyCAD to suit
your own requirements.
You can delete functions that you don't use, and add your own functions
using AllyCAD's macro language.
You can totally re-arrange the menu system, and replace the functions
on the icons in the toolbar with the functions you use most often.
You can also select certain icons to sit on the various toolbars.
The Customising AllyCAD section of the Reference Manual comprises
five parts:
• Defaults
How to customise AllyCAD's defaults.
• The CAD.MEN file
How to customise AllyCAD's menus and toolbars.
• Hatch Patterns
How to create and edit your own hatch patterns.
• Line Types
How to create and edit your own line types.
• Macros
AllyCAD's macro programming language explained in detail.

2-12 AllyCAD for Windows

Conventions used in this manual
The following conventions are used in the manual.

Menus and Functions

All the functions in AllyCAD are described in detail in Chapters 1 - 10 of

the online Reference Manual. (Remember however that menus are
completely customisable).
These are often accessible via various routes - by clicking on the
functions in the menu, via the keyboard (a short-cut key), and also by
clicking on the respective icon for that function.

Mouse

In this manual, clicking refers to pressing and releasing your left mouse
button quickly unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right
mouse button is required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Cross References

When a function is mentioned, it is mentioned together with the menu it

can be found in. For example, see Line (Chained) in the Reference
Manual means that the Line (Chained) function is described in the
Reference Manual.
See Accurate Drawing means that you should refer to the chapter on
Accurate Drawing in your AllyCAD User Guide.

Diagrams

All diagrams are shown with the cursor in Freehand mode except where
AllyCAD automatically uses one of the snap modes.

Installation and Startup 2-13

Notes:

2-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard
This section describes the various components that make up the CAD
screen. These are the:
• Title Bar
• Menu Bar
• Prompt Area and Control Bar
• Line Type Display
• Layer Display
• Toolbars
• Drawing Area
• Smart Cursor Help
• Coordinate Display
• Mouse
• Keyboard

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-1

Screen Overview
The CAD screen is divided into several parts, as shown below. These
parts are described in detail on the next pages.

3-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Title Bar
Like all Windows programs, AllyCAD has a Title Bar running across the
top. This will look different depending on the version of Windows you are
running. It displays the name of the drawing you are working on
together with the disk drive it is located on and the directory it is stored
in.
For the meanings of the buttons on the Title Bar, see the documentation
that came with your copy of Windows.

Menu Bar
All of the CAD's functions can be accessed from the Pull-Down menus on
the Menu Bar, although there are shortcuts to many functions via the
icons in the Toolbars, or via the keyboard.
The type of function in each menu is summarised below:

Save, Stretch,
load, move, Text,
import, mirror, dimensions,
export, Zoom, copy, arrows,
print, pan, scale, balloons, Specialized Online
quit viewports rotate hatching Grouping Tools help

File Edit View Draw Modify Geometry Annotate Tools Objects Settings Toolkit Windows Help

Undo, Lines, Construction Lock cursor, Paper size, Arrange all

cut, Arcs, lines and jumps, units, scale, open windows
paste, Circles, circles snaps, line, text,
select Ellipses, grids, dimension
etc. measuring, and arrow
query defaults,
layers

Individual functions in each menu are described in full detail in the

reference section of the manual. If you do not know how to select
functions from the Pull-Down menus, refer to the documentation that
came with your copy of Windows.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-3

Prompt Area and Control Bar
Prompts will be displayed in the prompt area asking for input or telling
you what to do. You type information, answer questions or select options
in the Control Bar. There are several types of prompts and responses.

You are prompted to enter a point or position

If you are prompted to enter a point or a position, for example the first
point of a line, position the cursor in the Drawing Area. Then press
[Enter] or click to accept the position.

You are prompted to enter information

Some prompts expect you to type information into the Control Bar.

In this example, the CAD is asking how far you want to move to the right
after you have pressed the [Right-Arrow] key. A default answer “10” is
given.
If you want to accept the default answer, click on the OK button or
press [Enter].
If you want to change the default answer, simply type the answer you
want. So long as the default answer is highlighted, it will automatically
be overtyped.
Alternatively, click in the white part of the Control Bar and use the arrow
and backspace keys to delete the default answer. Then type the answer
you want. When the answer is to your satisfaction, accept it by clicking
on the OK button or pressing [Enter].

If you want to terminate the function click on the Cancel button.

Yes/No questions

Some prompts require a Yes or No answer. A [YES] button and a [NO]

button will appear on the Control Bar and you must click on one or the
other box to answer the question.

3-4 AllyCAD for Windows

In this example, an angle will be dimensioned if you click on the [YES]
button and an arc length will be dimensioned if you click on the [NO]
button. The option that will be carried out if you click on the [NO] button
is always enclosed in brackets.

Questions with a choice of answers

Some prompts give you a choice of several answers, one of which is the
default.

In this example, you are being given the choice of running, chained or
free dimensions. The default is Running.
If you want to accept the default answer, click on the OK button or press
[Enter].
If you want to change the default answer, type the answer you want, for
example “C” for chained dimensions or “F” for free dimensions. So long
as the default answer is highlighted it will automatically be overtyped.
Alternatively, click in the white part of the Control Bar and use the arrow
and backspace keys to delete the default answer. Then type the answer
you want. When the answer is to your satisfaction, accept it by clicking
on the OK button or by pressing [Enter].

Various options appear on the Control Bar

When you select some functions a row of options appear on the Control
Bar. You need to edit these options to your satisfaction before
responding to the prompt in the Prompt Area.

In this example, you need to select a symbol - either by name or by

viewing it, then specify snipping, rotation, scale and mirroring of the
symbol. When you have done this, you can respond to the prompt
Enter position for symbol

by positioning the cursor where you want the symbol to appear and
pressing [Enter] or clicking to accept this position.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-5

You are prompted to enter a polygon around something

In many CAD functions (e.g. Edit ► Select by Polygon, Modify ► Stretch,

etc.) you are asked to enter a polygon around something. The function
then operates on the part of the drawing inside this polygon. The
procedure for drawing a polygon is as follows. When the CAD prompts:
Enter polygon about...

You can either draw a regular box around the part of your drawing to be
operated on or, if it is an irregular shape, you can draw an irregular
polygon around it.
To draw a regular box, you must respond to the prompts as follows:
Enter polygon about...

A large cross hair with the cursor at the

cross centre will be displayed on the
screen.
Position the cursor at one corner of the
box that will enclose the part of the
drawing to be operated on and press
[Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter next point of polygon
[Space Bar for a box]

Move the cursor to the diagonally opposite

corner of the box to enclose the part of the
drawing to be operated on.
As you move the cursor, you will see it is
attached to a box with a diagonal line
through it.

Press the [Space Bar], or click on [Done]. The function you are using will
now resume.

3-6 AllyCAD for Windows

To draw an irregular polygon around the part of the drawing to be
operated on, you must respond to the prompts as follows.
Enter polygon about...

A large cross hair with the cursor at the

cross centre appears on the screen.
Position the cursor at one vertex of the
polygon and press [Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter next point of polygon
[Space Bar for a box]

Move the cursor to the next vertex on the

polygon boundary. As you move the
cursor, you will see it is attached to a box
with a diagonal line through it. Press
[Enter] or click.

AllyCAD will continue to prompt:

Next point of polygon (Space Bar
to Close)

Move the cursor to the next vertex on the

polygon and press [Enter] or click.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-7

 The CAD will continue to prompt for the
next point of the polygon. Continue to
enter polygon vertices.
When you have entered the last vertex,
move the cursor close to the first point you
entered.

Press the [Space Bar], or click on [Done]. The polygon is automatically

closed.

Using the Command Line in the Control Bar

Instead of selecting functions from the Pull-Down menus, Toolbars etc.,

you can type commands into the Command Line - the white part of the
Control Bar after the word Command:
Hit the [ / ] key to move the cursor into the Command Line, or click in it.
Then type the name corresponding to the function you want to use. A list
of function names appears in Appendix A of the Reference Manual. For
example, if you type
load

the CAD will prompt for which drawing to load. You can also add
parameters to the function names. See Macros in the Reference Manual.
For example, if you type
load "filter"

The drawing called “filter” will be loaded from the current directory.

3-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Line Type Display
The Line Type Display displays the currently selected line type. To
change line type, click on the arrow to the right of the display. A list of
line types appears. Click on the one you want to use.
If you select the By Layer option, the CAD will use the line types
assigned to each layer in the Layer control Panel.

You can also change line type using Settings ► Line Defaults or by right
clicking on the Line icon on the Main toolbar.

Layer Display
The Layer Display displays the currently selected layer. Everything that
you draw appears on this current layer. To change the current layer,
click on the arrow to the right of the display. A list of layers appears.
Click on the one you want to use.

You can also change the current layer using the Settings ► Set Current
Layer function. You can change the current layer and add further layers
to your drawing using the Settings ► Layer Control function.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-9

Pen Selection
You can customise the first 16 of the 255 pens that are available and are
shown in the Select Colour dialog box when you click on the [Pen] button
in the Control Bar.

You can also click on the AutoCAD Colours button in the Colour toolbar
for a different range of colours as used by AutoCAD.

You can only customise colours when you are in CAD colour mode. You
cannot customise the colours when the AutoCAD Colors check box is on.
To customise a colour, click on the [Pen] button in the Control Bar. The
CAD displays the Select Colour dialog box.

Right click on one of the first sixteen colours in the Standard colour area.
The custom colour dialog box is displayed. Click on a new colour from
the palette, or create your own colour, then click on OK.
The customised colour will affect all your drawings. For example, if you
change the red (pen 1) to blue, all the lines that have been drawn on your
existing drawings in pen 1 and that were previously shown in red will
now be shown in blue.

3-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Customised colours are stored in the INI file in your user home
directory. Different users can define different colours and store them in
their own user home directories. See Multiple Users.

Many colours will not display properly unless your graphics card is set
to display 65000 colours. Whether this is possible or not depends on
your hardware.

There is also a Colour toolbar, usually at the right side of the CAD
screen. This toolbar only lists the first 16 colour choices. For example, by
default 1 is red, 2 is olive, 3 is yellow etc.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-11

Toolbars
There are 10 toolbars:
• Main
Usually to the left of your screen. This has some of the most
frequently used functions used in the creation of a drawing.
• Screen
Contains shortcuts to often used screen functions (like Magnify,
Zoom). This toolbar is normally hidden. Right click in the
Drawing Area to display it.
• Colour
This displays the colours that the first 15 pens are mapped to.
• Snaps
with shortcuts to often used snap functions (like Graball,
Freehand )
• Files
This contains icons to functions like Cut, Save etc.
• View
Shortcuts to view functions such as zoom, magnify, etc.
• Modify
Shortcuts to move, copy, rotate, stretch, mirror, fillet & chamfer
selections as well as to trim, divide and extend lines.
• Geometry
Functions to create geometry entities
• Dimensions
Functions to add dimensions and measure distance and area
Click on View ► Toolbars to select which toolbars must be visible. A list
with the names of the 10 toolbars pops up. Those that are currently
visible have a tick next to them.
Move the mouse over the names and click on an appropriate one to
either display or make it invisible. If you have made it visible you can
now position it anywhere on the screen.
If you drag the toolbar very close to an edge of the screen, you will see
that it changes to align itself to that edge. Let go of the mouse button to
dock it in that position if you wish.
Each icon in the toolbars represents a short cut to a function in the Pull-
Down menus. As you move the cursor over a button on a toolbar a tool-
tip will be displayed explaining the functions assigned to the button.

3-12 AllyCAD for Windows

The left functions are the ones that are executed when you click on the
icon with your left mouse button. The right functions are the ones that
are executed when you click on the icon with your right mouse button.
As you pass your mouse over an icon, the Smart Cursor Help on the
status bar at the bottom of the CAD window tells you what it does.
The icons on the toolbars may vary slightly in different versions of the
program. The icons in the toolbars are listed in more detail in Appendix
B of the Reference Manual. You can also customise the icons and the
position where the toolbar is initially docked in the CAD.MEN file.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-13

Drawing Area
The Drawing Area represents your sheet of paper, and it is here that you
draw. When you zoom in or magnify, the drawing area represents only a
portion of your sheet of paper. When you zoom out or de-magnify, you
will see a dotted rectangle that defines your sheet of paper.

The View ► Zoom Paper option redraws the screen so that the drawing
area displays your whole sheet of paper.

Running along the bottom of the Drawing Area is the Ruler Bar. At the
left hand end of the Ruler bar is a number. This indicates the
approximate length of each section in the Ruler Bar. This length is
measured in the units selected in Drawing Settings in the Settings menu.
You can turn off the Ruler Bar by un-checking the Ruler option in the
Settings ► View Settings option.
Along the bottom and right side of the Drawing Area are Scroll Bars.
These can be used to pan around the drawing (for more information
refer to the documentation that came with your copy of Windows). You
can turn off the Scroll Bars in the Settings ► View Settings option.
Note that when you use the Scroll Bars, the Scroll Box (the little square
that you slide around) will always spring back to the middle of the Scroll
Bar after you have finished panning. This is because the CAD Drawing
Area stretches to infinity.

Cursor

By default, the cursor is arrow-shaped. It looks either like this:

or like this

This cursor is called the Select Cursor. See Select in the Edit Menu.
If you go to Edit ► Select Nodes the cursor will change to the node shape
shown below:

or

To return to the arrow-shaped cursor, click on the Select icon.

When you enter any function, such as Draw ► Line (Chained) the cursor
takes on a different shape, determined by the Snap mode you are using.

3-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes are displayed in the drawing area temporarily during

functions. They allow you to enter information and choose options. For
example, drawing settings like paper size, units etc. are selected in a
dialog box, as are settings controlling the way text and lines etc. will be
displayed.
For detailed instructions on how to use and edit dialog boxes, consult the
documentation that came with your copy of Windows.

Smart Cursor Help and Coordinate Display

Smart Cursor Help Coordinate Display

When the cursor touches different parts of the screen, a brief explanation
of what each part does is shown in the Smart Cursor Help. This is
especially useful for learning the functions of the icons in the toolbar.
When the cursor is in the Drawing Area, the Smart Cursor Help tells you
the scale and paper size you are using, and whether you are using a grid.
The Coordinate Display displays either the absolute coordinate position
of the cursor on the screen or the distance and angle of the cursor from
the last point you entered.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-15

The Mouse
In this manual, clicking means to press and release the left mouse button
quickly.
When a click with your right mouse button is required, the expression
right click or right clicking is used.
The left and right mouse buttons have the following functions.

Left button

Single click of the left mouse button on the:

• Control Bar
Click on the [YES] button, the [NO] button, the [OK] button or
the [Cancel] button, and to select options when these appear.
• Line Type Display, Layer Display and Pen button
Selects a new line type, layer or pen respectively.
• Drawing Area
Accepts the position of a point, of text, of dimensions etc. during
function execution. If no function is active selects the entity
closest to the cursor.
• Pull-Down menus
Select a menu, and then to select a function on that menu.
• Toolbar
Selects the function that has been assigned to it for the icon you
are clicking on.
Double clicking the left mouse button with the Select cursor on:
• A Line
The Line Style dialog box is displayed. See Line Defaults in the
Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• A Text item
The Text Entry dialog box is displayed. See Set Text Defaults in
the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• A Horizontal, vertical, ordinate or slope dimension
Execute the Edit Dimension Properties function. See Edit
Dimension in the Annotate Menu chapter in the Reference
Manual.
• An arrow
The Arrow Defaults dialog box is displayed. See Set Arrow
Defaults in the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.

3-16 AllyCAD for Windows

 • A polyline or bezier curve
The Polyline Defaults dialog box is displayed. See Polyline
Defaults in the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• The edge of a bitmap
the Set Bitmap Parameters dialog box appears. See Load Bitmap
in Load in the File Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
Right button

Clicking with the right mouse button in the:

• Toolbar
Selects the function that has been assigned to the icon you are
clicking on.
• Drawing Area
Displays the Screen toolbar.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 3-17

The Keyboard
Certain keys are used by all the functions.

Enter and Escape Keys

The [Enter] key accepts answers in the Control Bar or accepts points in
the Drawing Area.
The [Esc] key cancels the function you are using.

Space Bar

If you are not using a function, the [Space Bar] repeats the last function
you used. If you are using a function, pressing the [Space Bar] ends it.

Arrow, Home, PgUp, End and PgDn keys

These keys are used for accurate relative movement. See Accurate
Drawing.

Forward Slash Key

The [/] key moves the cursor up to the Command Line in the Control
Bar. See Prompt Area and Control Bar, earlier in this chapter.

Accelerators

Many of the CAD's functions can be accessed by a single keystroke.

These one-key short cuts are called Accelerators because they accelerate
the time it takes for you to access a function. The accelerators that access
particular functions are shown with those functions in the Reference
section of the manual.
Appendix II of the Reference Manual includes a full list of accelerators.

The function assigned to each key is user definable and is determined

in the CAD.MEN file.

3-18 AllyCAD for Windows

Tutorial 1 – The Screen
This tutorial will show you the basic screen handling features of the
CAD. You will learn how to:
• Load a drawing
• Magnify a portion of the drawing
• Pan across a drawing
• De-magnify
• Zoom into portions of the drawing

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 4-1

Important notes to read before you start this tutorial
If you do not know what the different parts of the CAD screen are called
read the chapter on Screen, Mouse and Keyboard before you start this
tutorial.

Dialog Boxes and Pull-Down Menus

This tutorial assumes that you have a basic knowledge of Windows. If

you do not know how to edit a Dialog Box or access a Pull-Down Menu,
read the documentation that came with your copy of Windows.

Clicking

In this tutorial, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified.
When a click with your right mouse button is required, the term right
click or right clicking is used.

Clicking is to press and release a mouse button quickly.

Notes

Notes are not part of the tutorial. They provide alternative methods of
accessing functions and extra information for those who are interested.

Illustrations

The icons, menus, ruler bar and other items that surround the drawing
area may be slightly different on your own screen than the ones shown in
the illustrations. This will not affect your use of the tutorial.

4-2 AllyCAD for Windows

In case you get lost or stuck ...

If you get lost or stuck while you are doing this tutorial, do the following:
• Press the [Esc] key to cancel all functions.
• Redraw the screen by pressing the short-cut key [R], or by right
clicking on the Redraw icon in the Files toolbar or the Screen
toolbar.
• Repeat the tutorial from the previous subheading (e.g.
Magnifying, Panning etc.).

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 4-3

Loading a drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting the File ► New option.
To load a drawing, click on the Open icon. A dialog box with the
title Filename to Read appears.
This dialog box can be used to load AllyCAD drawings, AutoCAD DWG
drawings or DXF files. The drawing you are going to load is called
“hydcyl”. By default, hydcyl is in the Drawing sub-directory.

Click on “hydcyl.drg” in the list, then click on Open. The file hydcyl will
be loaded and displayed.

HYDRAULIC CYLINDER

If you can only see part of this drawing on the screen, press [R] on your
keyboard. The whole drawing will then appear.

4-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Magnifying
You are now going to magnify part of your drawing so that the
detail can be seen.
Move your cursor onto the part of the drawing you want to magnify right
click to display the Screen toolbar and click on the Magnify icon. The
drawing is magnified at the cursor position by a factor of three (the
default) as shown below.

If you magnify a second time, your drawing will be further magnified by

a factor of three, i.e. it will be nine times larger than it was originally. If
you magnify a third time, your drawing will be further magnified by a
factor of three, i.e. it will 27 times larger than it was originally, etc.
To change the default magnification factor of three, go to
Settings ► Change Magnify Factor.

The Magnify function can also be activated from the View menu or by
moving your cursor to the part of the screen you want to magnify and
pressing the [M] key on your keyboard.

The [M] key is called an Accelerator because it is a fast way of accessing the
Magnify command. The screen is magnified at the cursor position. You can
define your own accelerator keys and which functions appear in the
toolbars. See CAD.MEN.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 4-5

Panning
Panning allows you to move around the drawing while it is magnified.
There are two ways of panning: Pan, where the part of the drawing at the
cursor position is moved to the screen centre, and Long Pan, where you
place a box around the part of the drawing you want on the screen.

You can also pan using the Scroll Bars at the right and bottom of the
screen. For details on how to do this, see the documentation that came
with your copy of Windows. You can switch off the scroll bars in
Settings ► View Settings if you do not want to use them.

Pan

Move your cursor to the part of the drawing that you want in the
centre of your screen. Click on the Pan icon in the Screen toolbar.
The part of the drawing that was at the cursor position is moved to the
screen centre. See the next two figures.

Before the Pan function

4-6 AllyCAD for Windows

 After the Pan function

You can also Pan by using the short cut key [W], or via the View menu.

Long Pan

Right click on the Pan icon. A small dotted square representing

your sheet of paper appears, with the drawing inside it.
If you move your mouse so that the cursor appears somewhere outside
the dotted square, you will see that a box accompanies it. The CAD
prompts:
Enter pan box

Move the cursor so that this box surrounds the part of the drawing you
want to display. Click. Your chosen area appears on the screen.

You can also Long Pan by pressing the [;] key, or via the View menu.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 4-7

Demagnifying

Once you no longer need a magnified drawing, you can de-

magnify. The part of the drawing at the cursor position will be at
the screen centre after demagnification.
Position your cursor at the desired spot and right click to call up the
Screen toolbar. Then right click on the Magnify icon. The screen is de-
magnified.

You can also de-magnify by pressing [D], or via the View menu.

When you de-magnify, your drawing is not necessarily returned to its

original size and view. To return to your starting magnification, you must
use the Zoom Paper command. This displays your whole sheet of paper
and its contents. To use Zoom Paper, press the short-cut key [R], or right
click on the Redraw icon in the Files toolbar.

You can also access Zoom Paper via the View menu or the Zoom icon
on the Screen toolbar.

4-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Zooming
Zooming has the same effect as magnifying but you must first
draw a box around the part of your drawing that you want
magnified.
Click on the Zoom icon in the Screen or the Files toolbar. A menu list
pops up.

Click on the Zoom Window option.

A large cross hair with the cursor at its centre appears on the screen. The
CAD prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom box

Click at a corner of the area you want to magnify into.

Enter second corner of rectangle

Click at the diagonally opposite corner of the area you want to magnify
into. The area you have defined is enlarged. Use the Zoom Paper
command to return your screen to its original magnification by pressing
the short cut key [R] on you keyboard, right clicking on the Redraw icon
in the Files toolbar or the Floating Toolbox (Screen toolbar).

You can also access Zoom Window by clicking on the View menu

Defining Zooms

There may be parts of your drawing that you have to zoom into
frequently. You can define up to nine such areas as zoom views. You can
then zoom into them by selecting the appropriate zoom view.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 4-9

In this tutorial you are going to define two zoom views. Click on the
Zoom icon in the Screen toolbar. A dialog box pops up. Click on the
Define Zoom View option.

3 6 9
P2

2 5 8
P1
HYDRAULIC CYLINDER
1 4 7

A menu of numbers will be displayed. You are going to define

zoom view number 1.
1. Click on the number “1”. A large cross hair with the
cursor at its centre appears on the screen. The CAD
prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom window

2. Click at a corner (P1) of the area you want to define as

zoom view 1. See the figure above. The CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Click at the diagonally opposite corner (P2) of the area you want to
define as zoom 1. The area you have defined is enclosed in a box, and
a menu of numbers appears.
3. You are now going to define zoom view number 2. Click on the
number “2”. The large cross hair appears again.
The CAD prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom window

Click at a corner of the area you want to define as zoom 1.

The CAD prompts:

4-10 AllyCAD for Windows

 Enter second corner of rectangle

Click at the diagonally opposite corner of the area you want to define
as zoom 2. A box surrounds the area you have defined, and the menu
of numbers appears again. Click somewhere outside the menu to
turn it off.
Now you have defined the two views, you are going to select them. Click
on the Zoom icon in the Screen toolbar. The same menu appears. Click
on the Zoom View option.
Again, a menu of numbers appears. Click on number 1. The view you
defined as view 1 appears. Go to the Zoom View function again and click
on number 2. The view you defined as view 2 appears.
This is a very effective way of moving around a large drawing quickly.

An even faster way of moving between the different zooms is by

pressing the defined zoom view number on your keyboard (1, 2 etc.)
when the Zoom View menu is displayed.

Return your screen to its original magnification using the Zoom Paper
command by pressing the short cut key [R] on you keyboard, or right
clicking on the Redraw icon in the Files toolbar or Zoom icon on the
Screen toolbar.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 4-11

Multiple Drawings
You can edit multiple drawings at the same time. To open a new window
with a new drawing, select File ► Open.

You can set the CAD to always use the same window, and not create
new windows during File ► Open. Select Settings ► System and clear the
Open creates a new window option. Now the program will load the new
drawing into the currently active window during File ► Open after first
asking if you want to save any existing work in the current window.

You have now completed Tutorial 1. You can either:

• experiment on your own
• exit the CAD using File ► Exit; or
• click on File ► Clear All to clear the screen. If you do this, the
message
Drawing has changed. Do you wish to save it?

will appear. Click on [NO]. Then go to Tutorial 2.

4-12 AllyCAD for Windows

Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing
In this exercise you are going to draw a very simple shape - a rectangle -
in several different ways. The purpose of this is not to create a serious
CAD drawing, but to show you how to draw easily and accurately with
the CAD, using a variety of methods.
You will be shown how to:
• Use specific coordinate locations
• Undo an operation
• Use the [Home], [End], [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys
• The arrow keys
• Input polar coordinates
• Use a locked cursor
• Use geometry
• Use a grid
• Use jumps and snap modes
• Save your drawing

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-1

Setting up your drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting File ► Clear All.
In this tutorial you begin with a clear screen representing a blank sheet
of A4 paper at a scale of 1:1. Your units are millimeters, you are in
Cartesian mode, you are using a decimal angular format (dd.dddd) with
angles measured anti-clockwise from 3 o’clock and your paper is oriented
in landscape.

To set up your drawing like this, select Settings ► Drawing Settings. The
Drawing Defaults dialog box is displayed. Click on the button in the
section of the dialog box headed Angular Format.

5-2 AllyCAD for Windows

The Angular Format dialog box will be displayed. Edit this so that it
looks exactly like the one shown below, and then click on OK to save
your changes.
Use the Zoom Paper command by right clicking on the Redraw icon in
the Files toolbar or the Screen toolbar.
The way that your paper size, scale, units, etc. are set up each time you
start a new drawing is stored in a drawing called STARTUP.DRG. See
the chapter on Defaults in the Reference Manual.

You can change paper size, scale, units, etc. at any time during
drawing. See Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu chapter in the
Reference Manual.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-3

Using specific coordinate locations
Before you start this tutorial, check the bottom right of the screen to see
whether there are two numbers that change as you move the cursor.
These numbers show the coordinate position of the cursor on the screen.
If there is no coordinate display, go to Settings ► View Settings and click
on the Show Coordinates box so that a tick appears in it. Then click on
OK to exit the dialog box.
You are going to draw your first rectangle in the top left corner of
the screen. Click on the Rectangle icon.
The program prompts for the position of the first corner of a rectangle:
Enter first rectangle corner

You are going to position the first corner of the rectangle at a specific
coordinate location, using the Move to Coordinates function.
To do this, ensure that your cursor is in the Drawing Area, and
then right click on the Polar Move icon in the Screen toolbar.

You can also access Move to Coordinates from the Jumps section of the
Tools menu or by typing the [U] key on your keyboard.

The [U] key is called an Accelerator, because it is a fast way of accessing

the Move to Coordinates function.

The CAD prompts:

Enter coordinates cursor should move to

Type “-120 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates.

You can also accept the coordinates by clicking on the OK button.

The cursor moves to the top left part of the screen. Note that the cursor
display at the bottom right of the screen reflects the cursor's position of -
120 80. The CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Right click on the Polar Move icon to access the Move to Coordinates
function.
The CAD prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to

5-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Type over the default coordinates of -120 80 with the coordinates “-90 40”
and press [Enter] to accept these values.
The cursor moves and the rectangle appears. You have now drawn your
first rectangle, using absolute coordinate positions. The CAD prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

Ignore this prompt for the time being.

An aside - Undo
You are now going to Undo the rectangle you have drawn so that if you
do something wrong later in this tutorial you can Undo it and try again.
Click on the Undo icon. The rectangle disappears. You can Undo a
maximum of 1000 actions in this way.

The Undo function can also be accessed from the Edit Menu.

If you undo something by accident you can redo it again by clicking on

the Redo icon or from the Edit menu.

[Home] [End] [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys

As you have undone the rectangle you drew, you should now have a
blank drawing area. The CAD continues to prompt:
Enter first rectangle corner

Move your cursor off the toolbar and into the Drawing Area. Right click
on the Polar Move icon to access the Move to Coordinates function. The
CAD prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to

Type “-120 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. The cursor
moves to coordinate position -120 80 in the top left part of the screen. The
CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

In the CAD accurate horizontal and vertical movement is achieved with

the arrow keys. Accurate diagonal movement is achieved with the
[Home], [PgUp], [End] and [PgDn] keys, and the Polar Move function.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-5

Press the [PgDn] key. The second corner of your rectangle will be below
and to the right of the first corner. If you have a numeric keypad, you will
note that the [PgDn] key is the bottom right key on the keypad,
corresponding to the direction in which you want to move. The CAD
prompts:
Move Right and Down: How far?

Type “30 40” and press [Enter] to accept the distances. The cursor moves
to a position 30mm to the right of and 40mm down from the original
point and the outline of a rectangle appears.
Note that the rectangle outline is not coloured and that the CAD is still
prompting for the second rectangle corner. This is because while you
have moved the cursor to the new position you have not yet accepted this
as the position for the rectangle corner.
To accept the position as the second rectangle corner, you must press
[Enter]. Alternatively, you can press your left mouse button. However, if
you use your left mouse button you may accidentally wobble your mouse
with your hand, moving it slightly off the correct position and resulting in
an inaccurate rectangle.
Press [Enter] to accept the cursor position as the second point of the
rectangle. The rectangle becomes coloured and the CAD prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

When you use the arrow, [Home], [PgUp], [End] or [PgDn] keys, you
have to press [Enter] an extra time to fix the cursor position after the
cursor has moved. This allows you to re-adjust the cursor position if you
are not satisfied with it. For example, you may wish to Shift the cursor
an additional 10mm to the right before accepting its position.

The arrow keys

You are going to draw the next rectangle with lines. You are going
to position this rectangle relative to the first rectangle you drew
using the arrow keys. Ignore the prompt for the first rectangle
corner and click on the Line icon.

You can also access the Line function by pressing the [Ctrl] and [L]
keys on your keyboard at the same time, or by selecting Draw ► Line
(Chained).

5-6 AllyCAD for Windows

The CAD prompts:
Enter first point of line

An "x" marks the last point you entered at the bottom right corner of the
rectangle. Move back to this point by pressing the [X] key on your
keyboard. This performs a Last Fixed jump and moves your cursor back
to and exactly onto the last point you entered.

You can also access the Last Fixed jump via the Jumps option of the
Tools menu.

Press the [Right-Arrow] key.

The program prompts:
Move Right: How far?

The program has remembered the horizontal distance that you entered
when you used the [PgDn] key, “30”. Press [Enter] to accept this
distance.
The cursor moves 30mm to the right. Press [Enter] to accept this position
as the first point in the line.
You are now going to draw a rectangle using the arrow keys. The
program prompts:
Enter next point of line

Press the [Up-Arrow] key. AllyCAD prompts:

Move Up: How far?

The CAD has remembered the vertical distance that you entered when
you used the [PgDn] key, “40”. Press [Enter] to accept this distance. A
vertical line 40mm long is drawn. Press [Enter] to accept this line. The
program prompts:
Enter next point of line

Moving the same distance again

You now need to draw the next line making up the rectangle - a 30mm
horizontal line.
Press the [Shift] key and the [Right-Arrow] key at the same time. You are
not asked how far you want to move and the cursor automatically moves
30mm to the right, drawing a horizontal line. The program has

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-7

remembered the distance you last moved horizontally. Pressing the
[Shift] key at the same time as the arrow key has caused it to move this
distance automatically. Press [Enter] to accept the new horizontal line.
The CAD prompts:
Enter next point of line

Press the [Shift] key and the [Down-Arrow] key at the same time. A
40mm vertical line is drawn. Press [Enter] to accept the new vertical line.
Complete the rectangle using the [Shift] and [Left-Arrow] keys. Press
[Enter] to accept the last point of the rectangle.
The CAD continues to prompt:
Enter next point of line

5-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Polar coordinates
Ignore this prompt and click on the Rectangle icon. The CAD
prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

Move your cursor off the toolbar and onto the Drawing Area. Right
click on the Polar Move icon in the Screen toolbar to access the
Move to Coordinates function.
The CAD prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to

Type “0 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. The cursor
moves to the right of the rectangles you have already drawn.
Enter second corner of rectangle

Click on the Polar Move icon to access the Polar Move function.
The CAD prompts:
Enter distance to move

Type “50” and press [Enter] to accept the distance. The CAD prompts:
Enter bearing in form dd.dddd

You have set up the Angular Format to measure angles anti-clockwise

from 3 o’clock. To get a rectangle the same size and shape as the ones
you have already drawn, you need to give a distance of 50mm and an
angle of -53.13 or 306.87 degrees.
Type “-53.13” and press [Enter] to accept the angle. The rectangle is
drawn and the CAD prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

This rectangle will not be exactly the same as the others because only
two decimal places have been used. However, it serves to illustrate the
use of polar coordinates.

You can also access Polar Move by typing the [P] key on your keyboard
or from the Tools ► Jumps option.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-9

Using a locked cursor
In this section, only locking the cursor into the horizontal and vertical
directions will be demonstrated. However, the cursor can be locked to
any angle and to its orthogonal, as well as into an isometric mode (30, 330
and 90 degrees). See Lock Cursor in the Reference Manual.
Ignore the prompt for the first rectangle corner and click on the Line
icon. The CAD prompts:
Enter first point of line

Ensure your mouse is in the Drawing Area. Right click on the Polar
Move icon to access Move to Coordinates. The CAD prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to

Type “60 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. The cursor
moves to the right of the rectangles you have already drawn. The CAD
prompts:
Enter next point of line

Press the [Shift] key and your [Right-Arrow] key at the same time to
move the cursor 30mm to the right. Press [Enter] to accept the horizontal
line that is drawn. The CAD prompts:
Enter next point of line

Ensure that your cursor is in Grab All mode. If not, click on the
Grab All icon.
Do not worry about the fact that the line you are drawing follows your
cursor as you click on the icon in the toolbar. When you have clicked on
the icon, move your cursor back to the area of the screen where you are
drawing.

When the cursor is a square you are in Grab All mode. This means that
the cursor will automatically jump to any point within the cursor box.

You are now going to lock the cursor so that you can only draw
horizontally or vertically. Click on the Set Square icon in the
Screen toolbar.

You can also access this function (called Hold) by pressing the [+] key
on your numeric keypad and via Tools ► Lock Cursor.

5-10 AllyCAD for Windows

A diamond shape appears inside the box that represents the cursor. Use
your mouse to pull the cursor downwards. The line that is drawn is
vertical and straight. When the line reaches the level of the bottoms of
the rectangles you have already drawn, move your mouse to the left.
The square representing the cursor separates from the diamond. Move
the cursor so that the bottom right hand corner of the right hand existing
rectangle is within the cursor box (see below).
Press [Enter] or your left mouse button. The square cursor jumps back to
the diamond shape and the vertical line has been terminated so that it is
exactly the same length as the vertical lines of the other boxes.

Now move your mouse to the left, then move it up so that the cursor box
detaches from the diamond. Place the cursor box around the end of the
top line and press [Enter] or your left mouse button. Again the cursor
box springs back and the bottom line of the box has been cut to exactly
the right length.

To finish the box, move your mouse upwards so that the cursor box
surrounds the end of the top line again. Press [Enter] or your left mouse
button. The rectangle is complete.
Cancel line drawing by clicking on [Done]. You can also cancel functions
by pressing the [Space Bar]. When you cancel line drawing, the cursor is
automatically unlocked.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-11

Using Geometry
In this section you are going to draw some geometry lines and use these
to draw a box. The lines you are going to draw will be very simple.
Select the Geometry ► Cross function. The CAD prompts for a cross
centre position:
Enter point for geometry cross

Ensure that your cursor is in the Drawing Area, and then right click on
the Polar Move icon to access the Move to Coordinates function. The
CAD prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to

Type “-120 0” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. A cross of

dotted geometry lines appears at the left of the screen. These lines can be
snapped to. They can be turned on and off, rubbed out, and saved.
Although you can see them on the screen, they do not plot out. The CAD
prompts:
Enter point for geometry cross

Press the [Shift] key and the [PgDn] key at the same time. The CAD
automatically moves 30mm to the right and 40mm down - the distances
you have been using throughout this tutorial.
Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as the position of the
second cross. The cross is displayed. The CAD prompts:
Enter point for geometry cross

Ignore this prompt and select the Geometry  Parallel Line option. The
CAD prompts:
Parallel geometry element by distance? (else through point)

Click on the [YES] button. You are going to draw a parallel geometry line
a specific distance away from an existing line. The CAD prompts:
Select original line or circle on correct side

Move your cursor to the cursor position shown in the next figure and
click. The CAD prompts:
Enter parallel distance

Type “150” and press [Enter] to accept this distance. A parallel geometry
line is drawn.

5-12 AllyCAD for Windows

The CAD prompts:
Select original line or circle on correct side

Click again at the same position shown below. The CAD prompts:
Enter parallel distance

Type “180” and press [Enter] to accept this distance. Another parallel
line appears. The CAD prompts:
Select original line or circle on correct side

Ignore this prompt and click on the Rectangle icon. The CAD prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

Move your cursor close to the bottom right geometry cross. Press the [I]
key on your keyboard. This causes the cursor to jump exactly onto the
closest intersection of geometry lines.

The Geometry Intersection snap can also be accessed from the Jumps
section of the Tools menu.

Press [Enter] to accept this intersection as the first corner of the

rectangle. The CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Move the cursor close to the intersection above and to the left of the first
rectangle corner. Press [I] to jump onto it exactly and press [Enter] to
accept it as the second rectangle corner.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-13

For the present, you will not need the geometry lines you have drawn.
Turn them off by going to the Settings ► View Settings option. Click on the
Show Geometry box so that the tick in the box disappears (i.e. the box is
unchecked). Then click on OK to exit the View Settings dialog box. The
geometry lines disappear.

You can also switch off the geometry using the Geometry ► Switch
Geometry On/Off option. In this tutorial you have used the Geometry
Intersection snap to draw between geometry intersections. You can also
“trace over” geometry lines and arcs using the Draw ► Geometry Trace-
Over function. For a full list of constructions see the section on
Geometry.

Some of the rectangle lines may disappear or look broken. Press [S] or
click on the Refresh button.

5-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Using a grid
Now, you will draw a rectangle using a regular grid.
Go to the Tools ► Grid option. A Grid Settings dialog box is displayed. Set
it up as shown below. This will yield a grid with horizontal spacing of
30mm and vertical spacing of 40mm.

The Grid Display Density figure is only important if you have a grid that
is too fine to be practically displayed on the screen. The figure shown is
the maximum number of dots that will appear on the screen.
If you have a very fine grid you can limit the maximum number of dots
that will be shown so that perhaps only every second or third grid dot
will be shown. The dots that are not shown exist even though you can’t
see them. They can be snapped to and will appear as you magnify into
the drawing.
Click on OK button to close the dialog box, ensuring that you have
checked the Grid On box. The CAD will still prompt you:
Enter first rectangle corner

Move the cursor to the position shown. Press [G]. The cursor jumps
exactly onto the nearest grid point.
Press [Enter] to accept this grid point as the first rectangle corner. The
CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Now move the cursor close to the grid point below and to the right. Press
[G]. The cursor jumps to the grid point. Press [Enter] to accept this as the
second rectangle corner.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-15

Jumps and Snap Modes
So far you have encountered four types of jump:
Key Function
X Makes the cursor jump to the Last Fixed point of the cursor.
I Makes the cursor jump to an Intersection of geometry lines.
P Makes the cursor jump to an exact distance in a specific direction. Also
known as Polar jump.
G Makes the cursor jump to a Grid point.

There are also a number of other jumps:

Key Function
H Jump to the centre of the screen.
A Jump to anything within the cursor box.
J Jump to the nearest point, e.g. the end of a line, an arc centre.
0 Jump to any intersection.
(zero)
N Jump to the nearest line or arc.
Ctrl P Jump perpendicular to a line or circle.
Ctrl T Jump to a tangent point on a circle or arc.
O Jump to a fixed ratio between two points.
U Jump to an exact coordinate location.
C Jump to the midpoint of the nearest line.
Shift C Jump to the midpoint between two points.
* Jump to the nearest circle or arc centre point.

As well as jumps, there are Snap modes. So far in this tutorial you
have used the Grab All snap mode.
In Grab All mode the cursor is a square and automatically jumps exactly
to any point within this square each time you press [Enter] or your left
mouse button.
To get to Grab All mode click on the Grab All icon.
You have also been using the Freehand mode. In this mode the
cursor looks like a bird (free as a bird) and does not jump to
anything unless you specifically tell it to.

5-16 AllyCAD for Windows

Some functions automatically switch to Freehand mode, because it is
important that the cursor doesn't snap to anything by accident. These
include Move to Coordinates and Polar Move.
In the Grab All and Freehand modes you can use any of the jumps listed
above.
However, it may be that you have laid out a grid or a number of geometry
lines, and that you now want to draw between the grid points or
geometry line intersections.
In this case you can change to a special Grid or Geometry Intersection
snap mode where the cursor automatically snaps to grid points or
geometry intersections without you having to type [G] or [I] and [Enter]
each time.
The CAD is still prompting:
Enter first rectangle corner

Click on the Grid snap icon and click on OK. The cursor changes
shape.

You can also enter the Grid mode by pressing the [Shift] and [G] keys
on your keyboard at the same time.

Move close to the upper grid point to the right of the rectangle you have
just drawn. Click. Note how the cursor automatically snaps onto the grid
point. There is no need to press [Enter] to accept the point as the first
rectangle corner.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Move the cursor close to the grid point below and to the right and click.
The rectangle is completed. You will no longer need the grid, so go to
Tools ► Grid. Click on the Grid On box to uncheck it.
Click on OK to exit the Grid dialog box. The grid disappears.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-17

As well as the Freehand, Grab All and Grid modes, there are also the
following snap modes. Note that the cursor is a different shape in each
mode, as shown in the following table.
Snap Icon Cur Function
Geometry Automatically snaps to nearest geometry
Intersection intersection.
Point Automatically snaps to nearest point.

Nearest Line/Arc Automatically snaps to nearest element.

Intersection Automatically snaps to nearest intersection.

Circle Centre Automatically snaps to nearest circle or arc

centre point.
Perpendicular Automatically snaps a line to another line or
arc so that they are perpendicular to each
other.
Tangent Automatically snaps a line or arc to another
line or arc so that they are perpendicular to
each other.

Although Geometry Intersection and Grid jumps and snap modes are
used in this tutorial, the Grab All mode can also snap to geometry
intersections and grid points, as well as to points and intersections.

5-18 AllyCAD for Windows

Transparent commands
The program has over 70 “transparent commands”. These are
commands that can be accessed while you are doing something else,
without terminating the thing you are doing.
Moving to a specific coordinate location, using polar coordinates,
defining a grid, all the jumps as well as the snap modes are transparent
commands.
In this section you will be introduced to a few more, including changing
line type, changing line colour, changing line width and magnifying.
The CAD is still prompting:
Enter first rectangle corner

Ignore this prompt and click on the Line icon. AllyCAD will
prompt:
Enter first point of line

You are going to draw this rectangle in the Geometry Intersection

mode. Click on the Geometry Intersection icon. The cursor
changes shape.

You can also enter Geometry Intersection mode by typing [Shift] [I] on
your keyboard.

You now need the geometry lines you drew earlier. Go to the
Settings ► View Settings option. Click on the Show Geometry box so that a
tick appears in the box. Then click on OK to exit the View Settings dialog
box. The geometry lines re-appear.

You can also switch on geometry by using Geometry ►Switch Geometry

On/Off.

Note that the CAD is still prompting for the first point of the line, even
though you have entered the Geometry Intersection mode and turned on
the Geometry since you selected the line drawing command.
Move your cursor close to the top left geometry cross next to the
rectangle you have just drawn. Click. The cursor snaps to the cross point
that is automatically accepted as the first point of the line. The CAD
prompts:
Enter next point of line

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-19

You are now going to change the line type you are drawing with. Note
that you can do this even though you are in the middle of drawing a line.
Move your cursor to the top of the screen and click on the arrow next to
the line type display. A menu of line types appears. Click on the line type
you want to use. The CAD continues to prompt:
Enter next point of line

Move the cursor close to the next intersection to the right and click. The
cursor jumps to the point. The line type used is the one you have just
chosen.
You are going to draw the next line in a different colour. Move your
cursor to the right, to the Color toolbar and click on a colour. Then move
the cursor close to the next intersection and click. The line is drawn in
the new colour.
You are going to draw the next line with a different width. Move your
cursor to the Line icon. Do not worry about the fact that the line you are
drawing is dragged behind the cursor as you move it.
Right click on the Line icon. The Line Style dialog box is displayed.

Edit the line width. You can also edit the line type and colour again if you
want to. When you have finished editing, click on OK and draw the third
side of the rectangle.

You can also access the Line Style dialog box using Settings ► Line
Defaults. If you have selected a dotted or dashed line type and a width
greater than 0, the line may appear continuous. It will, however, print
correctly. Refer to the Common Questions and Problems chapter.

Move your cursor onto the top horizontal line of the rectangle that you
are drawing. Press the [T] key. This will “pick” the line style from the top
horizontal line, so that the last line of the rectangle you draw will have
exactly the same style as the top horizontal line.

5-20 AllyCAD for Windows

 Pen

Lastly, move your cursor close to the last point of the rectangle. Click on
the Magnify icon. The rectangle is enlarged. Click so that the cursor
jumps onto the final corner of the rectangle. The final line is drawn, in
the same line style as the one you used for the top horizontal line.

You can also access the Magnify command by pressing the [M] key on
your keyboard or via View ► Magnify. Each time you use the Magnify
command your screen is magnified or further magnified by a factor of
three. To change this magnification factor, click on the Magnify icon in
the Screen toolbar or use Settings ► Change Magnify Factor.

Cancel line drawing by clicking on [Done]. Turn off the geometry lines by
un-checking the Show Geometry option in Settings ► View Settings.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-21

Return your screen to its original magnification using the Zoom Paper
command by right clicking on the Redraw icon. You should now have
eight rectangles on your drawing as shown above.

Changing line styles

You are now going to change the line styles of the eighth rectangle so
that this rectangle conforms to the other rectangles.
Position the cursor above and to the left of the eighth rectangle. Press
down your left mouse button and, holding it down, move your mouse
below and to the right of the eighth rectangle. Release your left mouse
button.
The eighth rectangle is highlighted and eight squares, or “handles”,
appear around it. This means that it has been selected, which in turn
means that you can move it, copy it, edit it etc.
Right click on the Line icon to access the Line Style dialog box. Edit the
dialog box so that the line type, colour and width matches the type,
colour and width of the other seven rectangles. Click on the Apply
button, check the attributes you want to change, and then on OK.
Right click on the Eraser icon to deselect the rectangle. The eighth
rectangle now looks like the other seven rectangles.

In this example, you selected all the lines in the rectangle and then
changed them all to a particular line style. You could also use the
Advanced option of Edit ► Selection Filters to select some lines, for
example just pale blue lines or just dotted lines.
You could then use the Line Style dialog box to change the line style of
the selected lines in the same way that you used it to change the line
style of the selected lines in this tutorial.

5-22 AllyCAD for Windows

Saving your drawing
You will now save your drawing. Right click on the Save icon and
type a name for your drawing in the box under the words File
Name. Then click on Save.

For more details on saving see Save Settings, Save Options, and Save As
in the Reference Manual.

You have now completed Tutorial 2.

You can either:
• click on File ► Clear All to clear the screen and go on to Tutorial
3;
• experiment on your own; or
• exit the CAD using File ► Exit.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 5-23

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics
In this tutorial you are going to learn some CAD basics:
• Filleting
• Chamfering
• Parallel Lines
• Hatching
• Text
• Dimensions
• Stretching
• Producing a Detailed View
At the end of this tutorial you will have created your first drawing.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-1

Loading a drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting File ► Clear All.
Unless you have done Tutorial 2 and have saved your own drawing
under a name of your choice, the drawing you are going to load is called
“tute3” in the Drawings directory.
Load a drawing by clicking on the Open icon. The following dialog
box is displayed. Select the file “tute3.drg”.

The drawing tute3 appears. It should look like the figure below. If you
can only see part of this drawing when it appears on the screen, press [R]
on your keyboard. The whole drawing will then appear.

6-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Fillets and chamfers
Filleting means inserting a radius between two lines or arcs. Chamfering
means inserting a third angled line between two lines. You are now going
to fillet and chamfer the top left hand rectangle in the drawing.

Filleting

Select the Modify ► Fillet function. The Fillet options are displayed on the
Control Bar.
The CAD prompts:
Select corner to fillet (Choose inside of arc)

Edit the Fillet settings as shown below.

The Both Lines value in the Fillet Update box means that both lines
making up the rectangle corner will be filleted.
The One Point setting in the Use box means that in cases like this where
there is no ambiguity about which lines to fillet you can select the corner
to fillet with just one mouse click.
Press [Enter] after typing in the radius of “10” or click on the Enter
button on the Control Bar.
Note that the cursor has changed to Freehand mode so it will not jump to
anything unless you specifically tell it to. If you try to fillet in a Snap
mode other than Freehand mode, the cursor may unexpectedly jump
onto a point that you don't want it to jump to while you are filleting, with
unforeseen consequences.

For details on Snap modes, see Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing and Snap
Modes in the Reference Manual.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-3

Position the cursor inside the rectangle corner to be filleted, at the
position shown below.

Click or press [Enter]. The corner is filleted. Click on the [Done] button
to terminate the Fillet function.

6-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Chamfering

Select the Modify ► Chamfer command. Chamfer parameter options

appear on the Control Bar and the CAD prompts:
Select first line to be chamfered

Edit the Control Bar as shown below.

Length2 in the second box means that you are going to define the
chamfer by giving two lengths, rather than by giving one length and an
angle. The figures on either side of Length2 (10 and 20) are the two
lengths.
Press [Enter] after typing in the lengths or click on the Enter button on
the Control Bar. Select the top line of the rectangle you have just filleted
by clicking near it. The cursor has changes to Freehand mode. The CAD
prompts:
Second line

Select the left line of the rectangle in the same way. The two lines are
chamfered. Your top left rectangle should now look like the one above.
Cancel chamfering by clicking on the [Done] button.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-5

Drawing parallel lines
You are now going to draw parallel lines using the bottom right rectangle
of the drawing.

Drawing lines around an existing perimeter.

Select the Settings ► Parallel Defaults function. This allows you to define
how many parallel lines there will be, as well as the colour, line type,
width and offset of each line. Edit the dialog box as shown below.

The Around Existing Perimeter option should be checked because you

are going to draw parallel lines around an existing perimeter - the
bottom right rectangle.
The Number of Parallel Lines box should contain the number “3”. You
can draw up to nine parallel lines in this way.
Make sure that you specify positive offsets for the parallel lines. If you
give negative offsets, the parallel lines will be created on the other side of
the original line.
Click on OK to exit the dialog box. You are now ready to start drawing
parallel lines around the bottom right-hand rectangle.

6-6 AllyCAD for Windows

 Click on the Multiple Parallel Line icon. You can also select
Parallel Line from the Draw menu.
The Perimeter menu is displayed in the Control Bar at the top of the
screen. It appears whenever you need a perimeter, such as now, or when
you need to hatch or measure an area.

Click on the Perimeter/Area icon. This option tracks most

perimeters automatically.

See Polygon Area in the Tools Menu for details on other perimeter
tracking options.

The CAD prompts:

Place cursor inside perimeter and near a line.

Click at the cursor position shown in the previous figure. The rectangle
becomes highlighted.
Click on the [Accept] button in the Perimeter menu. The parallel lines
will be drawn (see the bottom right rectangle in the figure below).

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-7

Drawing Fresh Parallel Lines

You are now going to draw some more parallel lines while drawing a new
line.
Select the Settings ► Parallel Defaults function. Set up the dialog box as
shown below.

6-8 AllyCAD for Windows

The Draw Fresh option is checked because you are going to draw parallel
lines down the middle of the rectangle with the parallel lines around it
and not around an existing perimeter.
The Number of Parallel Lines box should contain the number “1”. Set up
the Pen (colour), the Type (line type), the Width and the Offset for the
one parallel line you are going to draw. Give an offset of “3”.
Ensure that the Close off Ends box is unchecked. When you have finished
editing the dialog box, click on OK.
Click on the Parallel Line icon. As you are not going to track an
existing perimeter, the Perimeter menu does not appear in the
Control Bar.
Instead, the CAD prompts:
Enter first point of line

Move your cursor to the position shown below and press [0] (zero) to
jump exactly to the nearest intersection. Press the [Right-Arrow] key.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-9

The CAD prompts:
Move Right: How far?

Type “16.5” and press [Enter] to accept the distance. The cursor moves
16.5mm to the right. Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as
the first point of the line.

See Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing for more examples of jumps and

accurate movement using arrow keys.

The CAD prompts:

Enter next point of line.

Click on the Perpendicular Snap icon. The cursor changes shape

to resemble the icon. Position it close to the bottom line of the
rectangle as shown in the next figure and click.
The cursor jumps exactly onto the bottom line of the rectangle so that
the line you are drawing is perpendicular to it.

6-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Click on the [Done] button. A parallel line is also drawn with the
parameters we defined. Note that the CAD also snips away the ends of
the parallel line. This is because the Close Off Ends option was not ticked.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-11

Hatching
You are now going to add hatching to the drawing, first a fairly simply
one and then hatching with islands or exclusions.

A simple hatch

The next step is to hatch the top left rectangle with the chamfer and the
fillet. Go to the Annotate ► Enter Hatch/Solid Fill option. Set up the hatch
parameters as shown below.

Select hatch type “ansi31” - the parallel angled lines.

The Perimeter menu is displayed in the Control Bar. Select the
Perimeter / Area icon for an auto perimeter track. The program
asks for a point inside the perimeter and near to a line.
Click inside the rectangle you have chamfered and filleted near to one of
the perimeter lines.
The rectangle perimeter is highlighted. Click on the [Accept] button. The
rectangle is hatched as shown in the next figure.

6-12 AllyCAD for Windows

Hatching with islands

You are now going to hatch a more complex area.

Go to the Annotate ► Enter Hatch/Solid Fill option. Accept the parameters
previously set up in the dialog box.
You could use the Perimeter/Area icon to define the perimeter, but in
order to learn more about the program you will use the Intersections
option. This option is very useful for defining perimeters that are too
complex for the Perimeter/Area option.
Click on the Intersections icon in the Perimeter menu on the
Control Bar. The cursor changes to the Grab All mode. The CAD
prompts:
Enter first intersection point of perimeter

Move the cursor close to the top left-hand corner of the rectangle
containing the two smaller rectangles as shown in the following figure.
Click.
The CAD will snap onto the corner as the first intersection and display
the following prompt:
Identify next element of perimeter

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-13

Move your cursor close to the top line of the rectangle and click.

The CAD prompts:

Identify next intersection point

Position your cursor close to the right hand corner as shown above.
You will see that the cursor is now attached to a line. When you click, the
cursor will jump onto the right hand corner, and the top line of the
rectangle, which you have now identified as a part of the perimeter, will
be highlighted.

6-14 AllyCAD for Windows

The CAD prompts:
Identify next element of perimeter

Position your cursor close to the right hand side of the rectangle and
click. Continue selecting corners and elements alternately until the
whole rectangle is highlighted. Then terminate the Intersection function
by clicking on the [Done] button in the Perimeter menu. The perimeter
continues to flash.
The [Accept] button appears on the Control Bar in place of the [Done]
button. Clicking on the [Accept] button signifies that a perimeter is
complete. If you were to click on this button now, the entire area inside
the rectangle you have just defined would be hatched.
This would not be a disaster, as you could use Annotate ► Alter Existing
Hatch to add the islands to the hatch later.
However, it is more convenient to define the islands now. You are going
to define these using the Perimeter/Area option.
Click on the Perimeter/Area icon in the Perimeter menu and
define the perimeter of one of the islands by clicking close to the
inside of one of the smaller rectangles, but inside the rectangle
you have just defined. The rectangle is tracked and highlighted.
You still need to add the other smaller rectangle to the perimeter. Click
on the Perimeter/Area icon again and select the other rectangle in a
similar manner. The rectangle is tracked and highlighted.
The perimeter is now complete, so you can now click on the [Accept]
button. The perimeter is hatched.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-15

If you have made a mistake and your hatching does not look like the
hatching above, do the following.
Right click on the Select icon in the File toolbar so that the
Selection dialog box is displayed.
Click on the Hatch button in the Selection dialog box. Then click on the
hatch that has gone wrong, then press the [Delete] key on your keyboard.
The hatch is deleted. Click on the Close button to close the dialog box.
Redo this section from the heading Hatching with islands. Do not worry
about the fact that your other hatching also seems to have disappeared.
Now redraw the screen by right clicking on the Redraw icon. You
will notice that the hatching is not drawn, although if you output
the drawing it will be plotted or printed. This is for speed.
To view your hatching, go to the Annotate ► Draw All Hatch function. The
hatches will reappear until next time you redraw the screen.

You can set up the program so that it automatically draws hatches on

each redraw. This will slow down redraws. Go to Settings ► View Settings
and select All in the Hatch to Draw section.

6-16 AllyCAD for Windows

Text
You will now add some text to your drawing. Text objects may use
different fonts, sizes and angles.

Entering text

Click on the Text icon. The CAD will prompt:

Enter text position
Move the cursor to about an inch below the bottom row of rectangles and
click. The Text Entry dialog box is displayed.
Type some text into the white area of the box. Press the [Ctrl] and
[Enter] keys at the same time to move to a new line if you want to type
more than one line of text into the box. If you check the Accept Return
check box in the Text Entry dialog box, you can move to a new line by
pressing the [Enter] key on its own.
When you have finished typing, click on OK.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

The text is displayed on the screen. Cancel text by clicking on [Done].

You can also enter text using Annotate ► Add Text. In this tutorial you
are placing text rather arbitrarily but it is possible to use all tools such
as the arrow keys, snaps, polar coordinates, geometry etc. to place text
accurately.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-17

Editing Text

Unless you have previously changed the text defaults, the text that
appears on your screen is very small. In fact, it might appear on your
screen as a box.
When text is smaller than a certain proportion of the screen size, it is
drawn as a box or even as a dot. This is to speed up redraws. To read the
text, click on it with the cursor and type [M] to magnify.
To return your drawing to its original magnification, right click on the
Redraw icon.
You are now going to make the text larger. Double-click on the text with
your left mouse button.

You can also edit single lines, arrows, polylines, dimensions and bitmap
parameters by double clicking on them with the left mouse button.

The Text Entry dialog box is displayed, with your text inside it. Set the
text height at the top left of the Text Entry dialog box to “10” then click
on OK. You can also change your text at this stage if you have made a
spelling error.

You can set the text defaults by right clicking on the Text icon.

Aligning Text

Click on the text once. The text becomes highlighted and eight boxes -
“handles” - appear around it. It is now selected. Hold down your [Shift]
key and click on the left hand bottom rectangle so that the rectangle is
also selected.
Click on Annotate ► Set Alignment. A dialog box appears. Edit it so that it
looks exactly as shown below.

6-18 AllyCAD for Windows

This will cause the selected items - the text and the rectangle - to be
aligned to the left. When you have finished editing the dialog box, click
on the [Apply] button, then click on the OK button. The text and
rectangle will be aligned.
Deselect the text and the rectangle by right clicking on the Eraser icon.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-19

Dimensions
You are now going to enhance your drawing by adding various
dimensions to the figures.

Linear Dimensions

Select the Annotate ► Horizontal Dimension option to add a horizontal

dimension to the bottom right rectangle. The CAD prompts:
Do you want running, chained or free dimensions (R/C/F)

Click on the OK button to accept the default “Running”. The CAD

prompts:
Enter text position

When specifying the text position, the only coordinate that matters is the
distance of the text above or below the line to be dimensioned, as the text
is automatically centered between the witness points.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

Position the cursor at a point below the bottom of the rectangle with the
parallel lines and click.
The CAD prompts:
Enter first point

Note that the cursor mode has now changed to Point Snap mode. In this
mode the cursor automatically jumps onto the ends of lines or onto arc
centers.

6-20 AllyCAD for Windows

 Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

Position the cursor near the bottom left corner as shown above and click.
The cursor automatically snaps exactly onto the corner.
The CAD prompts:
Enter next point

Position the cursor near the bottom right corner as shown in the next
figure and click. The cursor automatically snaps exactly to the corner.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

The program now measures the distance between the two points you
have entered and displays it (70) with the following prompt:

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-21

 Enter text of dimension

At this stage you could alter your dimension, for example add tolerances
to it. For now just accept the displayed dimension by clicking on the OK
button.
The dimension is added as shown in the figure below.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

The CAD continues to prompt:

Enter next point

Position the cursor near to the corner shown below and click.

6-22 AllyCAD for Windows

 Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

The program now measures the distance between the two points you
have entered and displays it (5) with the following prompt:
Enter text of dimension

Accept the dimension as it is by clicking on the OK button. Because the

dimension is very small and the text relatively large, the CAD warns:
Text Cramped. Enter new Horizontal Position.

Click on the “Left” option.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-23

The dimension is placed on the drawing and the text, which would not
have had space in its original position, is shifted to the left. Small
dimension text, like ordinary text, is displayed as a box.
Cancel horizontal dimensioning by clicking on the [Done] button.

Radial Dimensions

You will now dimension the arc of the fillet you created in the top left
rectangle, as shown in. Select Annotate ► Radial Dimension. The CAD
prompts:
Radial dimension .. select arc or circle

Position the cursor near to the fillet in the top left rectangle and click.
The program measures the radius of the arc and presents it for editing (R
10) with the following prompt:
Enter text of radial dimension

Accept this radius by clicking on the OK button. AllyCAD prompts:

Do you want text on radius arrow

You are going to make the text appear on a separate line, so click on the
[NO] button. The CAD prompts:
Enter text position

Move to a point above and to the right of the rectangle as shown below
and click.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

6-24 AllyCAD for Windows

The dimension is entered. Cancel radial dimensioning by clicking on
[Done].

R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Angular Dimensions

You are now going to dimension the chamfer you drew in the top left
rectangle. Choose the Annotate ► Angular Dimension command. The CAD
will prompt:
Do you want angle? (else arclength)

Click on the [YES] button to dimension an angle. The CAD prompts:

Is this dimension between two existing lines?

Click on the [YES] button. The CAD prompts:

Select first line

Indicate the top line of the top left box by clicking near it or on it as
shown in the following figure.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-25

The CAD prompts:
Select second line

Click on or near the sloping chamfered line as shown in the next figure to
select the second line.

R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

The CAD prompts:

Enter witness line start

6-26 AllyCAD for Windows

The witness line is the line between the dimension arrow and whatever
is being measured. Move to a point above and to the left of the top corner
of the rectangle as shown and click.

R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

The CAD prompts:

Enter witness line end

Move to a point further up and to the left and click. The program
measures the angle between the two lines and presents it for editing
(116.57°):
The CAD will prompt:
Enter text part of angular dimension

Accept the angle by clicking on the OK button. The angular dimension is

placed on the drawing. The CAD will prompt:
Satisfied with arc radius?

Click on the [NO] button. The CAD will now prompt:

Drag till satisfied with arc radius

Use the mouse to drag the radius. The cursor is linked to a rubber-
banded circle. Click when you are satisfied with the arc radius.
Satisfied with text position

Click on the [YES] button. The angular dimension is updated as shown

below.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-27

 7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Variable Dimensions

It is possible to dimension an object with variable dimensions, e.g. x, y,

and z then assign values to these variables. Similarly, you can assign new
values to existing dimensions. The drawing alters to fit the new
dimensions.
Select the Annotate ► Horizontal Dimension option to draw a horizontal
dimension. When you are asked whether you want running, chained or
free dimensions type [F] to select Free, because you are only going to
draw one dimension. Press [Enter].
You are now prompted for the text position. Position the cursor at a
point below the second rectangle from the left on the top row and click.
The CAD prompts:
Enter first point

Position the cursor near the bottom left corner of the rectangle and click.
The CAD prompts:
Enter next point

Position the cursor near to the bottom right corner of the rectangle and
click.
The program measures the distance (30) and displays it with the prompt
Enter text of dimension

6-28 AllyCAD for Windows

Overtype this figure with the letter “x” and press [Enter]. Click on the
OK button. The dimension is displayed on your drawing as “x” as shown
in the next figure.
Click on the Magnify icon if required.
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5.0

Select the Annotate ► Edit Dimension ► Alter Dimension option.

Select dimension to be altered with cursor (else search for
text)

Click on the [YES] button. This means that you will select the dimension
to be altered by clicking on it. If you clicked on [NO] you would be able to
type “x” and the program would search for the dimension “x” and
update it.
The CAD prompts:
Select dimension to be altered with cursor

Click on the dimension “x”. It is highlighted and the text is displayed in

the Control Bar.
The CAD prompts:
Enter new dimension text

Type “45” and press [Enter]. The CAD prompts:

Alter a whole area, along witness line or at witness point
(A/L/P)

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-29

If you choose Area, the entire drawing will be altered in relation to the
new dimension. If you choose Line, everything lying along the dimension
witness lines will be altered. If you choose Point, only the one
dimensioned line will change.
Type “P” to choose Point and press [Enter]. The CAD prompts:
Keep left/lower point fixed? (else right/upper)

Click on the [YES] button. The bottom, dimensioned line of the rectangle
lengthens. You should still be magnified into your drawing and will be
able to see that the dimension now reads “45”.
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The CAD still prompts:

Select dimension to be altered with cursor (else search for
text)

Click on [YES] and then click on the [DONE] button to cancel the Alter
Dimension function.
To return your drawing to its original magnification, right click on the
Redraw icon.

6-30 AllyCAD for Windows

Stretching
You will now stretch the rectangle with the hatching and the parallel
lines. After the stretch is complete the hatching and dimensions will
automatically be updated.
Select the Modify ► Stretch function.
The first CAD prompts:
Stretch everything ? (else just selected)

Select “Yes”.

And then prompts:

Enter polygon about points to be moved

A large cross hair appears, with the cursor at the cross centre. Place the
cursor at the position shown and click.
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The CAD prompts:

Enter next point of polygon

Move the cursor diagonally to the position shown in the next figure.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-31

 7°
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Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

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Press [Space Bar]. The CAD prompts:

Enter point that must move

Position the cursor near the bottom right hand corner of the outside
parallel line and press [0] (zero) to jump exactly onto the corner.
Press [Enter] to accept the bottom right hand corner of the outside
parallel line as the point that must move.
The CAD prompts:
Enter point it must move to

Press the [Right-Arrow] key. The CAD prompts:

Move Right: How far?

Type “15” and press [Enter], then press [Enter] again to accept the new
cursor position as the point the rectangle must stretch to.
The rectangle is stretched 15mm to the right. Note that the stretched
dimension has been updated so that it now reads “85” instead of “70”.
Go to the Annotate ► Draw All Hatch function. Note that the hatching has
also been updated.

6-32 AllyCAD for Windows

 7°
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Stretch is a very powerful command and can be used for many things
like moving dimension text around (e.g. from inside to outside the
arrows) and for moving complete views to another position.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-33

Producing an automatic detailed view
You are now going to produce an automatic detailed view of part of your
drawing, as shown in.
First you will create a new layer for the detailed view called “A”. Select
the Settings ► Layer Settings function.

Now move the cursor to the first empty row, right-click and select ‘Add
new layer’ and type in the details for a new layer called “A” with a
magnification factor of 2.0 as shown above. Click on the OK button to
close the Layer Settings dialog and create the new layer.
Select the Tools ► Expand function.
The CAD prompts:
Expand inside a box (else circle)

Click on [NO] so that the detailed view will be drawn inside a circle.
Would you like to enter box/circle after expand

Click on the [YES] button so that the detailed view will have a border.
The CAD prompts:
Enter centre point of expand circle

Position the cursor as shown below and click.

6-34 AllyCAD for Windows

 7°
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The CAD prompts:

Enter point on radius

Position the cursor as shown in the following figure and click. The
contents of the circle that appears will be included in the detailed view.
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The CAD prompts:

Enter magnification factor

Accept the default value of “2” by clicking on the OK button. The CAD
prompts:

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-35

 Enter position of expanded detail

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Move your cursor to an empty part of the drawing as shown. A rectangle

is displayed to indicate the size of the detailed view. Move the rectangle
to the desired position.
The detailed view is generated.
Do you want arrow joining two circles

Click on the [YES] button. An arrow is added to the drawings.

The Magnified Layer dialog is displayed. This dialog box allows you to
store the detailed view on a different layer that will be at a different
magnification/scale to the rest of the drawing. This magnification is
determined by the next question
Enter new magnification for layer

Anything that you draw on this layer will be at the different

magnification to the rest of the drawing.
In this tutorial the detailed view will remain on the only layer you have
defined, “A”. Click on OK. The CAD prompts:
Enter new magnification for layer A

Type “1” and press [Enter] as you do not want to change the
magnification of layer A.

6-36 AllyCAD for Windows

 7°
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Redraw your drawing by clicking on the Redraw icon. Your drawing

should now look like the one above.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 6-37

Saving your drawing
Right click on the Save icon. Type a name for your drawing in the
box under the words File Name and click on Save.

For more details on saving see Save Settings, Save Options, and Save As
in the File Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.

You have now completed Tutorial 3.

You can either:
• experiment on your own;
• exit the CAD using File ► Exit; or
• click on File ► Clear All and go on to Tutorial 4.

6-38 AllyCAD for Windows

Tutorial 4 - Objects
CAD drawings are organised into Objects. We strongly suggest that you
read the Drawing Structure section where objects are explained and
where the advantages of using objects are given.
In this tutorial you create a symbol library that you will use in Tutorial 5.
A symbol is a special type of object. This section provides a practical
example of how to create, merge, divide, add to and view objects. You
will create three simple objects: a window, a desk and a chair.
You will complete the following tasks:
• Setting up your drawing
• Drawing the window, desk and chair
• Creating objects
• Viewing objects
• Merging objects
• Dividing objects
• Changing object names and hook points
• Adding to an object
• Saving your drawing

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-1

Setting up your drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting File ► Clear All.
Configure your drawing by selecting Settings ► Drawing Settings. Set the
drawing defaults as shown below.

Click on the button in the Angular Format section. Edit the Angular
Format dialog box as shown below.

7-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Use the Zoom Paper command so that the whole sheet of paper is
displayed on the screen. To do this, right click so that the Screen Toolbar
appears and right click on the Redraw icon.
You can change paper size, scale, units, etc. at any time during drawing.
See Drawing Settings in the Settings menu. The way that your paper size,
scale, units, etc. are set up each time you start a new drawing is stored in
a drawing called STARTUP.DRG. See Defaults in the Reference Manual.

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-3

Drawing the window, desk and chair
Initially we will draw the individual entities, which will then be grouped
into objects.

Drawing the window

First we are going to draw a window. Click on the Rectangle icon.

The CAD prompts:

Enter first rectangle corner

Move the cursor to the top left of the screen and press [Enter] to define
one corner of the window. The CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Press the [PgDn] key. The CAD prompts:

Move Right and Down: How far?

Type “1350 336” and press [Enter]. You can also accept the distances by
clicking on the OK button.
The cursor moves and the rectangle is drawn in gray. The CAD
continues to prompt for the second corner of the rectangle. This is
because while you have moved the cursor, you have not yet accepted the
new cursor position as the second corner of the rectangle. Press [Enter]
to accept the cursor position. You could also accept the cursor position
by clicking, but this could cause inaccuracies if you accidentally wobble
your mouse while you click.
The rectangle is re-drawn in colour.
The CAD prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

Ignore this prompt and zoom into the rectangle so that it fills the
screen. To do this, right click to access the Screen toolbar. Right
click on the Zoom icon.
The zoom menu is displayed. Select the Zoom All option which will zoom
your entire drawing to the maximum size to fit the screen. You can also
access Zoom All by pressing [Z] on your keyboard followed by [A]. The
[Z] key is called an Accelerator because it is a quick way of accessing the
Zoom menu. You can define your own accelerators. You can also access
Zoom All via the View menu.
7-4 AllyCAD for Windows
 Click on the Single Parallel Line icon. The Control Bar displays
the Parallel Line settings and the CAD prompts:
Select element to be parallel copied

Edit the Control Bar so that it looks like:

Choose "Fixed Distance" for the Use box because you are going to draw a
parallel line a specified distance from an existing line. Type “130” for
Spacing. The parallel line will be 130mm away from the existing line.
Type “1” for No. Lines and [Enter]. Trim is irrelevant in this example,
because you are not going to draw consecutive parallel lines.

Position the cursor beneath the top line of the rectangle you have drawn,
as illustrated above and click. A parallel line is drawn. The window is
now complete. The CAD continues to prompt:
Select element to be parallel copied

Ignore this prompt. Use the Zoom Paper command to return your
drawing to its original magnification. To do this, right click so that the
Screen toolbar appears. Right click on the Redraw icon.

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-5

Drawing the desk

Click on the Rectangle icon. The CAD prompts:

Enter first rectangle corner

Move the cursor so that it is to the right of the window and press [Enter]
to define one corner of the desk. The CAD prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle

Press the [PgDn] key. The CAD prompts:

Move Right and Down: How far?

Type “1500 700” and press [Enter] to accept the distances. The cursor
moves. Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as the second
corner of the desk.

Drawing the chair

You are now going to draw the chair. Click on the Circle icon.

The CAD prompts:

Enter centre point of circle

Move the cursor so that it is to the right of the desk and a little away from
it and press [Enter] to define the centre of the chair. The CAD prompts:
Enter point on circle

Press the [Right-Arrow] key. The CAD prompts:

Move Right: How far?

Type “250” and press [Enter] to accept the distance. The cursor moves.
Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as a point on the circle
circumference

7-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Creating objects
You now need to make the window, desk and chair into objects. Once
you have done this, they will be easier to select and manipulate and you
will be able to copy them into other drawings as symbols, list them, count
them, etc.
• Objects are groups of lines, arcs, text, dimensions and arrows.
• Parents are groups of objects.
You are going to group the lines making up the window into an object
called “window”, which you are going to further group into a parent
called “fittings”. You are also going to group the lines making up the
desk into an object called “desk” and the circle making up the chair into
an object called “chair”. You are going to further group the desk and the
chair into a parent called “furniture”.
Use Zoom All so that the window, desk and chair fill the screen. To do
this, right click to access the Screen toolbar and then right click on the
Zoom icon. Select the Zoom All option from the menu list.

Creating the Window

Click on the Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Parent function. The CAD
prompts:
Enter new parent name

Type “FITTINGS” and press [Enter].

Every object that you create from now on will have the parent name
“FITTINGS” until you use Change Parent to change the parent name
again.
You now need to select the window. To do this, move your cursor above
and to the left of the window. Hold down your left mouse button and
move your mouse so that your cursor is below and to the right of the
window.

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-7

A rectangle is drawn around the window. Release your left mouse
button. The window is highlighted and eight handles appear around it.
This means it has been selected.

The method of selection you have just used selects everything within a
rectangle. You can also select everything within an irregular polygon
using Edit ► Select by Polygon.

Select the Objects ► Group Into Object function.

The CAD prompts:
Enter name for new object

Type “WINDOW” and press [Enter]. The selected lines are grouped into
an object called “WINDOW”.

Creating the desk and chair

You are now going to name the parent for the desk and chair. Click on
the Objects ► Edit Object option from it. From the menu that appears,
choose the Change Parent option. The CAD prompts:
Enter new parent name

Type “FURNITURE” and press [Enter]. Every object that you create
from now on will have the parent name “furniture” until you use Change
Parent to change the parent name again.
Select the desk in the same way that you selected the window.
Select the Objects ► Group Into Object function. The CAD prompts:
Enter name for new object

Type “DESK” and press [Enter]. The selected lines are grouped into an
object called “DESK”. Now select the chair in the same way that you
selected the window and the desk. Select the Objects ► Group Into Object
function. The CAD prompts:
Enter name for new object

Type “CHAIR” and press [Enter]. The selected lines are grouped into an
object called “CHAIR”.
In this tutorial you have used Group Into Object to create the objects.
You could also have used Objects ► Begin New Object or Objects ► Make

7-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Symbol. Objects are also created automatically when you use certain
functions and when they become too large. See Drawing Structure.
Right click on the Eraser icon to deselect (clear) the chair. You can
also clear selected items using the Edit ► Clear Selection function,
or by clicking on the Clear button in the Selection Filters dialog
box.

Viewing objects
You are now going to view the three objects you have created. Select
Objects ► Show Objects. The CAD prompts:
What layer do you want to show objects from (enter “*” for
all layers)

Click on OK to accept the default answer “*”. The CAD prompts:

What object names do you want to show (* * for all objects)

Click on the OK button to accept the default answer “* *”. Each object is
displayed on the screen on it’s own.
The object's parent and object names are given in the Prompt Area at the
top left of the screen together with the layer it is on (0). “Hatch index =
0” means that the window is not a hatch perimeter (see Drawing
Structure and Show Objects in the Objects Menu).
Note that each object is enclosed by a square. This square is the object's
snip box. If you insert the object into another drawing as a symbol, the
part of the other drawing within the snip box can be snipped away if
desired.
Only the chair’s snip box is visible. The window and desk also have snip
boxes, but because these snip boxes are rectangular and coincide with
the shapes of the window and desk, you cannot see them using Show
Objects.
The object is displayed with a star at its bottom left corner. This is its
hook point. The hook point acts as a reference point. If you import an
object from one drawing to another as a symbol, the object will appear in
the second drawing with its hook point at the cursor position.
The CAD positions each object's hook point automatically. However, you
can manually change the position of an object's hook point using the
Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point function.

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-9

Because of the way that the CAD automatically rotates and snips around
drawings when they are inserted into drawings, it is often best to position
the hook point at the left hand end of the object.
Click on the OK button to cycle through the objects. Finally a blank
screen is displayed.
The Prompt Area at the top left of the screen gives parent and object
names of “furniture” and “P?” where “?” is some number (which will
change during this tutorial).
When you created the chair object with Group Into Object, the CAD
automatically created a new object called “P?” on the assumption that,
as you were grouping the chair, you had finished it. The object “P?” is
the current object, which means that anything you draw now will be
added to it.
You may not want the new object to be named “P?”. When you have
finished drawing “P?” you can group it using Group Into Object, which
will automatically rename the object to a name of your choice and start a
new object.
Alternatively you can rename it using Objects ► Edit Object ► Change
Name and then start a new object using Begin New Object. Click on the
OK button to exit Show Objects.

Merging objects
You have now drawn three objects: a window, a desk and a chair.
Suppose you decided that rather than have an object called “desk” and
an object called “chair”, you wanted to merge both into a single object
called “furniture”.
Before you can group the desk and chair into one object, you must
select them. Click on a line in the object called desk with the Select
cursor. The whole desk becomes highlighted and eight handles
appear around it.
This is because some functions including Group Into Object set a “flag”
which tells the CAD that the lines and arcs within the object belong
together and should all be selected as one. This makes selection and
manipulation of objects quicker and easier.

It is possible to select individual lines and arcs within an object if you

use the Explode Object function. See Dividing Objects later in this
tutorial.

7-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Press the [Shift] key and click on the circular outline representing the
chair. The chair becomes highlighted too.
Select Objects ► Group Into Object. The CAD prompts:
Enter name for new object

Type “FURNITURE” and press [Enter]. The desk and chair are grouped
into one object called “FURNITURE”. Right click on the Eraser icon to
deselect (clear) the selected desk and chair.
If you now use Show Objects as described previously in the section
headed Viewing Objects, you will see that you now have two objects,
“WINDOW” and “FURNITURE”, plus the object "P?”.

Dividing objects
Now suppose, having created one object called “furniture”, you wanted
to make it two objects, called “DESK” and “CHAIR”. You can divide an
object using the Explode Object function.
Click on the object called “FURNITURE”. The whole object is selected
as one. To break the object into individual elements select
Objects ► Explode Object. You will not see anything happening, but you
will now be able to select lines within the object individually.
Right click on the Eraser icon to deselect (clear) the selected
object.
Now click on a line in the object called “FURNITURE” with the Select
cursor. The line is selected individually.
Use Objects ► Show Objects to view the objects in your drawing. You will
see that although you can now select individual lines and arcs within
furniture it is still an object.

You can also still select all the lines and arcs in FURNITURE at once
using the “Object” option in Edit ► Selection Filters.

Position your cursor above and to the left of the desk. Hold down your
left mouse button and move your cursor below and to the right of the
desk. A rectangle appears around the desk. Release your left mouse
button. The desk is selected.
Select Object ► Group Into Object. The CAD prompts:
Enter name for new object

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-11

Type “DESK” and press [Enter]. Right click on the Eraser icon to
deselect (clear) the selected object.
Use Object ► Show Objects to view your objects. You will see that you
have three objects: window, desk and furniture, plus the object P?. You
will also see that the chair's hook point is positioned away from the chair.

Changing object names and hook points

You must rename the chair object “CHAIR” and move its hook or
reference point to a sensible place. To do this, select the Objects ► Edit
Object ► Change Name function. The CAD prompts:
Enter object name to be changed or select object with cursor

Click on OK to accept the default “cursor”. This means that you will be
able to click on the chair to identify it for renaming.
The CAD prompts:
Select object for name change

Select the chair by clicking on it. It is highlighted and AllyCAD prompts:

Enter new Parent and Object names (separated by a space)

Type “FURNITURE CHAIR” and press [Enter]. To change the chair's

hook point, select the Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point function.
Stars representing the current hook point positions appear on your
drawing. The CAD prompts:
Select object for hook change

Click on the chair object. The cursor jumps to the current position of the
chair's hook point, which is at the bottom left corner of the desk.
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter new hook point

Move the cursor close to the chair and press the [*] key on your
keyboard. This causes the cursor to jump exactly onto the chair (circle)
centre. Press [Enter] to accept this as the new hook point position. A star
is displayed at this position.
If you use Show Objects to look at your objects you will see that you now
have three objects, window, desk and chair, plus the object P?. You will
also see the chair's new hook point position.

7-12 AllyCAD for Windows

Here you have only changed the object name, from “FURNITURE” to
“CHAIR”. You could also change the parent name by substituting, say,
“OFFICE” for “FURNITURE”.

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-13

Adding to an object
This section will show you how to add to an object that you have already
created. You are going to add to the window object.
In order to add to the window, you could draw the addition, then select
the window and the addition, and then use Group Into Object to group
the window and its addition together.
However, you are going to use another method. Everything that you
draw is automatically added to the current object. As you can see from
Show Objects, the current object is P?. If you were to draw anything, it
would be added to P?. To add to the window, you therefore need to make
the window the current object.
To do this, select the Objects ► Select Current Object function. The CAD
prompts:
Select object to become current object

Click on the window. The window becomes highlighted. Now select the
Objects ► Blink Current Object function. The window loses its highlight.
If you select the Blink Current Object option several times, you should
see the window alternately becoming highlighted and losing its highlight,
giving a “blinking” effect. This shows you that it is the current object.
Anything that you draw will now be added to the window.
Click on the Single Parallel Line icon in the Main toolbar and the
parallel defaults are displayed on the Control Bar.
The CAD prompts:
Select element to be parallel copied

Set up the Control Bar as shown below:

Choose Fixed Distance as you are going to draw parallel lines a specified
distance from an existing line. Two parallel lines will be drawn at
intervals of 50mm.
Remember to press [Enter] after entering the Spacing or No Lines data.
Position the cursor just above the horizontal line that runs across the
window, as illustrated below and click.

7-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Two parallel lines are drawn. The window is now complete. Cancel the
parallel line drawing command by clicking on [Done]. Your drawing
should now look like this:

Saving your drawing

Right click on the Save icon. Type a name for your drawing in the
box under the words “File Name” and click on Save.
You have now completed Tutorial 4. You can either:
• experiment on your own;
• exit the CAD using File ► Exit; or
• select File ► Clear All and then go to Tutorial 5.

Tutorial 4 – Objects 7-15

Notes:

7-16 AllyCAD for Windows

Tutorial 5 – Symbols
In this tutorial you are going to load a drawing called “building”. This is
a sample drawing that is supplied with the program. When you have
loaded the drawing you are going to learn about layers, inserting
symbols, moving, copying, mirroring, scaling and updating.
You will complete the following tasks:
• Loading a drawing
• Inserting symbols - the windows
• Layers
• Inserting symbols - the desk and chair
• Moving using Drag and Snap
• Nudging
• Copying
• Scaling
• Rotating
• Repeating
• Mirroring
• Updating
• Counting the objects in your drawing
• Saving your drawing

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-1

Loading a drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting File ► Clear All.
To load a drawing, click on the Open icon. The drawings in the
Drawing directory are listed as shown below. Select the
“Building.drg” file.

The following drawing is displayed.

8-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Inserting symbols - the windows
You are now going to add some windows to the building. You are not
going to draw these, but are going to use a pre-drawn window from
another drawing as a symbol. To do so select File ► Load Symbol File to
load the symbol file “tute5sym” from the Symbols directory.

The CAD prompts:

Do you want symbols to be absolute (else to scale)

Click on the [NO] button so that the symbols will be loaded to scale. The
CAD prompts:
Convert attributes to text during load?

Click on the [NO] button. You will not see anything happening, but the
drawing containing the window will have been loaded as a symbol file,
and you can now use the window symbol.
Select Draw ► Symbol. The symbol settings are displayed on the Control
Bar and the CAD prompts:
Enter position for symbol

You can select symbols by name from the list on the left of the Control
Bar.

Alternatively, click on the [View] button. All the symbols in the symbol
file are displayed as shown below. Click on the window symbol.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-3

Ensure that the Snip option on the Control Bar is ticked. This means that
when you insert the window into a wall, the wall will automatically be
snipped away to accommodate the window.
Move your cursor to the position shown below. Note that an image of the
window moves with the cursor. The cursor is attached to the window at
its hook point.
To get a bigger view of your drawing, click on the Magnify icon or
use the Zoom All option.
You now need to position your cursor accurately so that the window you
are going to insert will appear in the correct position.

8-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Move your cursor to the position shown above and type [0] (zero) on your
keyboard so that the cursor jumps exactly onto the intersection of the
left-hand vertical line with the bottom horizontal line. You can also jump
accurately to an intersection by selecting Jumps from the Tools menu.
Press your [Left-Arrow] key. The CAD prompts:
Move left: How far?

Type “1500” and press [Enter] to accept the distance. You could also
accept the distance by clicking on OK. The cursor moves to the left.
Press [Enter] to accept the position for the symbol.

You could accept the position by clicking. However, this could cause
inaccuracies if you accidentally wobbled your mouse as you clicked.

The symbol is inserted. Note that it snips out the wall around itself. The
window symbol's snip box determines the portion of the wall that is
snipped. The CAD continues to prompt:
Enter position for symbol

Move your cursor to the position shown in. Type [0] (zero) on your
keyboard so that the cursor jumps exactly onto the intersection of the left
vertical line and the bottom horizontal line.

Press the [Shift] key at the same time as your [Left-Arrow] key. The
cursor automatically moves 1500mm to the left. This is because if you
press the [Shift] key in conjunction with an arrow key, the cursor will
Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-5
automatically move the same distance you moved last time you used that
arrow key.
Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as the position for the
symbol's hook point. The symbol is inserted. Cancel window insertion by
clicking on [Done].

Layers
It is usual when doing a drawing to separate different aspects of the
drawing onto different layers. Layers can be likened to overlaid sheets of
tracing paper. In a drawing of a building with services you might put the
building outline onto one layer, furniture onto another layer, power onto
another layer, ductwork onto another layer, etc.
You can display all the layers at once, or just some of the layers.
Similarly, you can print or plot all layers or just selected layers. This
means that if you are just interested in the furniture layout, for example,
you can print or view the furniture and the building outline without
unnecessary details like power.
In this tutorial, you are going to insert the desk and chair as symbols, and
place these on a separate layer. The Building drawing has just one
defined layer “BUILDING”. This layer contains the building's walls,
doors and windows. You are going to define a new layer in which to place
the desk and chair.
Select the Settings ► Layer Settings function. The Layer Settings dialog is
displayed.
Add the “FURNITURE” layer as shown in the next illustration. Now
place the cursor over the “FURNITURE” row in the layer table, right
click and select the Make Current Layer option.

8-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Click on OK to close the Layer Settings.
The Layer Display at the top right of the screen is updated to
“FURNITURE”, showing that a new layer, “FURNITURE”, has been
added to the drawing and that it is the Current Layer. The current layer
is the one on which anything you draw will appear, and its name is
always displayed in the Layer Display.

Inserting symbols - the desk and chair

Select Draw ► Symbol. Various options appear on the Control Bar and the
CAD prompts:
Enter position for symbol

Click on the [View] button on the Control Bar. The window, desk and
chair symbols appear. Select the desk symbol and click on the Snip
option in the Control Bar so that the tick is removed.
Move your cursor into the left most room - the exact position is not
important - and click.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-7

The desk is displayed in the room. The CAD continues to prompt:
Enter position for symbol

You are now going to insert a chair symbol. Click on the [View] button on
the Control Bar. The window, desk and chair symbols appear. Click on
the chair symbol. Move your cursor to a position below the desk and
click. The chair is displayed in the room.
Cancel symbol insertion by clicking on the [Done] button.

8-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Moving using Drag and Snap
You are now going to move the desk and chair. Before you can move
anything, you must select the items you want to move.
Click on the Select Cursor on the Files toolbar. Now click on the
outline representing the desk. The desk is selected and becomes
highlighted.
Press [Shift] and click on the outline representing the chair. The chair is
selected and highlighted too. Eight boxes or “handles” surround the
chair and desk. This indicates that they are selected.
Move the cursor so that the top left hand corner of the desk is within the
cursor box as shown below.

Press your left mouse button, and, keeping it depressed, move your
mouse until the cursor box encloses the top left hand corner of the room.
Then release the mouse button.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-9

The desk and chair are moved, and the top left corner of the desk is
positioned exactly in the top left hand corner of the room.
The reason that the desk and chair are positioned exactly is because the
Select cursor includes the Graball box. If you do not want to move
accurately, click on the Freehand icon. The Select cursor will lose the
Graball box and you will no longer be able to drag accurately using this
method. To regain the box, click on the Grab All icon.

You can also move things using Modify ► Move which gives you more
control over movement.

8-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Nudging
The desk and chair you have just moved are unrealistic in that the desk
coincides with the walls! You are going to move the desk and chair
slightly away from the walls by nudging them.
Before you can nudge anything, you must select the items you want to
nudge. Since the desk and chair are still selected, you do not have to
select them again.
Press the [PgDn] key. The CAD prompts:
Move Right and Down: How far?

Type “50 50” and press [Enter] to accept these distances.

The desk and chair move down and to the right.

You can nudge selected items left, right, up or down using the
appropriate arrow key. You can nudge them up and to the left using the
[Home] key, up and to the right using the [PgUp] key and down and to
the left using the [End] key. You can also move things using
Modify ► Move which gives you more control over movement.

The movement of the desk away from the walls seems to have left gaps in
the walls. Redraw your screen by clicking on the Redraw icon on the
Screen toolbar and the gaps will disappear.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-11

Copying
You are now going to copy the desk and chair. Before you can copy
anything, you must select the items you want to copy. Since the desk and
chair are still selected, you do not have to select them again.
Ensure that the top left hand corner of the desk is within the cursor box.
Press the [Ctrl] button and hold it down. While you are holding it down,
press your left mouse button, and, keeping it depressed, move your
mouse until the cursor box encloses the top left hand corner of the next
room. Then release the [Ctrl] and mouse buttons.

The desk and chair are copied, and the copy is moved so that the top left
corner of the desk is positioned exactly in the top left hand corner of the
next room. Note that the original desk and chair are no longer
highlighted, but that the copies are.
You are now going to nudge the copied desk and chair away from the
walls.
Press the [Shift] and [PgDn] keys at the same time. The desk and chair
are automatically nudged. This is because if you press the [Shift] key in
conjunction with an arrow key or the [Home], [PgUp], [End] or [PgDn]
keys, the selected items will automatically be nudged the same distance
you nudged them last time you used that key.

8-12 AllyCAD for Windows

The movement of the desk away from the walls has left gaps in the walls.
Redraw your screen by clicking on the Redraw icon on the Screen
toolbar. The gaps in the walls disappear.
Make another copy of the desk and chair and position it as shown below.

You can also copy things using Modify ► Drop which gives you more
control over copying.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-13

Scaling
Before you can scale anything, you must select the items you want to
scale. You are going to scale the newest copy of the desk and chair in the
right hand room. These are already selected, so you do not have to select
them again.
Move your cursor onto the top left handle. The cursor changes shape to a
short line with an arrowhead at each end. The arrowheads point in the
directions you will be able to scale the desk and chair. Click. As you move
your cursor, you will see the desk and chair being scaled.

The X and Y scaling options are displayed on the Control Bar and the
CAD prompts:
Move mouse and click, or type in new X and Y scale factors

Move the cursor into the Control Bar and set up the options as shown
above. Click OK. The table and chair are scaled as shown below:

You can also scale things using Modify ► Scale that gives you more
control over scaling.

8-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Rotating
Like when you move, copy or scale something, you must select the items
you want to rotate before you can rotate them. You are going to rotate
the scaled copy of the desk and chair. These are already selected, so you
do not have to select them again.
Move your cursor just to the left of the top right handle. The
cursor changes shape. Click.
The Rotate Angle option appears on the Control Bar and the CAD
prompts:
Enter point to rotate to, or type in rotation angle

As you move your cursor, you will see the desk and chair being rotated.
Move your cursor into the Rotate Angle box on the Control Bar and click.
Set up the parameters as shown below.

Press [Enter]. The desk and chair are rotated.

Rotation takes place in an anti-clockwise direction regardless of the

Angular Format you have set up in Drawing Settings in the Settings
menu. You can also rotate things using Modify ► Rotate which gives you
more control over rotation.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-15

Repeating
You are now going to make three copies of the rotated desk and chair in
a circle (a polar copy, see). As with the other functions you have used in
this tutorial you must select the items you want to copy before you can
copy them. Because the rotated desk and chair are already selected, you
don't have to select them again.
Go to the Modify ► Repeat function. The CAD prompts:
Repeat how many times

Type “3” and press [Enter].

Rectangular repeat (else Polar)

Click on the [NO] button, because you want to repeat in a circle (Polar)
and not in a line.
Enter point about which to rotate

Position the cursor at approximately the position shown below and click.

The CAD prompts:

Enter rotation angle

Click on the OK button to accept the default, “90”. The desk and chair
are repeated in a circle.

8-16 AllyCAD for Windows

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-17
Mirroring
You are now going to mirror the first desk and chair that you entered
onto the drawing. Before you can do this, you must select them.
To do this, click on the first desk that you entered. It becomes selected
and any other selected desks and chairs become deselected. Then hold
down the [Shift] key and click on the first chair that you entered so that
this becomes selected too.
Then choose the Modify ► Mirror Image function. Mirror options are
displayed on the Control Bar.

The CAD prompts:

Enter point about which to mirror

Click on the Horizontal option on the Control Bar, as you are going to
mirror about a horizontal axis. Ensure there is a tick in the Keep original
box.
Then click just below the chair. The desk and chair are mirrored.

8-18 AllyCAD for Windows

Updating
You are now going to replace all the desks you have drawn with desks of
a slightly more elegant shape. To do this, you must select the first desk
that you entered as the Current Object. You must then edit this desk as
desired. The desk acts as a template, and all other desks are updated.
First, zoom into the desk so that you can see what you are doing. To do
this, right click on the Eraser icon to clear all selections, then click on the
desk so that only it is selected. Choose the View ► Zoom Selected function.

You can also select Zoom Selected from the menu that appears if you
click on the Zoom icon.

The desk is zoomed to fill the screen.

To make the desk into the current object choose the Objects ► Select
Current Object function. The CAD prompts:

Select object to become current object

Click on the desk. It becomes highlighted and is now the current object.

The current object is the object you are currently working on. See
Tutorial 4 – Objects for examples.

You are now going to edit the desk by filleting two of its corners. Select
the Modify ► Fillet function. The Fillet options are displayed in the
Control Bar and the CAD prompts:
Select corner to fillet (Choose inside of arc)

Edit the Control Bar so that it looks like the one below.

For Update, choose "Both Lines". This means that both lines making up
the desk corner will be filleted. For Use choose “One Point”. This means
that in cases like this one, where there is no ambiguity about which lines
to fillet, you can select the corner to fillet with just one mouse click. For
the Radius, type “150” and [Enter].
Position the cursor inside the desk corner to be filleted, at the position
shown.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-19

Note that the cursor has changed to Freehand mode. This is so that the
cursor will not jump to anything unless you specifically tell it to. If you
try to fillet in a snap mode other than Freehand, the cursor may
unexpectedly jump onto a point that you don't want it to jump to while
filleting, with unforeseen consequences. Click. The corner is filleted. The
CAD continues to prompt:
Select corner to fillet (Choose inside of arc)

Position the cursor at the position shown and click.

8-20 AllyCAD for Windows

The corner is filleted. Cancel filleting by clicking on [Done].
Now select Objects ► Update Objects. The CAD prompts:
Sure you want to update all objects with same name as
Current Object

Click on the [YES] button.

Enter point on current object where reference points on old
objects must be

This point must be at the desk's hook point that is at the bottom left
corner of the desk.
Move your cursor close to the left hand bottom corner of the desk. Press
[0] (zero) on your keyboard to jump onto the corner exactly. Press [Enter]
to accept the cursor position as the reference point.
Go to the View menu and select Zoom Last. You are returned to the view
you were using before you zoomed into the desk. Right click on the
Eraser icon to clear all selections.

You can also access Zoom Last by pressing the [-] (minus) key on the
numeric keypad.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-21

All the desks have been updated.

8-22 AllyCAD for Windows

Counting the objects in your drawing
You are now going to list and count all the objects in your drawing.
Select the Objects ► List Objects function. The CAD prompts:
Do you want data from all layers (else just displayed
layers)

Click on [YES]. The CAD prompts:

Do you want areas and perimeters calculated automatically

Click on [NO]. If you click on [YES] in answer to this question, the CAD
will also calculate the total area taken up by, and the total perimeter of,
each type of object on your drawing.
A dialog box headed “Save object listing as ...” appears on the screen.
Click on SAVE to accept the default file name. The CAD now writes a file
that lists and counts the objects on your drawing.
When you have finished this tutorial, go to Windows Notepad (or any text
editor) and look at the file, called “logtext.txt”. This will show the
following list:

Parent name Object name Quantity Area Perimeter

BUILDING DOOR900 8 0 0
BUILDING EXSDOOR 1 0 0
BUILDING EXTWALLS 1 0 0
BUILDING INTWALLS 1 0 0
FITTINGS WINDOW 2 0 0
FURNITURE CHAIR 7 0 0
FURNITURE DESK 7 0 0

There are 27 objects selected.

If you did Tutorial 4, you will note that the windows, chairs and desks
have the parent and object names you gave them.

It is also possible to produce a Bill of Materials. See Bill of Materials in

the Tools Menu of the Reference Manual for details.

Tutorial 5 - Symbols 8-23

Saving your drawing
If you like, you can now save your drawing. Right click on the Save icon
to save as. Type a name for your drawing in the box under the words
“File Name”. Then click on Save.
You have now completed Tutorial 5. You can either:
• exit the CAD using File ► Exit; or
• select File ► New and start a new drawing of your own.
If you have completed all five tutorials you should now have a good
understanding of the way in which the CAD works. Full details on
functions that have not been covered in the tutorials can be found in the
relevant chapters of the Reference Manual.

8-24 AllyCAD for Windows

Accurate Drawing
This chapter lists the methods of accurate cursor movement that allow
you to draw exactly. We strongly suggest that you do Tutorial 2 -
Accurate Drawing. This chapter offers a practical introduction to
accurate drawing and shows you how the accurate cursor movement
functions are used.
The functions listed in this section can be used to position the cursor in
preparation for doing something. For example, you can move the cursor
to an exact position and then draw a geometry line through that position.
Alternatively, they can be used while you are drawing to precise
measurements. For example, you can use them while you are drawing a
line, to ensure that the line is the right length or ends at a particular
place.
You can also use some of the methods described here to move selected
items or highlighted nodes on your drawing by fine increments. This
feature is called Nudge. See Move an exact distance up, down, left, right
and Move diagonally by giving exact horizontal / vertical distances.
The items discussed are:
• Move an exact distance up, down, left, or right
• Move diagonally
• Move an exact distance in a specific direction
• Lock cursor movement to an exact angle (ortho mode)
• Move to an exact coordinate location on the screen
• Move exactly to the screen centre
• Move exactly onto an existing part of the drawing
• Drawing with geometry or with a grid
• Making calculations

Accurate Drawing 9-1

Move an exact distance up, down, left, or right
If the cursor is in Select or Select Jump mode the method described here
will move selected items on your drawing. If the cursor is in Node mode
it will move highlighted nodes. If the cursor is any other mode only it will
be moved.
This feature is called Nudge, and is useful for moving selected items and
highlighted nodes in very small, precise increments.

[Up Arrow] key

[Left Arrow] key

[Right Arrow] key
[Down Arrow] key

To move the cursor, selected items or highlighted nodes an exact

distance up, down, to the left or to the right, press the [Up-Arrow],
[Down-Arrow], [Left-Arrow] or [Right-Arrow] key on your keyboard -
whichever one points in the direction you want to move in.
If you are using the arrow keys on the numeric keypad, ensure that your
NUM LOCK light is off.
When you press an arrow key you will be asked how far you want to
move, for example:
Move Left: How far?

Type the distance you want to move. This distance is measured in the
units that you have chosen in the Settings ► Drawing Settings function. If
you do not know the distance and need to calculate it, you can type the
necessary arithmetic expression, e.g. “(518-212)/3” instead of the distance
(see Making calculations at the end of this chapter).
When you have typed the distance or calculation, click on OK or press
[Enter]. The cursor, selected items, or highlighted nodes will move.

9-2 AllyCAD for Windows

If you press the [Shift] key at the same time as you press an arrow key,
the cursor, selected items or highlighted nodes will automatically move
in the direction indicated by the arrow. They will move the same
distance that you specified the last time you typed how far you wanted to
move in that direction.

See Select and Selection Filters in the Edit Menu for details on how to
select entities and objects. See Select Nodes in the Edit Menu for details
on nodes.

Accurate Drawing 9-3

Move diagonally by exact horizontal / vertical distances
If the cursor is in Select or Select Jump mode the method described here
will move selected items on your drawing. If the cursor is in Node mode
it will move highlighted nodes. If the cursor is any other mode only it will
be moved.
This feature is called Nudge, and is useful for moving selected items and
highlighted nodes in very small, precise increments.
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The Nudge feature works with the following keys:

• To move upwards and to the left, press the [Home] key.
• To move upwards and to the right, press the [PgUp] key.
• To move downwards and to the left press the [End] key.
• To move downwards and to the right press the [PgDn] key.
The positions of the [Home], [PgUp], [End] and [PgDn] keys relative to
each other on the keyboard reflect the directions in which movement will
take place. If you are using the keys on the numeric keypad, ensure that
your NUM LOCK light is off.
When you press the [Home], [PgUp], [End] or [PgDn] keys, you will be
asked how far you want to move in the relevant directions, for example:
Move Left and Up: How far?

Type the distances you want to move in the two directions separated by a
space. The distances are measured in the units that you have chosen in
Drawing Settings in the Settings menu.

9-4 AllyCAD for Windows

If you do not know one or both distances and need to calculate them,
use the arrow keys to move in the two directions separately. This will
allow you to type the necessary arithmetic expressions, e.g. “(518-
212)/3” instead of the distances (see Making calculations at the end of
this chapter).

When you have typed the distances, click on the OK button or press
[Enter]. The cursor, selected items or highlighted nodes will move.
If you press the [Shift] key at the same time as you press one of these
keys, the cursor, selected items or highlighted nodes will automatically
move in the relevant direction. They will move the same distance that
you specified the last time you typed how far you wanted to move in that
direction.

Accurate Drawing 9-5

Move an exact distance in a specific direction
To move the cursor an exact distance in a specific direction, use
the Polar Move command (see Jumps in the Tools menu).
This function can be accessed in three ways:
• By pressing the [P] key on the keyboard.
• From the toolbar. Click on the Polar Move icon.
• By using the Tools ► Jumps ► Polar Move function.

40

30°

The Polar Move function requires you to enter a distance and an angle.
The way in which the angle is measured (e.g. anti-clockwise from the 3
o'clock position) is dependent on the way you have set up the Angular
Format in the Drawing Settings in the Settings menu.

9-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Lock cursor to an exact angle (ortho mode)

Drawing horizontal and vertical lines

You can draw horizontal and vertical lines using the arrow keys - see
Move an exact distance up, down, left, or right earlier in this chapter.

Using the Set Square Icon

Enter the function you want to use. For example, choose

Draw ► Line (Chained) and enter the first point of the line.
Lock the cursor by doing one of the following:
• Press the gray [+] key on the numeric keypad.
• Click on the Set Square icon.
• Select the Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Hold command.
You will now only be able to draw horizontally or vertically and a
diamond will appear at the end of the line you are drawing. You will be
able to move the cursor away from the end of the line you are drawing
and snap it onto another entity, forcing the line you are drawing to end
in line with the other entity. See Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing and the
Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Hold command for examples.
The cursor will automatically unlock when you exit the Line function.
However to unlock it manually, do any of the 3 points listed.

Using Move Distance

Enter the function you want to use. For example, choose Line (Chained)
in the Draw Menu and enter the first point of the line. Then do the
following:
• With your mouse, move the cursor in the approximate direction
you want the line to be drawn in.
• Press the [,] key (comma) on your keyboard. The CAD prompts:
Distance to move

• Type the length you want the line to be, e.g. “100”. Press [Enter]
or click on OK. The line is drawn. It will be horizontal or vertical.
Drawing at other angles

To draw at a non-horizontal angle and its orthogonal, rather like using a

set square, you must first use the Tools ► Lock Cursor function to choose

Accurate Drawing 9-7

the angle at which you want to draw. Your chosen angle is then
displayed at the bottom right of the screen. See Lock Cursor in the Tools
Menu.
To draw at your chosen angle, enter the function you want to use. For
example, choose Draw ► Line (Chained) and enter the first point of the
line. Then lock the cursor as described above.
The cursor movement is locked to the specified angle. See Tutorial 2 –
Accurate Drawing and Hold in Lock Cursor in the Tools Menu for
examples. Once you have locked the cursor, there are two methods of
drawing accurately:

Drawing accurately using the arrow keys

While the cursor is locked, you can draw lines of accurate length using
the Arrow keys. For example, if the cursor is locked at 60 degrees, the
four arrow keys will move the cursor in quadrants of 60 degrees.

Drawing accurately using the Move Distance command

While the cursor is locked, you can also draw lines of accurate length
using the Move Distance command, as follows:
• With your mouse, move the cursor in the approximate direction
you want the line to be drawn in.
• Press the [,] key (comma) on your keyboard. The CAD prompts:
Distance to move

• Type the length you want the line to be, e.g. “100”. Press [Enter]
or click on OK. The line is drawn. It will be drawn at the angle
you have specified, in the direction you have indicated with your
mouse.
Unlocking the cursor

The cursor will automatically unlock when you exit the Line function.
However to unlock it manually, use Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Unlock. Your
chosen angle will still be displayed at the bottom right of the screen until
you select the Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Unlock function.

9-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Move to an exact coordinate location on the screen
To move to a specific coordinate location on the screen, for example the
coordinate position “60 –15”, use the function Move to Coordinates (see
the Jumps option in the Tools menu). This function can be accessed in
three ways:
• By pressing the [U] key on the keyboard.
• Right click on the Polar Move icon.
• By using the Tools ► Jumps ► Move to Coordinates function.
Move exactly to the screen centre

To move to the screen centre, use the Tools ► Jumps ► Home function.
Home moves the cursor to the screen centre whether your screen is
magnified, de-magnified, zoomed or not zoomed. You can also press the
[H] key on the keyboard.

Move exactly onto an existing part of the drawing

There are two ways of moving exactly onto an existing part of a drawing:
• Jumps or
• Snap modes
A Jump moves your cursor exactly onto an existing part of the drawing,
for example onto the end of a line. It is performed on demand. If you
want to accept the point that you have jumped to, for example as the first
point of a line, or as a point through which a geometry line must pass,
etc., you must press [Enter] or your left mouse button. If you move your
mouse off the exact position before you press [Enter] or your left mouse
button, the point will be lost and you will have to perform the jump
again.
When you are in a Snap mode, the cursor moves exactly onto an existing
part of the drawing and the point that is snapped onto is accepted. This
action is performed each time you press [Enter] or the left mouse button.
A Snap mode is useful if you must continuously snap onto the same type
of point, for example if you are drawing lines between grid points and
must continually snap onto those grid points. The Snap mode saves you
having to jump to the point and then accept it as two separate actions.
Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing includes practical examples of Jumps and
Snap modes.

Accurate Drawing 9-9

Jumps

The following Jumps can either be accessed from the Jumps option of
the Tools menu or by pressing the relevant key on the keyboard.
Jump Key Function
Grab All A Jumps to anything within the cursor box. This function
is only operational when you are in the Grab All snap.
Geometry I Jumps to the nearest intersection of geometry lines or
Intersection the nearest geometry tangency point.
Grid G Jumps to the nearest grid point.
Any Intersection 0 Jumps to the nearest intersection, solid or geometry.
(zero)
Point J Jumps to the nearest point, e.g. end of line, arc centre
etc.
Circle Centre * Jumps to the nearest circle centre.
Near Element N Jumps to the nearest line or arc, geometry or solid.
Last Fixed X Jumps to the last point that you fixed, i.e. accepted by
pressing [Enter] or clicking. A "x" on the screen marks
this point.
Midpoint C Jumps to the midpoint of a line.
Midpoint between Shift C Jumps to the midpoint between two points.
points
Ratio O Jumps to a particular distance along a line or between
two points. For example halfway (0.5 or 1/2), a third
(0.33 or 1/3) etc.
Perpendicular Ctrl P Jumps perpendicular to a line, circle or arc.
Tangent Ctrl T Jumps to the tangent point on a arc or circle.

9-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Snap Modes

Clicking on the snap icons on the Snaps toolbar accesses the Snap
modes. The Snap modes can also be accessed from accelerator keys. You
can tell which mode you are in by the shape of the cursor. To exit a Snap
mode, select another mode.
Mode Key Icon Cursor Function

Freehand Shift F Does not snap to any point.

Grab All Automatically snaps to and accepts

Shift F
anything within the cursor box.
Automatically snaps to and accepts
Geom
the nearest intersection of geometry
Intersection Shift I
lines or the nearest geometry
tangency point.
Grid Automatically snaps to and accepts
Shift G
the nearest grid point.
Automatically snaps to and accepts
Intersection Shift Z the nearest intersection, solid or
geometry.
Automatically snaps to and accepts
Point Shift J the nearest point, e.g. end of line,
arc centre etc.
Automatically snaps to and accepts
Circle Centre Shift E
the nearest circle centre.
Automatically snaps to and accepts
Nearest
Shift N the nearest line or arc, geometry or
Line/Arc
solid.
Only operational when you are
drawing a line. Snaps to another line
Perp Shift P or to an arc so that the line you are
drawing is perpendicular to the other
line or arc.
Only operational when you are
drawing a line or an arc. Snaps to
Tan Ctrl T another line or to an arc so that the
line or arc you are drawing is
tangential to the other line or arc.

Accurate Drawing 9-11

Drawing with geometry or with a grid
Another method of accurate drawing is to use geometry lines and circles.
These may be used to determine the position of a point, or may be used
as guidelines to trace over.

You can also define a regular or isometric grid and

use the grid points to help you draw.

For more details on geometry, see Geometry. For more details on

isometric grids see Isometrics.

To create a grid, use the Tools ► Grid function.

Once you have created a grid, you can use the Grid jump, the Grid snap
or the Grab All snap to jump accurately to the grid points. See Moving
exactly onto an existing part of the drawing earlier in this section.

9-12 AllyCAD for Windows

Making calculations
Whenever the CAD prompts you to enter a distance, be it diameter,
radius, length etc. you can enter that distance as an arithmetic
expression, e.g. “(518-212)/3”.
This expression is evaluated when you click on the OK button, or press
[Enter] after typing the expression, resulting in the correct distance
being used.
You can use the following functions:
* multiply (use the “*” on the numeric keypad).
/ divide (use the “/” on the numeric keypad).
- minus (use the “-“ on the numeric keypad).
+ plus (use the “+” on the numeric keypad).
^ power, e.g. “10^2” (ten to the power of two).
Other functions are:
• sqrt(x) (square root)
• sin(x)
• cos(x)
• tan(x)
• asin(x)
• acos(x)
• atan(x)
• atan2(y:x)
• int(x)
• abs(x)
• log(x)
• ln(x).
Standard mathematical hierarchy applies, and brackets can be used to
force the sequence of operations. The correct use of brackets when using
“+” and “-“ in combination with “*” and “/” is essential.

Accurate Drawing 9-13

Notes:

9-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Drawing Structure
While you can use AllyCAD without any knowledge of the way it
organises drawings, you will not benefit from the full power of the
program until you understand its basic drawing structure. A drawing is
made up of lines, arcs, text, dimensions and arrows that are grouped into
objects.
There are four major advantages of organising drawings into objects.
• Because an object is a distinct entity, it is easy to select and
manipulate, giving you a speed advantage. For example, instead
of having to select many lines, arcs etc. individually, you can
select an entire object at once by name or by clicking on it.
• Objects allow program code to run more efficiently, thus helping
to give AllyCAD its speed advantage.
• Objects can be copied into other drawings as Symbols. Once you
have drawn an object once, you will not have to draw it again,
thus saving time.
• Objects can automatically be listed, counted and output into a
Bill of Materials.
We strongly recommend that you do Tutorial 4 - Objects, in which you
create objects/symbols, and Tutorial 5 - Symbols, in which you insert
symbols into a drawing and create a list of them.
In this chapter you will learn about:
• Primitives, objects and parents
• Properties of objects
• Grouping primitives into objects
• Viewing and listing objects
• Selecting objects
• Manipulating objects
• Symbols
• Blocks

Drawing Structure 10-1

Primitives, objects and parents
A drawing is made up of primitives (the basic elements) which are
grouped into objects. Objects can also be grouped by their parent.

Primitives

The basic bones of an AllyCAD drawing

13.7
are called PRIMITIVES (also called
elements or entities).

Text

Primitives include:
• lines
• arcs, including circles and ellipses
• text
• dimensions, including linear, angular, radial, ordinate
• arrows
• points (coordinate locations marked as dots, crosses etc.)
• data items (information attached to a coordinate location)
• bitmaps
• polylines (a special type of chained line. If you explode them
using Objects ► Explode Objects they will become an ordinary
chained line).

10-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Objects

Primitives are grouped together to form

OBJECTS. For example this object, an electrical
socket, is made up of four primitives (two arcs
and two lines).

Current Object

The current object is the object that whatever you are drawing is being
added to.

Hatch Perimeters

Hatch Perimeters are a special kind of object that are hatched at your
request and when the drawing is printed or plotted. They comprise lines
and arcs and are created whenever you hatch something.

Object size

Objects have a maximum size of 65,000 bytes - roughly 1080 lines or 770
arcs. If you try to create an object larger than this, the CAD will split it
into two.

Symbols

A symbol is exactly the same as an object. However, the term symbol is

normally used to refer to an object that has been drawn as a standard
part that will be used over and over again.
For example, an architect may need to draw doors or windows, a
mechanical engineer may need to draw nuts and bolts, etc. Each type of
door, window, nut or bolt can be referred to as a symbol, and all the
different types of doors, windows, nuts or bolts can be drawn onto one
drawing from where they can be copied when they are needed. This
drawing can be referred to as a Symbol Library.

Drawing Structure 10-3

Parents

Objects are further grouped into PARENTS.

For example, these two objects, an electrical
socket and an earth position, might be
grouped into a parent called POWER on a
building services-type drawing.

Properties of objects
Each object has a name, a parent name, a hook point and a snip box
associated with it. Some objects may also have attributes associated with
them. All are user-definable.

Object and Parent names

Each object has two names, an object name and a parent name. Object
and parent names can be up to 15 characters in length.

This object might have the name FUSE

and have a parent name of PLUG.

This object might have the name

WINDOW, and have a parent name of
BUILDING.

To change the object and/or parent names of an existing object, use the
Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Name function.

10-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Hook Point

The object's hook point acts as a reference point. For example, if you
import an object from one drawing into another as a symbol, the object
will appear in the second drawing with its hook point at the cursor
position.
Because of the way that the CAD can automatically rotate and snip
around symbols when they are inserted into drawings, you should
position the hook point on the left of the symbol.

The hook point of this fuse, normally

invisible, but indicated here by a star, has
been positioned at the left.
Hook point

The hook point of this window, normally

invisible, but indicated here as a star, has
been positioned at a corner.

Hook point

Use the function Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point to change the
position of the hook point.

Snip Box

The snip box is an invisible box that fits exactly around the extreme
edges of the object. It is used if the object is imported into another
drawing as a symbol.
When you insert the object into another drawing, the program will
automatically snip out everything inside the snip box, if you want it to.
For example, in the one example below, the window has been inserted
into a wall and the wall has been snipped away to accommodate the
window. In the other example, the fuse has been inserted into a circuit,
and the circuit has also been snipped away.

Drawing Structure 10-5

 Wall before symbol insertion Circuit before symbol insertion

Wall after symbol insertion Circuit after symbol insertion

The snip box can only be changed by re-creating the object again with
the Objects ► Make Symbol function.

Attributes

Attributes are pieces of information that can be attached to an object if

the object is created using the Make Symbol method (see Grouping
Primitives into Objects later in this chapter).
An attribute for the window might be that it is to be manufactured from
aluminium. An attribute for the fuse might be that its current rating is 5
Amps.
Attributes are only used if the object is imported into another drawing as
a symbol. As the object is imported, you will be asked if you want to
change the attribute value associated with the symbol.
For example, you may be importing a fuse whose rating is 2 Amps rather
than 5 Amps.

2 AM P Once the object has been imported, the attribute

can either be displayed with the object as text, or
can remain invisible for use in a bill of materials.

Attributes must be edited slightly differently depending on whether the

object they are attached to is in a symbol library (i.e. is going to be placed
into other drawings as a symbol) or whether it is in a drawing (i.e. it has
already been placed in a drawing from a symbol library).
See Load Symbol File in the File Menu and Bill of Materials in the
Reference Manual for details on viewing and editing attributes in a
drawing or in a symbol library.

10-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Grouping primitives into objects
There are four ways of grouping primitives into objects:
• automatically
• using the Begin New Object function
• using the Group Into Object function
• using the Make Symbol function.
All four methods can be used in a single drawing.

Automatically

Left to itself AllyCAD will automatically group the primitives you draw
into objects. It adds each primitive you draw to an object until that object
gets too big (65000 bytes - roughly 1080 lines or 770 arcs) or until you
execute a function that automatically starts a new object. These
functions are:
• Open, Load Symbol File and all Load Options in the File menu.
• Undo/Redo and Paste in the Edit menu.
• Rectangle, Parallel Line, Polyline, Polygon, Symbol and Sketch
in the Draw menu.
• Mirror Image, Repeat, Drop, Move Selected ► New Layer, Copy
Selected ► New Layer, Ellipse2Arcs in the Modify menu.
• Enter Hatch, Alter Existing Hatch and Hatch to Lines in the
Annotate menu.
• Polygon Area and Expand in the Tools menu;
• Set Current Layer and Layer Control in the Settings menu.
When the CAD groups objects, it gives them a name beginning with P,
for example “P98”. When it starts a new object, it gives this a new
number, for example “P103”, etc.
These objects are grouped under the parent name “A” - the default
parent name - unless you have changed this name using the
Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Parent function.
The object's hook point is positioned at the first point of the first
primitive that was entered after the new object was started. The snip box
fits exactly around the extreme edges of the object. No attributes are
assigned.

Drawing Structure 10-7

Begin New Object

This is a method for organised users! It involves naming the object, then
drawing it.

Group Into Object

This method involves drawing primitives, then grouping the primitives

into objects later.

Make Symbol

If you are going to import the object into another drawing as a symbol,
this method of object creation has three advantages over the other
methods:
• It asks you a series of questions allowing you, for example, to
place the hook point at a position of your choice. Using Begin
New Object and Group Into Object, you have to position the
hook point separately if you want to control its position.
• It allows you to attach attributes to objects, which can later be
extracted in a bill of materials (see Bill of Materials in the Tools
Menu).
• It allows you to define your own snip box around the object.
Like Group Into Object, Make Symbol involves drawing primitives, then
grouping the primitives into objects later.

Merging Objects

If you have several objects and you want to merge them into one, you
must create a new object using the Group Into Object or Make Symbol
methods listed earlier in this section. Include all the existing objects in
the new object.

Dividing Objects

If you have one object and you want to divide it into several objects,
group each object as though it was a new object using the Group Into
Object or Make Symbol methods listed earlier in this section.

10-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Adding primitives to an existing object

There are two methods of adding primitives to an object that has already
been created.

Create the object again

To add primitives to an object that you have already created, you can
simply create the object again, incorporating the new primitives. Use the
Group Into Object or Make Symbol methods listed earlier in this section.

Use the current object

The current object is the object that is being drawn. Any primitives you
draw will automatically be added to the current object.
If you want to add primitives to a particular object, you must therefore
make sure that this object is the current object before you draw them.
To select an object as the current object use the Objects ► Select Current
Object function. Everything that you draw subsequently will be added to
this object until you select another object as the current object or create
a new object
To determine what the current object is, highlight it using the function
Objects ► Blink Current Object.

Drawing Structure 10-9

Viewing and listing objects
Objects may be listed or displayed sequentially.

Viewing the objects in your drawing

If you are not sure what the objects in your drawing are, you can check
them using the Objects ► Show Objects function. This will display each
object in turn, including hatch perimeters, and will show you the object's
name and parent name, hook point and snip box.

Listing and counting the objects in your drawing

The Objects ► List Objects function writes a list of the objects in your
drawing into an ASCII file. For each type of object, the following
information is given:
• Parent name.
• Object name.
• Number of objects with that name.
• Total perimeter of objects with that name.
• Total area taken up by objects with that name.
Perimeters and areas are measured in the units you have selected in
Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu.

10-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Extracting details about the objects in your drawing
The Tools ► Dump Data function writes detailed information about
objects into an ASCII file. This can be information about one particular
object, a group of objects, or all the objects in your drawing. The
information extracted for each object is as follows:
• Parent name.
• Object name.
• Coordinates of the object's snip box.
• Layer.
• Coordinates of the object's hook point.
• Whether the object is selected.
• Whether the object is a hatch perimeter.
• Each primitive in the object is listed individually, together with
its coordinates, line type, pen, width and whether it is selected or
not.
The Tools ► Bill of Materials function lets you extract a bill of materials
(BOM). This lists objects and their attributes - e.g. manufacturer,
material created from etc. - into an ASCII file.
Because the BOM is based on attributes attached to objects, you should
create objects using the Make Symbol method, because this allows you to
attach attributes to objects. When using Make Symbol, ensure that you
enter the attribute and its value correctly.

See Bill of Materials in the Tools Menu for details on how to do this.

Drawing Structure 10-11

Selecting objects
Once you have created an object, you can copy it, scale it, move it, mirror
it etc. But first you must select the object.

Using Select

Whenever you create an object manually using Objects ► Begin New

Object, Objects ► Group Into Object or Objects ► Make Symbol, the
primitives in the object are grouped. This means that when you click on
the object with the Select cursor all the primitives within it are selected
at once, making selection quicker and easier.
Some AllyCAD functions that automatically create objects also group the
primitives within these objects. For example, when you draw a rectangle
using Draw ► Rectangle, the four lines making up the rectangle are
grouped. Similarly, symbols entered using Draw ► Symbol are grouped,
and sketches produced using Draw ► Sketch are grouped.
Select a single object by clicking on it with the Select cursor. The object
will become highlighted and handles will appear around it.

If you do not want to select the whole object, you must first explode it.
To do this, select the whole object by clicking on it. Then select
Objects ► Explode. You will now be able to select individual primitives
within the object. If you want to create the object again you must select
the individual elements of the object again and then use
Objects ► Group Into Object to create it again.

Using Selection Filters

Two of the commands in the Selection Filters, Object and Name, are
specific to selecting objects.
The Object option allows you to select an entire object by clicking on it,
regardless of the way in which the object was created or whether you
have exploded it or not.
The Name option allows you select an object or objects by name.

10-12 AllyCAD for Windows

Manipulating objects
Once you have selected the object, you can use the Move, Mirror, Scale,
Repeat, Drop and Rotate commands in the Modify menu.
A command specific to objects is Objects ► Update Objects. For example,
suppose you have created a square object representing a column, and
you have copied this column so that there are several in a particular floor
layout. It then becomes necessary to replace all the square columns with
differently shaped columns.
Update Objects allows all the square columns to be replaced by the other
columns automatically, rather like a Search and Replace function in a
word-processor.

Before Update Objects After Update Objects

Drawing Structure 10-13

Symbols
Often when you are drawing you may need a particular item many times.
For example, an architect may need to draw doors or windows, a
mechanical engineer may need to draw nuts and bolts, etc.
To save you the effort of drawing such an item over and over again, it is
normal to draw it once in one drawing, and then to copy it into any other
drawing you need it in. Such an item is referred to as a symbol, and the
drawing it is drawn in and copied from is referred to as a symbol library.
In AllyCAD, a symbol is exactly the same as an object. Any object can be
used as a symbol, and any drawing containing a useful object can be used
as a symbol library. Often, however, symbol libraries are drawings
containing nothing but objects that have been drawn for use as symbols.
For example, architects may have symbol libraries containing nothing
but different types of windows or doors. Some dedicated symbol library
drawings of this type are provided free of charge when you buy AllyCAD.
You can also buy symbol libraries, or make your own. See Creating a
symbol library on the next page.

Using symbols.

To load a symbol from a symbol library and into the drawing you are
working on, you must first load the appropriate symbol library so that
AllyCAD will know where to find the symbol.
Load the symbol library using the File ► Load Symbol File function. See
Load Symbol File in the File Menu for details.
When you have loaded the symbol library, you can load any symbol in it
using the Draw ► Symbol function. If you need to load a symbol from
another symbol library, you will first need to load that library using the
Load Symbol File function again.
Once you have loaded a symbol from a symbol library into another
drawing, it is as though you had created the symbol/object in that
drawing. You can copy it, scale it, move it, mirror it, modify it, replace it
using the Update Objects command, add to it, delete it, use List Objects
to count it, etc.

Making a symbol.

In AllyCAD, a symbol is the same as an object. Any method that creates

an object will also create a symbol. There are three methods for creating

10-14 AllyCAD for Windows

objects. These are summarised below, with emphasis on creating objects
that are to be used as symbols.

Using Objects ► Begin New Object

1. If you do not want to use the default parent name, change it using
Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Parent.
2. Select the Objects ► Begin New Objects function.
3. Draw the object. You should draw it horizontally. For example, if
you are drawing a fuse ...

you should draw it this way round

and not this way round.

This is because of the way that AllyCAD can automatically rotate and
snip around symbols when they are inserted into drawings.
4. Position the hook point, using Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook
Point. You should position the hook point at the left end of the symbol
because of the way that AllyCAD can automatically rotate and snip
around symbols when they are inserted into drawings.

Using Objects ► Group Into Object

1. Draw the object. You should draw it horizontally, as shown above.

2. Select the object using Edit ► Select or Edit ► Selection Filters.
3. If you do not want to use the default parent name, change it using
Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Parent.
4. Select the Objects ► Group Into Object function.
5. Position the hook point, using Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook
Point. You should position the hook point at the left end of the symbol

Drawing Structure 10-15

 because of the way that AllyCAD can automatically rotate and snip
around symbols when they are inserted into drawings.

Using Objects ► Make Symbol

The Make Symbol method of object creation has three advantages over
the other two methods that are specific to symbols:
• It prompts you to place the object's hook point at a position of your
choice, so you do not have to position the hook point using Change
Hook Point. It is important that the hook point of a symbol is
carefully positioned, because the hook point acts as a reference
point. When the symbol is loaded into another drawing, its hook
point will be positioned at the cursor position.
• It allows you to attach attributes to objects (see Properties of Objects
earlier in this chapter). These can later be extracted in a bill of
materials. See Bill of Materials in the Tools Menu.
• It allows you to define your own snip box around the object (see
Properties of Objects earlier in this chapter).
To make a symbol:
1. Draw the object. You should draw it horizontally, as shown on the
previous page.
2. If you do not want to use the default parent name, change it using
Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Parent.
3. Select Objects Make Symbol and follow the prompts. When positioning
the hook point, remember that you should position the hook point at
the left hand end of the symbol because of the way that AllyCAD can
automatically rotate and snip around symbols when they are
inserted into drawings.

10-16 AllyCAD for Windows

Creating a symbol library

Any AllyCAD drawing can be used as a symbol library. However, you

may want to create a dedicated symbol library containing nothing but
objects to be used as symbols. To do this, enter AllyCAD and start a new
drawing, selecting an appropriate scale. Then draw the objects, using
any of the three methods, and save the drawing. You can add, delete or
edit objects at any time.

You may want to add text to your symbol library. If you make this text
into an object with the parent name __LABEL__ (two underscores on
either side) it will not appear in the visual library that appears if you
click on [View] when you insert a symbol into a drawing using
Draw ► Symbol.

Drawing Structure 10-17

Blocks
Blocks are similar to Objects and symbols but are hidden and embedded
in the drawing file for use when required.
Blocks are defined in a drawing as a series of primitives - lines and arcs
etc. - but are hidden. They do not actually become part of the drawing
until you insert, or use them. Blocks that have been used are called block
inserts. Blocks that have been defined but that have not been used are
called unreferenced blocks.
Like an object, the entire block insert can be selected in AllyCAD by one
mouse click. Also like an object a block insert can be exploded to its basic
primitives using Objects ► Explode Object. These primitives can then be
edited.
Once you explode a block insert it loses its links to the block that defined
it, which becomes unreferenced (if no other inserts in the drawing refer
to it).
Unreferenced blocks can take up a lot of space in your drawing, but since
they are not used in the drawing this space is wasted. The File ► Purge
Redundant Elements command deletes unreferenced blocks. This can
drastically reduce drawing size and speed up redraws.
Purge Redundant Elements has the same effect as the Purge command
in AutoCAD.
The merging of drawings containing blocks is handled properly, see
Symbol Linestyles. See Create Block and Insert Block.

10-18 AllyCAD for Windows

Geometry
Geometry is represented by construction lines and circles which can be
used as guide lines for tracing over, for determining the positions of
points, for determining line and arc intersection points and for projecting
existing lines to another part of the drawing.
Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing includes a practical example of how
geometry can be used.

Geometry 11-1
Geometry elements
The following geometric constructions are available:
• Intersecting horizontal and vertical geometry lines (cross).
• Line at a defined angle.
• Line through two points.
• Line parallel to an existing line or circle.
• Circle.
• Up to five concentric circles.
• Circle tangent to two lines.
• Circle tangent to a line and a circle.
• Circle tangent to two circles.
• Circle tangent to three lines.
• Circle through a point and tangent to a line.
• Circle through a point and tangent to a circle.
• Circle through three points.
• Line tangent to a circle.
• Line tangent to two circles.
• Line that is a perpendicular bisector of two points or a line.

Properties of geometry

Geometry has the following properties:

• It has no end points and continues into infinity.
• It is not printed or plotted.
• It is common to all layers.

11-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Using geometry as guidelines to trace over

To use geometry as guidelines to trace over, you must first draw the
geometry using the constructions listed.
You can trace over it using the Draw ► Geometry Trace-Over functions.
The most useful of these functions is Fill Geom which allows you to trace
over geometry lines and circles by specifying intersections and the
geometry lines and circles connecting them.

For example, if this is the geometry you

have created, you might specify an
intersection ...

... then a line between intersections

... then another intersection. The line will

automatically be drawn as a solid line. You
can also draw over arcs in this way.

Geometry 11-3
Projecting solid lines and arcs to geometry lines and circles

The Geometry ► Make Geometry function projects solid lines and arcs into
geometry lines and arcs. This is useful for projecting lines into another
part of the drawing, or for finding the intersection point between
projected lines and arcs.

Jumping to geometry lines, arcs and intersections

The following Jumps will jump to Geometry. These can be found in

Tools ► Jumps:

Jump Key Function

Geom Intersections I Jump to geometry intersections and tangency
points
Jump Any Intersection 0 Jump to intersections between geometry and solid
(zero) lines and arcs
Jump Near Element N Jump to the nearest line or arc, be it solid or
geometry

Snapping to geometry lines, arcs and intersections

The following Snap modes will snap to Geometry. These are found in
Settings ► Snap Modes:

Snap Key Function

Grab All Shift A Snaps to a geometry intersection, tangency point,
or intersection between geometry and solid lines
and arcs if this is within the cursor box
Geometry Intersection Shift I Snaps to a geometry intersection or tangency
point
Intersection Shift Z Snaps to intersections between geometry and
solid lines and arcs
Nearest Line/Arc Shift N Snaps to the nearest line or arc, solid or geometry
Perp Shift P Snaps lines, including geometry lines, to other
lines or arcs so that they are perpendicular to
each another.
This mode only works when you are drawing lines,
including polylines and geometry Point-Point lines

11-4 AllyCAD for Windows

For example, if you have selected the Geometry ► Point-Point Line
function, AllyCAD prompts:
Enter first point

Position the cursor at a point the geometry line

must pass through and click or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second point

Enter Perpendicular snap mode by clicking on

the Perp snap icon. The cursor changes shape.
Position the cursor close to the line that the
geometry line you are drawing must be
perpendicular to. Click or press [Enter].

The geometry line is drawn perpendicular to the

other line.

Geometry 11-5
Tan Mode

Snaps to lines and arcs, including geometry lines and circles, to

other lines or arcs so that they are tangential to each another.
Click on the Tan snap icon or type [Ctrl] and [T] as a short-cut. Tan snap
only works when you are drawing lines or arcs, including polylines and
geometry lines and circles.
For example, if you have selected the Geometry ► Point-Point Line
function, AllyCAD prompts:
Enter first point

Position the cursor at a point the geometry line

must pass through and click or press [Enter].
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter second point

Enter Tan mode by clicking on the Tan Snap

icon, or type [Ctrl]T as a short-cut to this mode.
The cursor changes shape.
Position the cursor close to the arc that the
geometry line you are drawing must be
tangential to. Click or press [Enter].

The geometry line is drawn tangential to the arc.

11-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Switching geometry on and off
If you no longer need your geometry, you can delete it or switch it off.
To switch the geometry off, you select Geometry ► Geometry On/Off. The
message
Don’t Draw Geometry

will appear briefly on the screen.

The geometry will disappear from view, although it will still be there.
Even though you can’t see the geometry you will still be able to jump to it
(see Jumping and Snapping above). You can switch it on again at any
time by selecting Geometry ► Geometry On/Off again. The message
Draw Geometry

will appear briefly on the screen.

Saving geometry

Geometry is not automatically stored when you save a drawing.

If you want your geometry to be automatically stored when you save a
drawing, you must go to File ► Save Settings. Check the Save Geometry
option. You must do this before you save your drawing.
When the Save Geometry box is checked, your geometry will be saved in
a file with the same name as your drawing, but with a “.geo” instead of a
“.drg” extension. It will be saved each time you save the drawing.
Alternatively, you can save geometry using the File ► Save Options ►
Save Geometry option.
Saved geometry can be loaded into a drawing using the
File ► Load ► Load Geom option.

Deleting geometry

To delete a single geometry line or circle, use the Geometry ► Delete

Geometry El function. To delete all your geometry, use the
Geometry ► Delete All Geometry function. Geometry deletion is permanent.
The Undo function will not restore a deleted geometry element.

Geometry 11-7
Notes:

11-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Isometrics
Isometrics allow you to draw pseudo 3-D drawings like the ones below.

VALVE SCHEDULE

REFERENCE No. SIZE TYPE MANUFACTURER

V7/1 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY

V7/2 100mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V7/3 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V7/4 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V7/5 100mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V7/6 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V7/7 100mm COMMISSIONING VALVE HOLMES
V3/1 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/2 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/3 100mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/4 100mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/5 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/6 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/7 65mm 3 PORT CONTROL STAEFA
V3/8 100mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY V7/2
V3/9 100mm LOCKSHEILD VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V3/10 100mm COMMISSIONING VALVE HOLMES V7/3
V4/1 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V4/2 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V4/3 80mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY V3/10
V4/4 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY V7/5
V4/5 80mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY V7/1
V4/6 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY V7/6
V4/7 50mm 3 PORT CONTROL STAEFA
V4/8 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY V7/4
V4/9 80mm LOCKSHEILD VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V4/10 80mm COMMISIONING VALVE HOLMES V3/8
V3/7 PUMP SET - P7
V3/9

V4/10
V3/4
V3/2
V5/10 V4/8 V3/6
V4/7 V4/9

V3/3
V5/8
V5/7
V3/5
V5/9
V7/7 V3/1
V4/5
V4/6
V6/10 PUMP SET - P3
V4/1 V4/4
V6/9

V6/7 V4/5 V4/3

V5/4
V6/8
V4/2
V5/3 PUMP SET - P4
VALVE SCHEDULE
V5/6
V5/2
REFERENCE No. SIZE TYPE MANUFACTURER
V6/5
V6/3 V5/1

V5/1 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY

V5/2 80mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V5/3 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/6 PUMP SET - P5 V5/4 80mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/4 V5/5 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/1 V5/6 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V5/7 3 PORT CONTROL STAEFA
V5/8 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V5/9 80mm LOCKSHEILD VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V5/10 80mm COMMISSIONING VALVE HOLMES
V6/1 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
PUMP SET - P6 V6/2 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/2 V6/3 80mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/4 80mm NON RETURN VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/5 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/6 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/7 80mm GATE VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/8 3 PORT CONTROL STAEFA
V6/9 80mm LOCKSHEILD VALVE GLENFIELD + KENNEDY
V6/10 80mm COMMISSIONING VALVE HOLMES

This effect is achieved by drawing lines at

specific angles. If the drawing contains
dimensions, the dimension witness lines
are also specially angled, and any circles
30 on the drawing are drawn as ellipses.

Isometrics 12-1
Drawing the lines at the right angles

90 degrees

30 degrees

The lines on an isometric drawing are

drawn at three specific angles, shown on
0 degrees at
3 o’clock position this diagram: 30, 330 and 90 degrees.

330 degrees

To draw at these angles, you must do the following.

1. Select the Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Lock Keyboard option and type “30”
as the angle.
2. The angle you have typed will appear after the word “LOCK” at the
bottom right of the screen.
3. To switch between 30, 330 and 90 degrees, select the Tools ► Lock
Cursor ► 120 deg option. As a shortcut, you can press the [•] (full-
stop) key on your keyboard. Each time you select “120 deg” or press
the [•] (full-stop) key, you will see that the angle displayed at the
bottom right of the screen cycles around 30, 330 and 90 degrees.
4. When you want to lock the cursor in order to draw a line at 30, 330 or
90 degrees, check that the angle you want to draw at is displayed at
the bottom right of the screen. Enter the first point of the line. Then
press the [+] key on your numeric keypad, click on the Set Square
icon or select the Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Hold option. A diamond will
appear on the screen and the line you are drawing will be locked to
the correct angle.

When the cursor is locked, say at 30 degrees, you can draw a line at
30 degrees or at its orthogonal, 120 degrees. 120 degrees is incorrect
for isometric drawing. If the line is being drawn at the incorrect
angle, move your cursor back to the start of the line then move it in
the correct direction.

5. To draw lines of the right length, you can use the Arrow Keys. See
Accurate Drawing for more details.

12-2 AllyCAD for Windows

6. If you want to change angle while you are drawing, say from 30
degrees to 330 degrees, simply press the [•] (full-stop) key or select
“120 deg”.
7. To unlock the cursor temporarily when you have finished drawing a
line or lines, press the [+] key on your numeric keypad, click on the
Set Square icon or select the Tools ► Lock Cursor ► Hold option.
8. To unlock the cursor permanently, select the Tools ► Lock
Cursor ► Unlock option.

Drawing an Isometric Grid

An Isometric Grid is a grid where the grid

points are arranged at 30, 330 and 90
degrees.

When you have displayed an isometric grid, you can draw lines at the
correct angle without locking the cursor, by drawing between grid
points. You can snap to grid points accurately using the Grid jump or the
Grab All or Grid snap modes. See Accurate Drawing.
To draw an isometric grid:
1. Check the Isometric Grids option in the Settings ► Drawing Settings
dialog box.
2. Use the Tools ► Grid function. This will automatically produce an
isometric grid if the Isometric Grids option has been checked.

Isometrics 12-3
Drawing Isometric Circles
Circles in isometric drawings are drawn as ellipses with a specific shape
(an aspect ratio of the square root of 3/2). To draw a circle in an isometric
drawing, do the following:
1. Check the Isometric Grids option in the Settings  Drawing Settings
dialog box.
2. Ensure that there is a “LOCK” message at the bottom right of the
screen, and that the LOCK message is displaying an angle of 30, 330
or 90 degrees. See Drawing the lines at the right angles earlier in this
section.
3. Select the Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse function. When the Isometric
Grids option is checked, ellipses are automatically drawn with the
correct shape.
4. Before you enter the ellipse centre point, check the angle that is
displayed at the bottom right of the screen. This will affect the angle
at which the ellipse is drawn.

If the angle is 30 degrees, the ellipse will be

drawn like this.

If the angle is 330 degrees, the ellipse will be

drawn like this.

If the angle is 90 degrees, the ellipse will be

drawn like this.

12-4 AllyCAD for Windows

If you want to cut, hatch or snap to an isometric circle, you must use the
Modify ► Ellipse 2 Arcs function to convert it to twelve arcs.

Isometric Dimensions

10
When you dimension an isometric drawing,
the witness lines are angled so that they are
aligned with the lines being dimensioned.
20
10

To dimension an isometric drawing, do the following:

1. Check the Isometric Grids option in the Settings ► Drawing Settings
dialog box.
2. Select the Annotate ► Slope Dimension option. Answer YES to the
prompt:
Do you want dimension at fixed angle

When you are asked to enter the bearing, type “30”, “330” or “90” -
the angle of the line you are going to dimension.
Because you have checked the Isometric Grids option, you will be asked
whether you want witness lines to be angled at 60 or 120 degrees.

Isometrics 12-5
 Witness lines at Witness lines
60 degrees at 120 degrees

60° 12
0°
12 12
Line being dimensioned is
at 90 degrees 12 12

120°
12 60°
12
Line being dimensioned is
at 30 degrees 12
12

12
12
12
Line being dimensioned is
0°
at 330 degrees 12 60
° 12

12-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Architectural Toolkit
The architectural tool can be used to speed up many of the activities in
drawing of building plans. This chapter will take you through the steps
involved in doing this by following a practical example.
The steps involved in drawing the building are sequential and must be
followed and this sequence must be adhered to for the best results. This
sequence is followed in the menus and the toolbar. The steps are listed
below:
1. Setup the drawing (Set Defaults).
2. Draw the outside walls (Double Skin Walls
and Single Skin Walls).
3. Draw the internal walls (Internal Walls).
4. Add the roof line to the plan (Add Roof Line
to Plan).
5. Place the door and window symbols (Add
Roof Line to Plan).
6. Add symbols for internal doors and fittings
(Place Symbols).
7. Draw the elevations (Draw Elevations).
8. Add the roof to the elevations (Draw
Elevations).
The architectural functions can also be accessed by activating the
architectural toolbar in the View ► Toolbars ► Architectural option. The
toolbar displays the function sequence from left to right.

Architectural Toolkit 13-1

Changing the drawing setup
The first thing to do is to set the current sheet size, drawing scale and
drawing units. Click on the Settings ► Drawing Settings option. Select the
paper size you require, drawing units in mm, and a scale of 1:100 as
shown below:

Remember to change the coordinate system to Cartesian.

13-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Changing the drawing defaults and symbol tree root
Select the Toolkit ► Architectural ► Setup option to specify the path for the
default settings and the architectural symbols.

To specify the default settings file click on the ellipsis at the end of the
Initialization file path and select the ArchSpecs.ini file you wish to use, as
shown below:

To specify the root symbol file directory click on the ellipsis at the end
of Symbol file path and select the root of the symbol directory, as shown
below:

Note: The symbol file path must include the “Symbols” directory for
working in the architectural toolkit, otherwise AllyCAD will have
problems locating the symbols when the elevations are drawn.

Architectural Toolkit 13-3

Click on the [Set] button to select the building standards:

13-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Drawing external walls
There are two external wall types, viz. single and double skin walls. In
this example the double skin wall is covered.

Drawing showing dimensions required for geometry lines for plan layout
of externalwalls.
Firstly draw the geometry lines with the dimensions given in the figure
above. And stated again below for clarity:
AB 7400 mm
BD 8710 mm
AC 2680 mm
CE 7130 mm
When the geometry lines are completed select the Toolkit ►
Architectural ► Walls ► Draw option or left click on the button on
the toolbar to activate the wall drawing function.
The Wall Setup dialog will be displayed. Select the External wall type as
shown below:

Architectural Toolkit 13-5

 Outside Justification draws the external wall by
defining the outside face.

Inside Justification draws the wall by defining the

inside face.

In this case select Inside Justification to draw the double skin wall with
the face on the outside as indicated by the dashed line.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter starting position of wall (else spacebar to exit).

Indicate the starting position of the wall with the cursor using jumps or
snaps.
Start the line by snapping to the intersection of the geometry lines at
point A and then proceed clockwise in the direction of the arrow in the
figure shown below. AllyCAD will then prompt:

13-6 AllyCAD for Windows

 Enter next point of line.

Indicate the end position of the wall using the arrows keys, or a suitable
jump or snap mode. In this case jump to the intersection of the geometry
lines at point E.
AllyCAD will continue to prompt:
Enter next point of line.

Continue on towards points D, C, B and then back to A in the same

manner. Press the [Spacebar] to end the wall. AllyCAD will draw the
complete double skin wall and will prompt:
Enter starting position of wall (else spacebar to exit).

Press the [Spacebar] to exit the function.

Drawing internal walls

Draw and dimension the first internal wall.

Firstly draw geometry lines with dimensions shown in the figure above.

Architectural Toolkit 13-7

 When the geometry lines are completed select the Toolkit ►
Architectural ► Walls ► Draw option or left click on the button on
the toolbar to activate the wall drawing function.
The Wall Setup dialog will be displayed. Select the Internal wall type as
shown below:

Inside wall drawn in clockwise direction by

defining the outside face

13-8 AllyCAD for Windows

 Inside wall drawn in anticlockwise direction by
defining the inside face

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter starting position of wall (else spacebar to exit)

Select the starting position of the wall with the cursor. In this case your
start is the geometry line’s intersection with the inside of the external
wall (see the circle near B in the previous figure).
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Enter next point of line

Continue clockwise from B in the direction of the arrow, and snap to

point C so that the external face of the wall lies inside of the geometry
line. Continue in the same direction to points D and E.
AllyCAD will again prompt:
Enter next point of line

Snap to the intersection point between the geometry line and the inside
of the external wall (see the circle near F in the previous figure) and
press the [SpaceBar] so that you won’t be prompted for another line.
Press the [SpaceBar] again to terminate the internal wall function.

Architectural Toolkit 13-9

Drawing a closed internal wall

Place a geometry cross at point D (indicated in the drawing above).

AC 4350 mm
CD 1200 mm
When the geometry lines are completed select the Toolkit ►
Architectural ► Walls ► Draw option or click on the button on the
toolbar to activate the wall drawing function. Accept the internal
wall settings.

Note: Ensure that the Close off ends check box has been checked in the
internal wall setup dialog otherwise the end of the internal wall will not
be closed.

AllyCAD will now prompt:

Enter starting position of wall (else spacebar to exit)

Select the starting position of the wall with the cursor. The cursor will
snap to the intersection of the inside face of the wall and the geometry
line at point C.
AllyCAD will again prompt:

13-10 AllyCAD for Windows

 Enter next point of line

Snap to point D in the direction of the arrow and press the [SpaceBar]
so that you won’t be prompted for another line. Press the [SpaceBar]
again to exit the internal line function. A closed internal wall is drawn.
Complete the internal walls as shown in the plan view below:

Architectural Toolkit 13-11

Adding a roofline to the plan
The next stage is to add a roofline to the plan as shown in the drawing
below:

Click on the menu option Toolkit ► Architectural ► Roof Line ► Add

to plan or the Roof Line toolbar icon.

The Roof Line Setup dialog will be displayed. Set the eaves overhang,
pen, linestyle and layer name as shown below.

Click on the [OK] button.

The perimeter toolbar will now be displayed.

13-12 AllyCAD for Windows

 Click on the AutoPerimeter button.

AllyCAD will display the following prompt:

Click near the outside of the double skin wall perimeter as the prompt
shows. The perimeter will be tracked and the perimeter toolbar will
display the following:

Click on the [Accept] button. The roof line will be drawn as a dashed line
surrounding the plan view.

Architectural Toolkit 13-13

Placing symbols on your drawing
Doors, windows, sanitaryware, kitchen units and other symbols are now
placed on the drawing as shown below.

Note: First switch off the roof line layer that you have just completed to
prevent symbols from snipping the roofline. The roof line must remain
intact for the drawing of roofs, which is explained later.

Click on Settings ► Layer settings in the menu option or click

Layer editing button on the File toolbar and switch off the roof
line layer as shown below:

The Layer Settings Dialog with the ROOF_LINE layer switched off, as
shown by the area highlighted with the red rectangle. Select a plan layer
or create a new symbol layer and make it the current layer.

13-14 AllyCAD for Windows

 To insert a symbol click on the Toolkit ► Architectural ► Place
Symbols menu option or on the button on the architectural toolbar.

AllyCAD will display a symbol tree (shown

on the left).
If you wish to change the default symbol
tree shown on the left refer to the section
Changing the drawing defaults and symbol
tree root.

Architectural Toolkit 13-15

 Select the WINDOWS folder.
AllyCAD will update the catalog to display a
list of available window types.
Select the AWN_TP2 window type.

AllyCAD will display the symbol toolbar as shown below:

Check the Snip box above and then click the [View] button to see a library
of the window symbols selected as shown below:

13-16 AllyCAD for Windows

Select a plan view of the window symbol NCT15S from the select symbol
window shown above. All windows are listed with a plan view and an
elevation. The elevation has the letter E added to the symbol name e.g.
NCT15S E.
AllyCAD will then prompt:

Place the symbol on the external wall as shown below:

Placing a window

Architectural Toolkit 13-17

 The window in the snipped external wall

Click on the position in the external wall where you would like the
window placed. The external wall will be snipped and the window
inserted into it as shown above.
If you need to rotate the symbol before you insert it type 90 in the rotate
edit box of the symbol toolbar as shown below:

The window symbol will be rotated by 900 .

13-18 AllyCAD for Windows

Place the symbols as show in the figure below.

Drawing showing symbol placement of windows and doors.

The windows (NCT1S51S, NCT1S9 and NCT15S) were taken from the
symbol library 270AWN_TP2.DRG. The two doors in the external walls
(BJ10) were taken from the symbol library DRS230R.DRG. The doors in
the internal walls (D1L) were taken from the symbol library
DRS110.DRG.

Architectural Toolkit 13-19

Draw the elevations
The next step is to draw north, south, east and west elevations. The
drawing of the bottom elevation will be done as an example as the
procedure is the same for all of the elevations.

To add an elevation click on the Toolkit ► Architectural ► Elevations

menu option or the button on the architectural toolbar.

The Elevation Setup dialog will be displayed. Set the parameters you
require and click on [OK].

13-20 AllyCAD for Windows

AllyCAD will start with the following prompt:
Indicate face on plan for adding elevation (else spacebar to
exit)?

The cursor indicates the face of the bottom elevation on the house plan.

Architectural Toolkit 13-21

AllyCAD will then snap onto the wall that you have indicated and place
the cursor in ortho mode. With the cursor in this mode you can only
move parallel to the external wall or perpendicular to wall at the place
where you clicked with the cursor.
Enter roof line position of elevation

Move the cursor opposite the point where the cursor was clicked to place
where you would like the roof line positioned as shown below.

The cursor indicates the roofline of the elevation on the house plan.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select window/door to go to elevation (space bar to end
selection)

Click on of the windows and doors that can be seen in this elevation as
shown in the following figure.

13-22 AllyCAD for Windows

Indicate a window on the house plan to include in the elevation.
As you click on the plan view of the symbol its corresponding elevation
will be seen in elevation as shown in the following figure.

Architectural Toolkit 13-23

The indicated window in the elevation after it has been selected in the
plan view.
Once all the symbols on the plan have been selected press the
[SpaceBar] to continue with procedure. AllyCAD will display the
following prompt:
Select outside walls for elevation (space bar to end
selection)

Click near (but not on) all the outside walls that will appear in the
elevation as shown below.

13-24 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor indicating the outside wall for selection.
Once all the outside walls have been selected press the [spacebar] to
indicate that you have finished this elevation and you will be returned to
the start prompt again. Press the [spacebar] to exit the function,
otherwise start another elevation.
The elevation without the roof is shown below in Figure 4.7.

The completed south elevation.

We must still add a roof to the elevation. This is covered in the next topic.

Architectural Toolkit 13-25

Adding a roof to the elevation
This function completes the last stage of the elevation by adding a roof to
it.
To add a roof to the elevation click on the menu option Toolkit ►
Architectural ► Add Roof to Elevation or the button on the
architectural toolbar.

The Roof Setup dialog will be displayed.

Set the pen, linestyle, layers and roof pitch and click on the [OK] button.
The bottom elevation will again be used as an example.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate face on plan for adding roof to elevation (else
spacebar to exit)

Click near (but not on) the outside wall on the plan to indicate where you
would like to add the roof to the elevation as shown below.

13-26 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor selecting the face on the plan.
AllyCAD will then respond with the following prompt:
Select roof line on elevation (else spacebar to exit)

Click near the roofline on the elevation to indicate where the roof must
be added as shown in the following figure.

Architectural Toolkit 13-27

The cursor selecting the roofline on the elevation.
Once you have clicked near the roofline the cursor will snap to the line.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Select roof lines for this view (else spacebar to exit)

Click near the roofline on the plan, which in this case represents a facing
gable as shown below.

13-28 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor selecting the facing gable roofline.
Once you have clicked near the facing gable roofline the cursor will snap
to the line.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select height of side gable (else spacebar for facing gable)

In this case press the [spacebar] to indicate a facing gable.

AllyCAD will again prompt:
Select roof lines for this view (else spacebar to exit)

Architectural Toolkit 13-29

Click near the roofline on the plan, which in this case represents a side
gable as shown below.

The cursor selecting the side gable roofline.

Once you have clicked near the side gable roofline the cursor will snap to
the line.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select height of side gable (else spacebar for facing gable)

Click near the roofline on the plan which is perpendicular to the side
gable roofline selected. This is the roofline from which the height of the
side gable can be calculated as shown below.

13-30 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor selecting the roofline to indicate the side gable height.
Once you have clicked near the roofline the cursor will snap to the line.
AllyCAD will again prompt:
Select roof lines for this view (else spacebar to exit)

In this case press the [SpaceBar] to exit the function and the roof will be
completed.

Architectural Toolkit 13-31

The complete south elevation with it’s roof added.

13-32 AllyCAD for Windows

Drawing cross sections
To draw vertical or horizontal cross-sections click on the menu
option Toolkit ► Architectural ► Draw Cross Section or the button to
activate the cross- section function.

The Cross Section Setup dialog will be displayed. Check the parameters
and click on the [OK] button.

Architectural Toolkit 13-33

AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate position for cross-section (else spacebar to exit)

Click with the cursor where you would like the cross-section placed on
the drawing as shown below in Figure 6.1

The cursor indicating the position where the vertical cross section is to
be placed.

13-34 AllyCAD for Windows

AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate inside face of close external wall (else spacebar
to exit)

Indicate with the cursor the position of the inside face of the external
wall the position where you would like to start the cross section. The
cursor will then remain in a perpendicular hold for the entire cross
section.

The cursor indicates the position of the inside face of the close external
wall.

Architectural Toolkit 13-35

Once you have indicated the inside face of the close external wall the
cursor will snap to the line.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate face of internal wall (else spacebar for far
external wall)

Indicate the inside face of the internal wall as shown below.

The cursor indicates the position of the inside face of an internal wall.
Once you have indicated the inside face of the internal wall the cursor
will snap to the line.

13-36 AllyCAD for Windows

AllyCAD will again prompt:
Indicate face of internal wall (else spacebar for far
external wall)

In this case press the [spacebar] since there are no more internal walls to
select.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate inside face of far external wall (else spacebar to
exit)

Indicate with the cursor the position of the inside face of the far external
wall the position where you would like to end the cross section.

Architectural Toolkit 13-37

The cursor indicates the position of the inside face of the far external
wall.
Once you have indicated the inside face of the far external wall the
cursor will snap to the line.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate side of line you would like arrow heads placed
(else spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor the side of the section line you want the arrow
heads to be placed.

The cursor indicates the side of the section line where the arrow heads
must be drawn.

13-38 AllyCAD for Windows

AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select side truss height for side truss only(else spacebar
for facing and/or side truss)

In this case we want to draw a facing truss only so press the [spacebar] to
indicate the facing and/or side truss option.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Select facing truss for facing and side truss(else spacebar
for facing truss only)

We don’t want a facing and side truss to appear in the cross section so
press the [spacebar] to indicate the facing truss only option.
AllyCAD will then complete the drawing of the cross section. This is
shown below.

The completed vertical cross section.

Architectural Toolkit 13-39

Drawing stairs
To draw stairs click on the menu option Toolkit ► Architectural ►
Stairs or the button to activate the stairs function.

The Stairs Setup dialog will be displayed. Each of the pages in the stair
dialog are shown below in the following figures.

The general page of the Stairs Dialog.

13-40 AllyCAD for Windows

The Railings page of the stairs dialog.

The Treads page of the stairs dialog.

Architectural Toolkit 13-41

Adding a straight section of the stair to a drawing plan

The plan and south elevation of a stairs straight section. The direction of
the arrow on the plan indicates the direction up the flight of stairs.
To add a straight section to a plan check the straight section button in the
general plan page of the Stairs Setup dialog as shown below.

13-42 AllyCAD for Windows

Check the parameters and click on the [OK] button.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate base of staircase on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor place where you want the base of the staircase
placed on the drawing plan. This is shown below.

Architectural Toolkit 13-43

The cursor indicating the base of the straight section on the drawing plan.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate direction of top of staircase on plan (else
spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor the direction of the top of the staircase. This is
shown in the following figure.

13-44 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor indicating the top of the staircase on the drawing plan.
AllyCAD will again prompt:
Indicate base of staircase on elevation (else spacebar for
plan)

In this case press the [spacebar] to indicate that you want to draw a plan
view only. AllyCAD will then complete the drawing of the plan view of
the straight section as shown below in Figure 7.8.

Architectural Toolkit 13-45

The straight section on the drawing plan.

13-46 AllyCAD for Windows

Adding a straight section of the stair to a drawing elevation

To add a straight section to a drawing elevation follow exactly the same

steps followed for adding a straight section to a drawing plan, except for
the last step where AllyCAD prompts:
Indicate base of staircase on elevation (else spacebar for
plan)

In this case click the place on the elevation where you would like the
base of the staircase placed. The cursor will then remain in a
perpendicular hold. This is shown below.

The cursor indicates the base of the staircase on the drawing elevation.

Architectural Toolkit 13-47

AllyCAD will then complete the drawing of straight section on the
elevation as shown below Figure 7.10.

The straight section on the south elevation.

13-48 AllyCAD for Windows

Adding a landing section to a drawing plan

Drawing showing the three types of landings. These are from left to right
U-shape, L-shape and Z-shaped landings.
To add one of the landing sections to a plan (shown in the figure above)
check the landing section button in the general plan page of the Stairs
Setup dialog as shown below.

Check the parameters and click on the [OK] button.

The type of landing is determined by the arrangement of the relative
positions of the start, corner and end of the landing. The 3 types of
landings, U-shaped, L-shaped and Z-shaped, are shown in the following
figures.

Architectural Toolkit 13-49

The relative positioning of start, corner and end points for a U-shaped
landing.

The relative positioning of start, corner and end points for an L-shaped
landing.

13-50 AllyCAD for Windows

The relative positioning of start, corner and end points for a Z-shaped
landing.
In our example we will add an L-shaped landing.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate start of landing on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor place where you want the start of the landing
placed on the drawing plan as shown in the following figure.

Architectural Toolkit 13-51

The cursor position indicates the start of the L-shaped landing.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate corner of landing on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor place where you want the corner of the landing
placed on the drawing plan as shown in the following figure.

13-52 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor position indicates the corner of the L-shaped landing.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate end of landing on plan (else spacebar to exit)

Indicate with the cursor place where you want the end of the landing
placed on the drawing plan as shown in the following figure.

Architectural Toolkit 13-53

The cursor position indicates the end of the L-shaped landing.
AllyCAD will then prompt:
Indicate start of landing on elevation (else spacebar for
plan)

Press the [spacebar] to indicate that we want the landing drawn on the
drawing plan. AllyCAD will then complete the drawing of the of the L-
shaped landing on the drawing plan as shown in the following figure.

13-54 AllyCAD for Windows

The completed L-shaped landing in the drawing plan.

Architectural Toolkit 13-55

Adding a landing section to a drawing elevation

To add a landing section to a drawing elevation follow exactly the same

steps followed for adding a landing section to a drawing plan, except for
the last step where AllyCAD prompts:
Indicate base of staircase on elevation (else spacebar for
plan)

In this case click the place on the elevation where you would like the
base of the staircase placed.

13-56 AllyCAD for Windows

The cursor will then remain in a perpendicular hold. The cursor position
indicates the base of the L-shaped landing in the drawing elevation.
AllyCAD will again prompt:
Indicate start of landing on plan (else spacebar to exit)

In this case press the [spacebar] to indicate that you want to exit the
function. AllyCAD will then complete the drawing of the elevation of the
L-shaped landing as shown below.

The completed L-shaped landing in the drawing elevation.

Architectural Toolkit 13-57

Notes:

13-58 AllyCAD for Windows

Mechanical Toolkit
The Mechanical Toolkit is a collection of functions and utilities designed
to make the drawing of common mechanical components faster and
easier. This chapter will show you how to take advantage of the
functionality offered by the mechanical toolkit, through the use of the
following practical examples:

1. Drawing bolts / nuts / screws / rivets

2. Drawing holes
3. Drawing shafts
4. Drawing gears
5. Drawing links
6. Drawing weld annotations
7. Drawing tolerance annotations
8. Drawing surface finish annotations

This chapter assumes that you are familiar with AllyCAD’s user interface
and are comfortable with AllyCAD’s basic drawing and editing functions.

Before using any of the Mechanical Toolkit functions, it is necessary to

set up AllyCAD and the Mechanical Toolkit properly. This will help to
avoid getting unexpected results from the Mechanical Toolkit functions.
To get the most out of the Mechanical Toolkit, we need to do the
following:
1. Activate the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar (optional)
2. Set AllyCAD drawing defaults
3. Set Mechanical Toolkit defaults

Mechanical Toolkit 14-1

Activating the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar
The Mechanical Toolkit functions can be accessed either through the
AllyCAD menu, or more conveniently via the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar.
If the toolbar is not visible, activate it by using the View ► Toolbars ►
Mechanical menu item. The Mechanical Toolkit toolbar will appear:

Since the toolbar is a “docking toolbar”, you may drag the toolbar using
the mouse, to any convenient position.
You may also notice that if you leave your mouse pointer stationary over
a toolbar icon, you will get a pop-up description of the function that that
icon represents.

Some icons on the toolbar perform different functions depending on

whether you click them with the left mouse button or the right mouse
button. In these cases, the pop-up description will tell you what
functions are performed for a left-click and a right-click.

14-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Set AllyCAD drawing defaults
The first thing to do is to set the current sheet size, drawing scale and
drawing units. Click on the Settings ► Drawing Settings option.

Change the coordinate system to Cartesian.

For the purposes of this tutorial:
1. Select a paper size of A3
2. Change the drawing units to “mm” (millimeters)
3. Set the scale to 1:1

Mechanical Toolkit 14-3

Set the Mechanical Toolkit defaults
Select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Setup menu item, or click on the
icon in the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar to display the Mechanical
Tooolkit Setup dialog:

This dialog is used to customize the Mechanical Toolkit to your

preferences.
The name of the Mechanical Toolkit configuration file will be shown
beneath the “Configuration file” label. The configuration file contains the
current settings relating to the Mechanical Toolkit, including:
• The Solid, Hidden and Centerline linetype and pen colour used
by Mechanical Toolkit functions
• Which symbol files to use for the weld and tolerance symbols
• Component library data (ie: data for user-defined bolts, nuts,
screws, etc)

For the purpose of this tutorial, do not change the default

configuration file!

However, set up the Mechanical Toolkit colours and linetypes as in the

picture above. (To change a linetype, just select it from the drop-down
list. To change a colour, click on the relevant button, and select the
colour from the standard AllyCAD colour dialog).

14-4 AllyCAD for Windows

You may also notice the [Annotation Setup…] button. Press this button now
to go to the Annotation Setup dialog:

This dialog allows you to configure the Mechanical Toolkit annotation

functions (ie: weld annotations, tolerance annotations and surface finish
annotations).
For the purposes of this tutorial, make sure the settings are the same as
in the picture above.
Click OK to exit from the Annotation Setup dialog. The changes you have
made to the annotation configuration will be saved.
Click OK to exit from the Mechanical Toolkit Setup dialog. The changes
you have made will be saved.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-5

Drawing Bolts, Nuts, Screws or Rivets
While this example shows how to draw bolts, the procedure for drawing
any other fastener (nuts, screws or rivets) is almost identical.
For this example, we want to draw 4 equally spaced M10 x 45 bolts
through a 200 x 100 x 20 steel plate, in both a top view and a side view,
like so:

In AllyCAD, draw a side view and top view of a 200 x 100 x 20 steel plate
like so:

14-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Create a horizontal geometry line across the middle of the plate in the
top view by using the Perpendicular Bisector function (Geometry ► Perp
Bisector).
From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Fasteners
► Hex bolts menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is
visible, left click on the Bolt button on the toolbar to activate the
bolt drawing function.
The Hex Bolts dialog will be displayed:

1. From the drop-down list, choose the M10 x 45 bolt. The dialog
will display the dimensions of the bolt (as in the picture above).
2. In the “Repeat” section of the dialog, select a repeat number of
4, a repeat type of “Linear”, and a spacing value of 30 (since our
current drawing units are “mm”, this represents 30mm).
3. Since we want to draw the bolt in both side and top views, make
sure that both “Side view” and “Top view” are ticked.
4. We want to draw the bolt shaft as “hidden”, so under “Line
Types”, change the “Draw shaft as” setting to “Hidden line”.
Click on the OK button.
AllyCAD will now prompt you to place the side view of the bolt in the
drawing:
Indicate the bolt position on the thread side of a line

Mechanical Toolkit 14-7

Indicate the line with which you want to align the side view of the bolt,
by clicking near the line, on the side of the line that you want the bolt’s
thread to be. In this example, click just below the upper line of the steel
plate side view.
The first bolt in the repeat will appear. AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the direction to repeat to

The mouse cursor is now in “ortho” mode. Since we want to repeat the
bolt in the positive x direction, we move the mouse to the right of the first
bolt. You will see the ortho diamond move horizontally with your mouse.
Click the left mouse button. You will now see a side view of 4 equally
spaced bolts:

AllyCAD prompts:
Enter bolt centre of group for plan view

We need to now specify where to place the first bolt in the top view.
Notice that the mouse in ortho mode, and we are aligned with the first
bolt again. Move the mouse upwards to the top view of the steel plate.
The ortho diamond will move vertically, indicating where the top view of
the bolts will be placed.
Snap to the horizontal geometry line by moving the diamond near to the
geometry line, then pressing the “N” key. Click the left mouse button to
place the bolt top view.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter a point on the bolt centre line

We now specify the orientation (rotation) of the bolt top view. For now,
just click on the same spot again.
AllyCad will prompt:
Indicate the direction to repeat to

As with the side view, we now need to specify the direction in which the
bolt top view will be repeated. To be consistent with the side view, we

14-8 AllyCAD for Windows

want to repeat the bolt top view to the right (positive x direction), so we
move the mouse to the right again, and click the left mouse button.
Your completed drawing, including the geometry line, should look like
this:

End of tutorial.

To draw just 1 bolt, choose a repeat value of 1

Mechanical Toolkit 14-9

Drawing Holes
The Mechanical Toolkit “Holes” function allows you to draw side and top
views of holes and dowels. You may also use it to draw simple pins.
In this example, we want to draw 8 holes drilled into a 200 x 100 x 20mm
thick steel plate, arranged on the circumference of a circle of diameter
75mm. Each hole must have a diameter 13mm, must be drilled through
the steel plate, and be countersunk to 6mm deep with a counterbore
diameter of 20mm. We will only draw a top view of the holes.

Usually the polar or radial repeat is only used to draw top views, as the
side view of such repeats makes little sense. Experiment for yourself to
see why.

In AllyCAD, draw a top view of a 200 x 100 x 20 steel plate like so:

From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Drill Holes

menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is visible, left click
on the Drill Hole button on the toolbar to activate the hole
drawing function.

The Drill Holes dialog will be displayed:

14-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Since the hole we want to draw is not defined in our “hole library” (ie:
can’t be found in the drop down list of predefined holes in the top-left of
the holes dialog), we start off by selecting a predefined hole that is
similar to what we want.
Select the predefined “M10” hole as a starting point.
Click on the Add button to add a new hole. Enter the name “CS 13x20”
when prompted for the name for the new hole.
Now we edit the Style of our new hole:
• Change the “Hole type” to “Drilled”
• Change the “Hole range” to “Through”

Then we edit the dimensions of the hole:

• Change “Hole diameter” to 13.0
• Change the “Hole length” to 20.0
• Change the “Countersink depth” to 6.0
• Change the “Counterbore dia” to 20.0

Mechanical Toolkit 14-11

Now we set up the Repeat as per our spec:
• Change the repeat type from “Linear” to “Polar”
• Change “Spacing” to “PCD”
• Change PCD value to 75.0
• Change repeat number to 8
(refer to the picture of the dialog above)

When the repeat type is set to “Polar”, the spacing of the items being
repeated can be specified either by entering the PCD of the circle on
whose circumference the items will be arranged, OR by entering the
spacing between the items.

All that is left is to make sure that “Side view” is unticked, and “Top
view” is ticked, since we want to draw only a plan (top) view.
Make a last check that all you settings look correct (they should look like
the settings in the picture above).
Click on the OK button.
You will be asked if you want to save your changes to the new hole. Click
on Yes. (You can always delete the hole later if you don’t need it).

AllyCAD will prompt:

Enter hole centre for plan view

We need to now specify the centre of the circle on whose circumference

the holes will be drawn. Click in the centre of the plate you have drawn.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter a point on the hole centre line

We now specify the orientation (rotation) of the bolt top view. For now,
just click again on the same spot.
The top view of the 8 holes will be drawn like so:

14-12 AllyCAD for Windows

You will be asked to place the holes again, until you press [Spacebar] to
exit this function.

To draw just 1 hole, choose a repeat value of 1

Mechanical Toolkit 14-13

Drawing Shafts
The Mechanical Toolkit “Shafts” function allows you to create and draw
a side view of a custom shaft.

In this example, we want to draw a shaft with 4 different sections like so:

Both chamfers must be 2mm, all fillets are 3mm.

From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Draw Shaft
menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is visible, left click
on the Shafts button on the toolbar to activate the shaft drawing
function.

The Shafts dialog will be displayed:

14-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Click on the Add button to add a new shaft. Enter the name
“TUTORIAL” when prompted for the name for the new shaft.

A shaft can consist of up to 20 cylindrical “sections”, which must lie on

the same axis. Each section of the shaft has a length, a diameter, and
values for the trim on the left and right ends of that section.

Start off by entering the diameter and length of each of the shaft’s
sections into the grid (as in the picture of the shaft dialog above).
Then specify the left and right trim for each of the sections (double-click
in a grid cell in the “L Trim” or “R Trim” columns to select between
chamfer and fillet):
• For section 1, we want a 2mm chamfer on the left, and a 3mm
fillet on the right.
• For section 2, we want no trim on the left (don’t enter anything
in for the left trim), and a 3mm fillet on the right.
• For section 3, we want no trim on the left or right. (Don’t enter
anything for both the left and right trim).
• For section 4, we want a fillet of 3mm on the left, and a chamfer
of 2mm on the right.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-15

The values you have entered into the grid should now look like this:

Finally, make sure that both “Open end” checkboxes are NOT ticked,
and that we have “Draw as” set to “Solid line”.
Make a last check that all your settings look correct (they should look like
the settings in the picture above).
Click on the OK button.
You will be asked if you want to save your changes to the new shaft.
Click on Yes. (You can always delete the shaft later if you don’t need it).
The dialog will disappear, and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter centre left point on shaft

We need to now specify where to place the shaft. Indicate on the drawing
where the left end of the shaft will be placed. The centerline of the shaft
will run through this point.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter a point on the shaft centre line

We now specify the orientation (rotation) of the shaft. For now, just click
again on the same spot. The shaft will appear in the drawing:

14-16 AllyCAD for Windows

(If your shaft appears at an angle, it means that you did not click on the
same point when specifying the position and orientation of the shaft. Try
again, taking care not to move the mouse after you specify the position of
the shaft.)
Press [Spacebar] to exit the shaft drawing function.

To draw an “end view” (axial view) of the shaft, use the “Draw
Concentric Circles with Centreline” function (the menu item Toolkit ►
Mechanical ► Draw Circles + CL ).

It is a good idea to save your shafts when creating them. If the shaft
does not appear correct when you have placed it on the drawing, you
can always go back to the shafts dialog, select your saved shaft, and
edit/correct it.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-17

Drawing Gears
The Mechanical Toolkit “Gears” function allows you to create and draw
an axial view of a spur gear.

In this example, we want to draw a gear with the following specs:

• PCD = 150mm
• Number of teeth = 47
• Pressure angle = 20°
• Bore = 25mm
• Key width 6mm, depth 4mm

From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Draw Gear

menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is visible, left click
on the Gear button on the toolbar to activate the gear drawing
function.
The Gears dialog will be displayed:

1. Click on the Add button to add a new gear. Enter the name
“TUT_GEAR” when prompted for the name for the new gear.
2. Select a Pressure angle of 20°.

14-18 AllyCAD for Windows

 3. Enter “47” as the number of teeth.
4. Now we calculate the gear module = PCD / number of teeth =
150 / 47 = 3.191.
5. Type “3.191” into the module value input.
6. Enter a shaft diameter of 25.
7. Enter a key width of 6.
8. Enter a key depth of 4.
9. Finally, make sure that we have “Draw as” set to “Solid line”.
Make a last check that all your settings look correct (they should look like
the settings in the picture above).
Click on the OK button.
You will be asked if you want to save your changes to the new gear. Click
on Yes. (You can always delete the gear later if you don’t need it).
The dialog will disappear, and AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate centre point for gear

We need to now specify where to place the gear. Indicate on the drawing
where the centre point of the gear will be placed. The gear will appear on
the drawing:

Press [Spacebar] to exit the gear drawing function.

Use the CAD “Modify” functions to rotate the gear to the orientation
you want.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-19

It is a good idea to save your gears when creating them. If the gear does
not appear correct when you have placed it on the drawing, you can
always go back to the gears dialog, select your saved gear, and
edit/correct it.

14-20 AllyCAD for Windows

Drawing Links
The Mechanical Toolkit “Links” function is used for drawing side views
of simple mechanical linkage arms.
In this example, we want to draw a simple link with the following specs:

From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Draw Links

menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is visible, left click
on the button on the toolbar to activate the links drawing
function.
The Links dialog will be displayed:

1. Click on the Add button to add a new link. Enter the name
“TUT_LINK” when prompted for the name of the new link.
2. In the dialog, change the link Type to “Flush”.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-21

 3. Change the centre-to-centre length of the link (the input labeled
“L” in the dialog) to 170.
4. Set H1 (left hole diameter) to 20.
5. Set H2 (right hole diameter) to 16.
6. Set both D1 and D2 (link end diameters) to 40.
7. Finally, make sure that we have “Draw as” set to “Solid line”.
Make a last check that all your settings look correct (they should look like
the settings in the picture above).
Click on the OK button.
You will be asked if you want to save your changes to the new link. Click
on Yes. (You can always delete the link later if you don’t need it).
The dialog will disappear, and AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter centre left point on link

Indicate on the drawing where you would like to place the link’s left hole
centre.
AllyCAD will prompt:
Enter a point on the link centre line

We now specify the orientation (rotation) of the link. For now, just click
again on the same spot. The link will appear in the drawing:

Press [Spacebar] to exit the link drawing function.

14-22 AllyCAD for Windows

Drawing Weld Annotations
This example shows how to create a weld annotation for a weld in your
drawing.

Before creating weld annotations, it is a good idea to check that your

annotation defaults are set up correctly. Use the Toolkit ► Mechanical ►
Annotate ► Annotation Setup menu item to display the Annotation Setup
dialog, and check that the settings for Weld annotation layer name, text
size, symbol size and arrow size are correct.

For our example, we want to indicate that the welds are 5mm thick fillet
welds, 100mm long, spaced at 200mm, on both the “near” side and the
“other” side. The surface of the welds must be concave, the welding
process number is 11, and the welding class is B. The welds must be
done “on site”.

In AllyCAD, draw a side view of intersecting 20mm steel plates with a

fillet weld that looks like this:

From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Annotate

► Welds menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is visible,
left click on the Weld Annotation button on the toolbar to activate
the weld annotation function.

The Weld Annotation dialog will be displayed:

Mechanical Toolkit 14-23

 1. Click on the Add button to add a new weld annotation. Enter the
name “TUT_WELD” when prompted for the name.
2. Set the “Symbol” for both sides of the weld to “Fillet”.
3. Set the “Surface” for both sides of the weld to “Concave”.
4. Set the “Finish” for both sides of the weld to “None”.
5. Set the Length to “100”, and the Pitch to “200”.
6. Enter “5” in both the weld dimension inputs.
7. Enter “11 – B” in the “Tail information” input.
8. Make sure that “Site Weld” is ticked.
9. Make sure that “All Around” is NOT ticked.
Do a final check that the data you have entered looks like the picture
above.
Click on the OK button.
You will be asked if you want to save the changes to the new weld
annotation. Click on Yes. (You can always delete it later if you don’t need
it).
AllyCAD will now prompt you for the arrow-head position:
Indicate the arrow head position for the weld indicator

14-24 AllyCAD for Windows

Use the mouse to indicate where the tip of the arrow must appear in the
drawing (usually next to the weld which you want to annotate).
AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the position of the weld indicator

Use the mouse to indicate where the “weld indicator” (ie: the “all
around” or “site weld” symbol) will appear.
The mouse cursor will now switch to “ortho” mode, allowing you to only
move the mouse horizontally. AllyCAD will prompt:
Indicate the position of the weld symbols

Use the mouse to indicate where the actual weld symbols will appear.
Take care to leave enough space between the weld symbols and the weld
indicator to display the weld length and pitch.
AllyCAD prompts:
Indicate the position of the tail

Use the mouse to indicate where the tail of the weld annotation appears.
The weld annotation is now drawn on the layer specified in Annotation
Setup:

To change the colour of weld annotations, change the colour of the weld
annotation layer.

Weld annotations can be selected, resized, moved and copied like any
other object.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-25

Drawing Tolerance Annotations
This example shows how to create and draw a tolerance annotation in a
“tolerance frame”.

Before creating tolerance annotations, it is a good idea to check that

your annotation defaults are set up correctly. Use the Toolkit ►
Mechanical ► Annotate ► Annotation Setup menu item to display the
Annotation Setup dialog, and check that the settings for Tolerance
annotation layer name, text size and symbol size.

For our example, we want to add a runout tolerance to a hollow shaft.

In AllyCAD, draw a hollow shaft like this:

Tip: use the shafts function twice to create the inside and outside
profile of the hollow shaft, then explode the 2 shafts you have created,
snip some lines, and hatch the relevant sections.

Save the drawing so that you can use it later in the “Surface Finish”
example.
Add the a datum indicator “A” to the drawing using the Toolkit ►
Mechanical ► Annotate ► Datum menu item, or if the Mechanical
Toolkit toolbar is visible, left click on the Datum button on the
toolbar.

Since the datum indicator will not snap properly to a dimension line as
in the drawing above, create the datum indicator against the hollow
shaft outer surface, then drag it to the correct location.

14-26 AllyCAD for Windows

Now we want to create a runout tolerance of 0.05mm on the inside
diameter of the right-hand end of the shaft, relative to our datum “A”.
From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Annotate
► Tolerances menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is
visible, left click on the Tolerance Annotation button on the
toolbar to activate the tolerance annotation function.
The Tolerance Annotation dialog will be displayed:

1. Click on the Clear button to remove the current tolerance

settings.
2. Under “Symbol”, select the “runout” symbol from the drop-
down list.
3. In the text input for the “1st Tolerance”, enter “0.05”.
4. In the text input for the “1st Datum”, enter “A”.
Make a last check that all your settings look correct (they should look like
the settings in the picture above).
Click on the OK button.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Indicate the position of the tolerance annotation

Use the mouse to indicate where the bottom-left of the first line of the
annotation must appear. In this case, it will be near the right-hand inside
diameter dimension of the hollow shaft, like so:

Mechanical Toolkit 14-27

The tolerance annotation is now drawn on the layer specified in
Annotation Setup.
Now add an arrow from our tolerance frame to the right-hand inner
diameter dimension (Use the Annotate ► Add Arrow menu item).
You should now have a runout tolerance annotation on your hollow
shaft:

To change the colour of tolerance annotations, change the colour of the

tolerance annotation layer.

Tolerance annotations can be selected, resized, moved and copied like

any other object.

This function does not automatically create an arrow with the tolerance
box. Use the Annotate ► Add Arrow menu item to create an arrow from
the tolerance box to the relevant feature.

14-28 AllyCAD for Windows

Drawing Surface Finish Annotations
This example shows how to create and draw a surface finish annotation
(surface texture tolerance).

Before creating surface finish annotations, it is a good idea to check

that your annotation defaults are set up correctly. Use the Toolkit ►
Mechanical ► Annotation ► Setup menu item to display the Annotation
Setup dialog, and check that the settings for Surface Finish annotation
layer name, text size and symbol size.

For our example, we want to specify the surface finish to be applied to

the outside surface of a hollow shaft.
In AllyCAD, draw a hollow shaft like so:

(This is the same shaft as in the tolerance annotation example, so if you

have done that example, you can re-use the same drawing).
Our surface finish spec is:
• Roughness: 0.20 micrometers
• Produced by turning process
• Minimum material removal of 4mm
From our spec, we also deduce that the “direction of lay” of the surface
finish will be perpendicular to the indicated surface.
From AllyCAD’s menu, select the Toolkit ► Mechanical ► Annotate
► Surface Finish menu item, or if the Mechanical Toolkit toolbar is
visible, left click on the Surface Finish Annotation button on the
toolbar to activate the surface finish function.

Mechanical Toolkit 14-29

The Surface Finish Annotation dialog will be displayed:

1. Click on the Add button to add a new surface finish definition.

2. You will be asked to name the new surface finish definition.
Enter “TUT_SURF” and press the [Enter] key.
3. Select “Machining Required” from the “Material Removal”
drop-down list.
4. Select the “perpendicular lay” symbol (from the lay symbol
drop-down list.
5. Enter “0.20” in the roughness input.
6. Enter “4” in the minimum material removal input.
7. Enter “TURN” in the process/note input.
The data you have entered into the surface finish dialog should look like
the picture above.
Click on the OK button.
You will be asked to save your changes to this surface finish definition.
AllyCAD will now prompt:
Indicate the position of the surface finish annotation

14-30 AllyCAD for Windows

Use the mouse to indicate where the bottom of the “tick” of the surface
finish annotation must appear. In this case, use the “snap to nearest line”
function (the “N” key), to align the surface finish annotation with the
surface you wish to annotate.
The surface finish annotation is now drawn on the layer specified in
Annotation Setup:

To change the colour of surface finish annotations, change the colour of

the surface finish layer.

Surface finish annotations can be selected, resized, moved and copied

like any other object.

Change the colour of the surface finish layer to dark purple, and resize
the surface finish annotation so that it doesn’t interfere with the
dimension line. Your surface finish annotation should now look like this:

Mechanical Toolkit 14-31

Notes:

14-32 AllyCAD for Windows

Survey Toolkit
This section documents aspects of the Survey Toolkit which requires
good understanding for optimal usage of the SG Diagram, General Plan
and Sectional Plan components of the Survey toolkit.

The Setup dialog

A very similar setup dialog is used for the SG Diagram, General Plan and
Sectional Plan functions.
The setup dialog is integral to the workings of all the SG functions. At
first it can appear complicated but it’s actually quite simple.

All the default settings that AllyCAD requires to draw the diagram, GP
dimensions, sectional plan sheets, etc., are stored in an appropriate ini
file. This is a plain text file and can be read and written to using a text
editor. However to do so is very awkward and cryptic. To make it easier
you use the Setup dialog to view and edit the ini file contents.
In this way the Setup dialog is your entry point into customizing the way
your SG plans will appear. You can have any number of ini files geared
for different types of jobs. E.g. separate ones for urban and farm
subdivisional surveys.

Survey Toolkit 14-1

Title bar

In the example above the title bar lists the name of the toolkit suite of
functions, ie. SG Diagram, as well as the fact that no ini file is currently
loaded.

First thing is to load an ini file. Press the Load button and browse to
locate the default ini file Knowledge Base provides for diagrams located
at Examples\SG_Files\SG_Diagram.ini.
The dialog gets populated with values and the title bar reflects the name
of the loaded ini file.

OK and Cancel

From here lets jump to the meaning of the OK and Cancel buttons. The
OK button is greyed-out until an ini file is loaded. At that stage it
becomes enabled and only then can you click on it.
Pressing OK means that you accept any changes that have been made
and you want them stored. The ini file will get updated with the current
contents of the dialog including everything that can be changed be it on
either of the grids or via any of the buttons.
Pressing Cancel means that you don’t want any of the settings stored but
to rather revert to what they were when you first opened the Setup
dialog – The ini file then remains unchanged.
If you are wanting to save your changes, but you don’t want the default
file changed, then you would use the Save As button to save the current
settings to a new ini file.

Template drawing files grid

This grid contains two paths for SG Diagram and General Plan, and four
paths for Sectional Plans.

14-2 AllyCAD for Windows

Diagrams and general plans will involve plotting symbols for control
points and reference marks. It does this by looking up in the drg drawing
indicated by ‘Symbol file drg’ for the symbols named TRIG and
WITNESS. So if you don’t like the appearance of the default symbols you
can edit that file accordingly and remake those two symbols.
Although just about everything on the generated plans is customizable,
AllyCAD does require the basics of the frame surrounding the diagram,
GP or sectional plan sheet. This is indicated by ‘Title block drg’. More
about these drawings under the section Template drawings.
Sectional plan sheets don’t involve any symbol plotting, but do have
more types of sheets. The same principle applies.

Settings grid

The settings grid has various pages each reflecting different type of data.

The pages differ in contents between the different toolkits. Where

horizontal and vertical coordinates are required they refer to millimetres
on paper from the bottom-left most entity on the template drawing. An
explanation of their purpose is as follows:
SG Diagram:

Questions Text fields that have a typical value, but will differ for each
diagram. You will get the opportunity to change this text
when generating a diagram. You should therefore not insert
property-specific information here.

Survey Toolkit 14-3

Text Text fields that are consistently the same across all
diagrams. These fields are inserted without any interaction
needed from yourself. They are typically headings or static
text fields. Any number of such items may be defined.
Lines Each row indicates a line that will get drawn. This is typically
for the vertical lines between the columns of the data table.
A value of LF denotes linefeed and indicates that it must
follow-on from the previous text drawn.
Data Table Rows define the appearance of text drawn for the boundary
data table.

General Plan:

Heading Questions Text fields belonging to the GP heading. These have a

typical value, but will differ for each GP. You will get the
opportunity to change this text when inserting the heading.
You should therefore not insert property-specific information
here.
Frame Questions Same as for the Heading Questions, but here the text fields
are those belonging to the GP frame.
Tables Rows define the appearance of text and lines drawn for each
of the different tables that the toolkit generates.

Sectional Plan:

Sheet 1 Text fields belonging to Sheet 1. These have a typical value,

but will differ for each scheme. You will get the opportunity to
change this text when generating Sheet 1. You should
therefore not insert property-specific information here.
Plans Same as for Sheet 1, but here the text fields are those
belonging to the block plans, floor plans and PQ sheets.
Draw Extents This type of page is different to others. When AllyCAD needs
to draw a Notes section and the PQ columns it needs to
know where it may draw so as to line up with entities you
may have on your template drawing. More on this in the
Template Drawings section.
Floor Names Fields indicate the names of floors in the scheme.

14-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Template drawings
The default SG Diagram title block drawing looks as follows:

Everything else that normally appears on a diagram gets generated from

the contents of the settings grid, together with certain prompts for
property-specific information.
The appearance and position of the generated text entities is completely
configurable.

Example: Diagram scale

Take for instance the text entity denoting the diagram scale. It appears
under the Text page of the settings grid as follows:

Survey Toolkit 14-5

As described in the table above, entries on the Text page requires no
interaction from yourself and will merely be drawn where it's specified
and with the given text attributes.

Here it can be seen how the resultant text entity gets drawn. The scale of
the base drawing was 1:700 so this gets carried over and the default text
setting of "Scale 1:" gets inserted as a prefix.
The horizontal and vertical are with respect to the bottom left-most
entity on the template drawing. The pen colour, text height, font and
underlined status are self-explanatory. The Lorg (label origin) is set to 15
being middle centre and is where the coordinates refer to.

14-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Problems with erf numbering and multiple dimensioning
Multiple dimensioning in the General Plan toolkit is one of the highlights
of the Survey toolkit. It works by using a numerical text entity (the erf
number) indicating an inside location of a closed polygon (the erf
boundaries).
The automatic tracking of the closed polygon used by the Erf numbering
command and the Multiple dimensioning command is only as good as
your linework. If you find the erf number being placed nowhere neare
what appears to be the erf, or if the highlighted edge shoots past an
intersection then the chances are there is something wrong with your
linework.
Here are a few checkpoints:
1. Ensure that the erven are drawn using only lines and not polylines.
Circles denoting corner beacons must not yet be there.
2. Something that can’t be stressed enough is to ensure you have clean
linework. Your lines need to intersect cleanly with no underhangs.
Use the [Modify], [Trim] command to achieve this. Start with the
block corners, then the lines touching the block boundaries, and
finally with any lines internal to the block. In most cases this will be
the problem.
3. Just zooming in to an intersection and visibly inspecting it, is not
sufficient. CAD works with floating point mathematics and the
intersection needs to be exact.
4. Try splitting long lines into multiple lines at the problem erf’s
corners.
5. If you draw lines between measured survey points, use the GrabAll
or Point snap mode rather than the J-key method of jumping to the
point. This prevents any unnoticeable mouse movement.
6. Switch off the visibility of any unnecessary layers. There might be
entities that confuse the routine. E.g. Grid lines and outside figure
lines.
7. Run the [File][Purge Duplicates / Redundants] command. This
however won’t find a short line that is beneath, but collinear with, a
longer line. You’ll only find such lines by actively searching for them
by deleting long lines. Using [Edit], [Undo] or pressing Ctrl-Z makes
this task effortless.

Survey Toolkit 14-7

8. If you’re convinced your linework is correct, yet an erf still is not
tracked then try the following. Move the erf number text of the erf in
question closer to a boundary line and try again. Sometimes the
exact polygon centroid is too strict for the tracking routine. Moving
the text will correct it.
9. The same perimeter tracking routine as the CAD polygon area
command is used. If the polygon area command doesn't work on a
particular closed polygon, then neither will the multiple
dimensioning work.

14-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Common Questions and Problems
This section offers solutions to some common problems and should be
read before calling for support.

Common Questions and Problems 15-1

Printing Problems
In Windows both printers and plotters are classified under the general
heading “Printers”, and printing refers to both printing and plotting.

Switch everything off and try again

The first thing to try if you have a problem printing or plotting is to

switch off your computer and printer, then try again.

Make sure you are using the correct driver

Virtually all printing problems are caused by:

• Using the wrong printer driver or an out-of-date printer driver.
If you experience a problem download the latest Windows driver
for your device from the manufacturer’s Internet site.
• Using an incorrectly set up printer driver. For example, if you
try to plot an A1 drawing to a printer whose paper size has been
set to A3 in the printer setup, only part of your drawing will be
printed.
To set up your printer in Windows 95 click on Start ► Settings ► Printers
and click on the icon representing your printer so that it becomes
highlighted. Then select Properties from the File ► Printers and follow set
up procedures.
If the line thickness or colour is incorrect

Set the pen mapping in the Printer Defaults. Refer to Print in the
Reference Manual.

If large arcs are not smooth

Check the Plot arcs as lines option in the Printer defaults.

If only part of the drawing is printed ...

If the printer hangs after only printing part of the drawing, go to

File ► Print Setup. Click on the Properties button and the on the Options
tab. Select the “…In computer” option in the “Process document…”
section.

15-2 AllyCAD for Windows

The drawing appears on two sheets of paper instead of one, or is printed
incompletely

This is likely to be caused by insufficient printer memory or incorrect

setting of the printer’s sheet feeding options.
For example, many laser printers need their Page Protect function on in
order to print large drawings. You may need to install more memory into
your printer in order to turn the Page Protect function on. See your
printer handbook.
Some printers such as the HP DesignJet have an option to use the
printer or the computer’s memory to process the drawing. See the
previous section.
To check your printer’s memory and sheet feeding options click on Start
► Settings ► Printers. First click on your plotter’s icon so it becomes
highlighted, then right click on it and select Properties. Continue proper
set-up.

The edges of the drawing are not printed

Check the printing limits of your device in your printer handbook. Some
printers leave surprisingly large margins around a print. If you set the
paper size in Settings ► Drawing Settings to “Use Driver Limits”, AllyCAD
will read the margins from your default printer and the dotted magenta
box that shows the paper size on the screen will show the printable area
rather that the paper size. Therefore you won’t lose the edges of your
drawing.
If this is not the problem select File ► Print Setup ► Properties. Click on
the Paper tab and ensure that the correct paper size is selected.

The drawing is printed in the wrong orientation

If your drawing is printed in the wrong orientation, go to File ► Print

Setup and ensure that the correct “Portrait” or “Landscape” option is
selected.
Some printers automatically rotate drawings, which can cause confusion
over portrait and landscape printing.
For example, if you are printing to A1 paper on an A1 HP DesignJet
printer, the paper has to be fed into the printer in portrait in order to fit
in the printer. The printer then automatically rotates landscape drawings
by 90° so that they fit correctly on the portrait paper.

Common Questions and Problems 15-3

Unless you really want to create a portrait drawing, you must ensure that
“Landscape” is selected in File ► Print Setup. Paper orientation in
Settings ► Drawing Settings must also be set to “Landscape”.
If the printer insists on printing the drawing the wrong way round
whatever you do, you are probably using the wrong driver.

Vertical text and dimensions are plotted horizontally

You will experience this problem if you are using a device with an HPGL
driver (e.g. a Hewlett Packard pen plotter) and you have used non-plotter
fonts in your drawing. Return to your drawing and ensure that all your
text and dimensions are in either “Modern”, “Roman” or “Script” font.
These are fonts with neither a “TT” or a screen icon in front of their
names in the list of fonts.
If these fonts don't appear on your list of fonts set up your plotter as your
default printer. Click on Start ► Settings ► Printers. Then click on your
plotter’s icon so it becomes highlighted, go to the File menu and select
“Set As Default”.
This problem is caused by a bug in the Windows HPGL driver. If you
have a modern plotter that understands HPGL2, use an HPGL2 driver. If
you have a modern plotter but no HPGL2 driver, contact your plotter
supplier.

Printed text is not the same as on the screen

This results from three factors:

• Windows does not always display text absolutely correctly on the
screen at all magnification factors. To get round this problem,
find a magnification where the way that text appears on screen
corresponds to the way it appears when you plot the text out.
Enter future text at this magnification.
• The printer driver you are using. For example, if you print to a
HP LaserJet 4/4M PostScript printer running on Windows 95
using the plain 4/4M driver, the text will Shift. If you use the
4/4M PostScript driver, the text will remain exactly where you
placed it.
• The font you are using. Plotter fonts (Modern, Roman or Script)
will not shift. TrueType fonts will.

15-4 AllyCAD for Windows

Some colours are not printed or printed incorrectly

Pen Plotters
The white pen may not be plotted. If you have used white on your
drawing, change everything that is white to another colour (see Changing
all the pale blue parts of a drawing to black later in this chapter).
If pens other than white have not been plotted, try plotting again and
ensure that the Minimum Pen and Maximum Pen in the Printer Defaults
dialog box are set to “1” and “15”, even if your plotter only has 6 pens.
The pen numbers refer to the AllyCAD pens and not to your plotter pens,
so if you give a maximum pen of 6, only elements drawn in the first six
pens will be plotted.
If all colours are being plotted in the same pen, uncheck the All Colours
to Black option in the Printer Defaults dialog box.
If colours are not plotted as you expected, see the section Colours that are
plotted/printed in Print in the File Menu. You can change the pen colours
in your plotter driver as follows.
Click on Start ► Settings ► Printers. Then click on your plotter’s icon so it
becomes highlighted, go to the File menu and select Properties. Click on
the Options tab. You should be able to change the plotter pen colours in
this dialog box.

Printers
Do one of the following things:
• Set All Colours to Black in the Printer Defaults dialog box. See
Print in the File Menu.
• Change the pen of all the elements drawn in the colour that is
not printing, for example change all pale blue elements on the
drawing to black. See Changing all the pale blue parts of a
drawing to black later in this chapter.
• Change the colour of the offending pen, for example get rid of
the pale blue colour altogether by changing it to another colour
of your choice. To do this, click on the Pen button in the Control
Bar. A colour palette appears. Select a new colour for that pen,
then click on OK. When you redraw, all elements drawn in the
offending pen will take on the new colour. This change will affect
all your drawings.

Common Questions and Problems 15-5

Lines and arrows appear dotted on mono printers

Many mono printers print different colours in different shades of gray,

giving a dotted effect. If your printer does this, do one of the following
things:
• Set All Colours to Black in the Printer Defaults dialog box. See
Print in the File Menu.
• Change all the elements drawn in the unsatisfactory colour so
they are drawn in black. For example, change all pale blue
elements on the drawing to black. See Changing all the pale blue
parts of a drawing to black later in this chapter.
• Change the colour of the offending pens, for example get rid of
the pale blue colour altogether by changing it to another colour
of your choice. To do this, right click on the Pen button in the
Control Bar. A colour palette appears. Select a new colour for
that pen, then click on OK. When you redraw, all elements
drawn in the offending pen will take on the new colour. This
change will affect all your drawings.

Lines look solid on the screen but are printed as dashed lines

This occurs when you are using a line width greater than 0. Because of
the way that AllyCAD rounds the ends of wide lines the dashes in a
dashed line may run into each other so that the line appears continuous.
If you suffer this problem, here are some things you can try:
• When selecting a continuous line type at widths greater than 0,
make sure you select the very top line type even if there are
several line types that look continuous. The very top line type is
the continuous one.
• Type “USESWDOTTEDLINES 1” into the Command Line and
press [Enter]. Then redraw. You may now be able to distinguish
between dashed and solid lines on the screen.
• Increase the “Pixrepeat” factor in your LINETYPE.MAC file.
See Line Types.
• Set all line widths back to 0 in the drawing and print line widths
by colour, for example print all red lines as 0.3mm, all green lines
as 0.7mm etc. See Print in the File Menu for details on how to do
this.

15-6 AllyCAD for Windows

Dimension witness lines are printed very faintly

To thicken witness lines, set aside one colour and draw all your witness
lines in that colour. Then map that colour to a thickness greater than 0.
See Print in the File Menu for details on how to do this.

Arcs are not plotted, or are plotted incorrectly

If arcs are not plotted, or are plotted incorrectly, check the Print Arcs as
Lines option in the Printer Defaults dialog box that appears just before
you plot.

An FP error appears when you try to print

If you get a FP error on printing, this is almost certainly due to hatch or

solid fill that has leaked out of its boundaries. Display all the hatches on
the screen using Annotate ► Draw All Hatch. Delete and redraw any
hatches that look abnormal.

Common Questions and Problems 15-7

A function doesn't work, or doesn't work properly
If a function doesn't appear to be working, or doesn't appear to be
working properly, check the following:

Are you in a snap mode?

The most likely reason why a function doesn't appear to be working is

that you are in a snap mode other than Freehand. Click on the Freehand
icon in the Snaps toolbar and try the function again.
This problem is particularly common when you are using the Modify ►
Move or Modify ► Stretch commands.

Have you clicked in the right place?

Some functions require you to click in a particular place. For example, if

you are filleting, you must click on the inside of the corner to be filleted,
otherwise the fillet will appear “inside out”. Check the correct operation
of the function.

Do you have duplicate (overlapping) lines?

Some functions won't work if you have duplicate lines. A typical example
is Delete. If you click on a duplicate line to select it, then delete it, the
line disappears. But when you redraw the screen, the line seems to
reappear. This is because there was another line underneath the line you
deleted.
Similarly, Any Intersection jump and the Intersection snap may not work
if there are duplicate lines or arcs over the intersection point. Try moving
the cursor around a bit and re-trying the jump. If this doesn't work,
remove the duplicate lines or arcs.
Another symptom of duplicate lines is very slow redraw times and very
large drawings.
To remove duplicate entities, do the following:
• Use File ► Purge Redundant Elements. This removes all exactly
duplicated elements.
• Use Tools ► Tidy Polygons. This deletes overlapping and
duplicated lines and arcs, but does not work on text.

15-8 AllyCAD for Windows

Do you need to do something before a function will work, e.g. select
something, create a grid, draw geometry?

Some functions require you to select something before they will work.
While most of these functions will remind you about this, some will not.
For example, if you click on the [NO] button in answer to the question
Stretch everything (else just selected) in Stretch, and you have not
selected anything, nothing will happen.
Some functions, for example the Align ► To Grid option, require you
create a grid before they will work.
Many of the functions in the Geometry Menu will only work with other
geometry. For example, the function Line Tan C will only draw a line
tangent to a geometry circle. If you need to draw a line tangent to a solid
circle, use a Tangent Snap or project the circle to geometry first using
Geometry ► Make Geometry.
Check the correct operation of the function.

Has the drawing been imported as a DXF or DWG file?

If the drawing has been imported as a DXF or DWG file, it is likely that
entities that look like lines and arcs are in fact polylines. To check
whether an entity is a polyline, use Tools ► Query Entity.
Some functions, like Snip, Trim and Fillet, won’t work on polylines. To
get them to work, you have to use Objects ► Explode Objects to explode
the polylines into lines and arcs. You may need to use Explode Objects
several times to break the polylines down completely. See Explode
Objects in the Objects Menu.
If you can’t change the colour of entities on a drawing that has been
imported as a DXF or DWG file, this is also likely to be because the
entities are polylines. AllyCAD’s line and arc editing functions won’t
work on polylines. To change their colour, you can explode the polylines
as described above. Alternatively, double click on individual polylines to
change their colour, or use Settings ► Set Polyline Defaults to change the
colour of many polylines at once.

Deleted or trimmed entities keep coming back

This is due to duplicate entities. See above.

Common Questions and Problems 15-9

Grid jump or the Grid Snap mode doesn't work

If you are displaying a grid on the screen and the grid specified is too fine
to display all the grid points at once, a coarser grid will be displayed, for
example every second or third grid point.
Grid jump or the Grid Snap mode will jump onto a grid point even if it is
not displayed.
If you magnify into your drawing, the previously invisible grid points will
appear. The maximum number of grid points to be displayed on the
screen at any time is set in the Tools ► Grid function.

Point jump or the Point Snap doesn't work

Sometimes when using Point jump or the Point Snap the cursor may
jump to a seemingly blank point on the screen. This is normally an arc,
circle or ellipse centre point that you cannot see because the Show Arc
Centres option in Settings ► View Settings is not checked. If you check this
box, the centre points will re-appear.

The cursor takes on a life of its own and/or moving diamonds appear on the
screen

The cursor is locked. Press [K] and then [U] to unlock it. Press [+] on the
numeric keypad to clear the cursor hold.

Dimensions can't be selected and deleted

In order to delete a dimension, you must first select it. Once selected, you
can delete it using Edit ► Delete.
To select a dimension, try clicking on it in the position described below.
If this doesn’t work, see the If All Else Fails section.

Horizontal, vertical, slope and ordinate dimensions

Select horizontal, vertical, slope and ordinate dimensions by clicking on

them just beneath the dimension text.

15-10 AllyCAD for Windows

Angular Dimensions

Select angular dimensions (angles or arc lengths)

by clicking on the dimension arrow that points in
57.39° the anti-clockwise direction (arrowed in the
diagram on the left).

Radial Dimensions

How to select a radial dimension depends on whether the dimension text

is on the dimension arrow or not, and whether you are selecting a circle
dimension or an arc dimension.

R 15
If the text is not on the dimension arrow, click
at the intersection of the line underneath the
text and the dimension arrow (arrowed in the
diagrams on the left).

Ø 20

If the text is on the dimension arrow and this

is an arc dimension, click underneath the
dimension text.

If the text is on the dimension arrow and this

is a circle dimension, click between the
Ø 20 dimension text and the point where the
dimension arrow touches the circle
circumference. There are two such points
(arrowed in the diagram on the left). One or
the other (but not both) will work.

Common Questions and Problems 15-11

If All Else Fails ...

If all else fails, go to Edit ► Selection Filters and set the filters so that only
Dims are checked. Then select the part of the drawing containing the
dimension by dragging a rectangle around it or using Edit ► Select by
Polygon. You must include the whole dimension. In a horizontal, vertical,
slope or ordinate dimension, this includes the actual points being
dimensioned. In an angular dimension, this includes the point where the
lines intersect. Because the Selection Filters are set to Dims only the
dimension will be selected. When you have finished, don’t forget to set
the Allow All option again.

Dimension text is not centred

There are two common reasons why dimension text is not centered:
1. Trailing blanks. Use the Annotate ► Edit Dimensions ► Edit Dimension
Properties command to edit the dimension text. When the text
appears in the Control Bar ensure there are no blanks before or after
it.
2. Dimension centered on tolerance sign. Mechanical dimensions such
as “34 +/-.2” are centered about the tolerance sign (the plus or the
minus). This may make the dimension appear off centre in certain
cases, e.g. “456789+/-.1”. The way to correct this is to use the
Modify ► Stretch function to move the dimension text.

Dimensions are incorrect or entities are drawn at the wrong scale

There are two likely reasons for this.

1. Have you produced an automatic detailed view using Expand?
a) If so, it is likely that you have accidentally changed the
magnification of the layer you are drawing on. The following
solution assumes that you are drawing on layer “0” and that the
detailed view was drawn at a magnification of 2.
b) Go to Settings ► Layer Control. If layer “0” has a magnification of
2, this confirms that you have indeed accidentally changed the
layer's magnification.
c) Change the magnification of layer “0” to 1. Then create a new
layer to copy the detailed view to. Give this new layer a
magnification of 2. Then exit the Layer Control dialog box.
d) Select the detailed view and copy it to the new layer using
Modify ► Move Selected ► New Layer.

15-12 AllyCAD for Windows

 e) Ensure that the current layer is “0”. Select all the entities that
have been wrongly dimensioned and their dimensions.
f) Use Modify ► Scale to scale the selected entities by “2 2”, then by
“0.5 0.5”. The dimensions should now be correct.
g) If you also have entities that are the wrong size, select them and
use Modify ► Scale to scale them by “0.5 0.5” (because you
accidentally changed the magnification to 2, so the entities will
be twice as big as they should be).
2. You have drawn your dimensions on the wrong layer
a) When you draw dimensions, you must make sure you are on a
layer with the same magnification as the layer the entities you
are dimensioning are on. You can check layer magnifications in
Settings ► Layer Control.

Cut and Rub doesn't work on circles

AllyCAD stores a circle as a long arc with its start and end points at 3
o'clock. If you want to cut out that part of a circle that includes the 3
o'clock position, you need to remember that you are actually cutting the
two ends of an arc, not a chunk out of a continuous circle.

For example, suppose you want to cut this circle ...

... so that it looks like this.

Select Cut and Rub and answer YES to

Do you want to cut one place

Common Questions and Problems 15-13

AllyCAD will prompt:
Select line to cut (between cut point & end)

Click close to the portion of the circle you want to

cut, above the 3 o'clock position.

AllyCAD prompts :
Select cut point.

Position the cursor at the cut point above the 3

o'clock position and click.

The portion of the circle above 3 o'clock will be

deleted. Repeat for the portion below 3 o'clock.

15-14 AllyCAD for Windows

Cutting ellipses doesn’t work

Ellipses cannot be cut, hatched or snapped to unless you convert them

into twelve arcs using the Ellipse2Arcs function in the Modify Menu.

Users trying to create holes in an isometric view

frequently encounter this problem. The best way to
do this is as follows.

Draw two ellipses, and then use Ellipse2Arcs to

convert the ellipses into 12 arcs. You will not see
anything happening when you use Ellipse2Arcs.

Select and delete all the unwanted arcs that do not

cross the full ellipse.

Then go to Modify ► Trim. Set the Trim options on the Control Bar to
“First Line” and “One Point”. Click at the two arrowed positions to trim
the remaining unwanted arc sections.

Common Questions and Problems 15-15

The [Enter] key or some accelerator keys don’t work

If you have customised your menu system, it is likely that your menu file
exceeds the maximum menu file length. Any lines after the maximum
length will be ignored.
As the [Enter] key is defined near the bottom of the menu file, this key
may stop working. See CAD.MEN for tips on shortening menu files.

I can’t change the colour of an entity

This is likely to happen on drawings that have been imported as DXF or

DWG files. Entities that look like lines and arcs are likely to be polylines,
so AllyCAD’s line and arc editing functions won’t work on them.
To change their colour, you must either:
• Double click on individual polylines to change their colour, or
use Settings ► Set Polyline Defaults to change the colour of many
polylines at once.
• Use Objects ► Explode Objects to explode the polylines into lines
and arcs. You may need to use Explode Objects several times to
break the polylines down completely. See Explode Objects in the
Objects Menu.
AllyCAD crashes each time I change the paper size

Ensure that there is a printer driver loaded in Windows, even if there is

no printer connected to your PC.

AllyCAD keeps crashing or hanging

If AllyCAD keeps crashing or hanging (i.e. it just stops responding, or

you get error messages such as “Application error” or “This program has
performed an illegal function”), you need to check whether it only
crashes when you are working on a particular drawing or whether it
crashes regardless of the drawing you are working on.
If it only crashes when you are working on a particular drawing, repair
the drawing. See Repair in the File Menu.
If AllyCAD crashes regardless of the drawing you are working on, the
most likely reason is that you have two mouse drivers loaded, one in DOS
and one in Windows. Disable the DOS driver. If this is not the problem,
ensure you are using a Microsoft mouse driver. Non-standard mouse
drivers can cause problems.

15-16 AllyCAD for Windows

If the problem is not your mouse, check your screen driver. For example,
the Orchid Fahrenheit 1280 Plus Graphics card with the version 5.0
driver causes the AllyCAD Help File to hang. This problem can be fixed
by obtaining the version 5.01 driver from Orchid.
If the problem is neither your mouse nor your screen driver, it is likely
that Windows is incorrectly set up, that your PC contains non-standard
parts such as a non-Intel maths coprocessor or emulator board, or that it
contains a defective part such as a faulty memory chip or graphics card.
These problems may not affect other programs on your PC because CAD
makes far heavier use of your PC’s maths and graphics capabilities than
relatively simple programs like word processors.
If you can, try loading AllyCAD onto another PC and see whether the
problem persists.
Remember that very few AllyCAD users suffer from persistent crashes. If
you do experience a problem like this, it is almost certainly a Windows
set-up or hardware problem.

DWG/DXF Import/Export doesn’t work

Refer to the Reference Manual for information on reading and writing

DXF and DWG drawings.

Common Questions and Problems 15-17

Parts of the drawing can't be selected
If you can't select some parts of your drawing, check the following:

Selection Filters

The selection filters can cause items to be omitted when you try to select
them using Select by Polygon, Select All etc. For example, if Current
Colour is checked, only elements in the current colour will be selected. If
Lines is not checked, lines will not be selected, etc.
Go to Edit ► Selection Filters and click on the Allow All option once or
twice until all the filters except Current Colour, Current Line Type and
Current Layer are checked.

Locked Layers

If a layer is locked, you won't be able to select anything on it. You can see
whether a layer is locked, and unlock it, in Settings ► Layer Control.

15-18 AllyCAD for Windows

Symbols
The following problems might be experienced when using symbols.

Symbols split into two or more parts

There are two reasons why symbols may be split into two or more parts:
symbol size and symbols that contain hatches or solid fills.

Symbol Size

Symbols have a maximum size of 8000 bytes - roughly 250 lines or 130
arcs. If you try to create a symbol that is larger than this, AllyCAD will
arbitrarily split it into 2 or more parts. If you need to create large
symbols, there are two work-arounds.
1. Make the symbol up in several parts

Suppose the tree on the left is too large to make

into a symbol.

Split it up into several symbols, each with its

hook point (marked by an X in the diagram on
the left) in the same place.

When you come to insert the symbol into a drawing using Draw ►
Symbol insert the treetop and the tree trunk separately but position
them in exactly the same place. Because their hook points are in the
same place the two symbols will be superimposed perfectly to form
the tree.
You can also write a macro to automatically superimpose the
different parts of the symbol. See the dowel example below. When
moving a symbol made up of several parts, ensure that you have
selected all the parts.

Common Questions and Problems 15-19

2. Put the symbol in a separate drawing
Save the large symbol in a separate drawing of its own. Make sure
you are using the Cartesian coordinate system (see Drawing Settings
in the Settings Menu) and that the symbol’s hook point is positioned
at coordinate position “0 0”.
When you need the symbol in another drawing, use File ► Load ►
Load Drawing to load it. AllyCAD will prompt
Enter new reference position

Position the cursor where you want the symbol’s hook point to be.

AllyCAD has lost my symbols

An AllyCAD symbol library is just an ordinary AllyCAD drawing. As a

result, when you create a symbol library in AllyCAD, you will probably
save it in the Drawing directory. This is the place where AllyCAD
automatically stores drawings unless you have specifically told it to store
them somewhere else.
However, when you use File ► Load Symbol File to load a symbol library,
AllyCAD automatically looks in the Symbol directory. If you have stored
your symbol library into the Drawing directory, your symbol library
won't be in the Symbol directory. You will have to change directory to
the Drawing directory in order to find your symbol library.

Symbols are inserted at the wrong angle

If you are entering a symbol with the autorotate option checked and the
symbol refuses to rotate itself onto a line as expected, firstly ensure that
you are trying to rotate the symbol onto a line and not a polyline and also
that you have clicked close enough to the line. You should click almost
on the line. Otherwise, save your drawing, then load the drawing
containing the symbol. Check that the symbol has been drawn
horizontally, not vertically. If not, use Modify ► Rotate to rotate it. Then
use Objects ► Edit Object ► Change Hook Point to check that the hook
point is at the left-hand end of the symbol and to move it if it is not.

Symbols include hatches or solid fills

If you have created a symbol that includes a hatch or solid fill, you will
find that the symbol and its hatch/fill are treated as separate objects
when you come to load the symbol into a drawing using Draw ► Symbol.

15-20 AllyCAD for Windows

This is because hatches and solid fills are a special sort of object that
cannot be incorporated into any other object.
Try the following workarounds:
Convert the hatch to lines
This works for cross hatches but not solid fills. Use Annotate ► Hatch 
Lines to convert the hatch to lines. These lines will then be included in
the symbol when you create it.
The disadvantage of this method is that a complex hatch will create
many lines. The symbol may then become too big (see Symbol Size,
above).

Make the symbol up in several parts

Create the symbol and its hatch separately, ensuring they both have the
same hook point. When you use Draw ► Symbol insert the symbol and its
hatch separately but position them in exactly the same place. Because
their hook points are in the same place the two symbols will be
superimposed perfectly to form the complete hatched symbol.

For example, to create this dowel ...

… draw the dowel without the solid fill. Make the

dowel into an object and position its hook point at
its centre.

Now add the solid fill. To do this, use Objects ► Begin New Object to give
the fill a name. Then select Annotate ► Enter Hatch/Solid Fill.
It is very important that you start defining the fill perimeter at the dowel
centre. This is because the first point of the perimeter you enter will be
the fill’s hook point.

Start
Define the perimeter as indicated by the arrows,
using the intersections method.

Common Questions and Problems 15-21

When you have finished, click on [Done], then [Accept]. The dowel will
be filled. You can now bring the dowel and its fill into another drawing as
two separate symbols and superimpose them using their hook points.
Following is a macro to automatically superimpose the dowel and its fill.
For example, suppose the dowel is called DOWEL and its fill is called
DOWELFILL. The two objects are stored in a drawing called
DOWEL.DRG.
rem *** load the symbol library the symbols are stored in
NEWSYMFL ".\symbol\dowel.drg" "N" "N"
while (1)
{
rem *** ask user where he wants the symbol positioned
cur "Enter position for dowel" x y k
if (k)
{
end
}
rem *** draw the DOWEL symbol
ADDSYM "DOWEL" [x,y] 1 0
rem *** draw the DOWELFILL symbol
ADDSYM "DOWELFILL" [x,y] 1 0
}
end

When moving a symbol made up of several parts, ensure that you have
selected all the parts.

Put the symbol in a separate drawing

Save the symbol and its fill in a separate drawing of their own. Make sure
you are using the Cartesian coordinate system (see Drawing Settings in
the Settings Menu) and that the symbol’s hook point is positioned at
coordinate position “0 0”.
When you need the symbol in another drawing, use File ► Load ► Load
Drawing to load it. AllyCAD will prompt "Enter new reference position".
Position the cursor where you want the symbol’s hook point to be.

15-22 AllyCAD for Windows

Hatching
Solid fills must be carefully thought out as they are less flexible than
normal hatching.

Solid fills create triangles

If you try to solid fill an area that contains an island, you must first break
it down into areas without islands, otherwise you can end up with fills
that look like this.

This also applies if you are trying to fill several areas in

one go. To solid fill several areas successfully, you must
fill one area. Then go to Enter Hatch/Solid Fill again and
fill another area. Thereafter go to Enter Hatch/Solid Fill
again and fill another area, and so on.

For example, this is the original area to be filled.

By extending the left hand vertical line of the “D” so it

touches the top and the bottom of the box, the area can
be divided into three sub-areas without islands:

the area to the left of the D

the area to the right of the D
and the area in the middle.

These three areas can then be filled to achieve the desired effect. You
can also create solid fills with islands as follows:

Solid fill an area.

Common Questions and Problems 15-23

 Then solid fill another area on top of it in white, to make
the island.

If you use this method, ensure that the All Colours to Black option in the
Printer Defaults dialog box is not checked when you print!

Hatches can't be selected and deleted

To select a hatch, go to Edit ► Selection Filters and click on the Hatch

button. Crosses will appear on all the hatches on your drawing.
Click on the cross associated with the hatch you want to select. To delete
the selected hatch, press the [Delete] key on your keyboard. The hatch
will be deleted.

Changing hatch pattern colours

Hatches can now be created with two types of colour.

1. The first type uses the default hatch colour defined in the
HATCH.PAT file. This is red by default.
2. The second type (switched on by the override with pen check box on
the hatch dialog) uses the colour of the first line in the hatch
perimeter to set the hatch colour.

Changing default hatch pattern colours

To change this colour, you need to load the HATCH.PAT file into a text
editor such as Windows Notepad. The HATCH.PAT file lives in your
users\guest directory.
If you look at the HATCH.PAT file, you will see that each hatch pattern is
defined by a number of lines. To change the colour of a hatch, ignore the
first two lines of each hatch pattern definition (the hatch pattern's name
and the two figures beneath it), and edit the first figure in each of the
lines that follow.
For example, the following hatch pattern definition draws red bricks:
*brick,Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
1, 0, 90, 0,0, 0,.5, .25,-.25

15-24 AllyCAD for Windows

 1, 0, 90, .25,0, 0,.5, -.25,.25

To make the bricks white, you must edit the definition so that it looks
like this:
*brick,Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
12, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
12, 0, 90, 0,0, 0,.5, .25,-.25
12, 0, 90, .25,0, 0,.5, -.25,.25

The number 12 at the beginning of the last three lines changes the hatch
colour from red to white. Colours are numbered from 0 to 15 in the Color
toolbar.
In order for your changes to take effect, you must save the HATCH.PAT
file and restart AllyCAD.

When you change hatch colours in HATCH.PAT, these colours will

affect ALL YOUR DRAWINGS. The way around this is to set up
multiple user directories on your system.

For example, you could set up two user directories called red and white.
The HATCH.PAT file in the red user directory could define red hatch
patterns, and the HATCH.PAT file in your white directory could define
white ones. For red hatches, you would then log into the red user
directory when starting up AllyCAD. For white hatches, you would log
into the white user directory.

Changing hatch pattern colours for ‘Override Pen’ hatches

Since the colour for these hatch patterns is determined by the colour of
the first line in the hatch perimeter, you can change the hatch colour, by
changing the colour of this first line. To do this proceed as follows:
1. Choose Edit ► Selection Filters. The Selection dialog box appears.
2. Click on the Properties tab then uncheck the Hatch and Non-Hatch
option.
3. Check the Hatch/Solid fill only option.
4. Click on the Pen button on the Control Bar and select the colour you
want to change (pale blue in this case).
5. Click on the Objects tab of the Selection dialog box.
6. Click on the Select All button in the Selection dialog box. All the
hatch patterns with pale blue override pens are selected.

Common Questions and Problems 15-25

7. Click on the Properties tab again, then Hatch and Non Hatch option
in the dialog box to remove the tick from it. If you do not do this, you
will find that you will only be able to select hatch items the next time
you try to select anything!
8. Click on the Close button to close the Selection dialog box.
9. Right click on the Line icon in the Main toolbar. The Line Style
dialog box appears.
10. Click on the Pen button. Change the pen to black.
11. Click on the Apply button. The Apply What? dialog appears.
12. Click off the All button, and click on the Pen button, to just apply the
current pen.
13. Click on the OK button. The colour of the selected hatch perimeter
lines and arcs is changed. You may not be able to see the change
because the lines are still selected.
14. Deselect everything by clicking on an empty area of the drawing.
15. Redraw by pressing [R].

15-26 AllyCAD for Windows

Problems with redraws or with what is displayed

Redraws become very slow

If redraws are very slow, this is almost certainly a result of unpurged

entities that have been imported from an AutoCAD drawing. See Purge
Redundant Elements in the File Menu.
You could also have duplicate entities on your drawing. Alternatively the
drawing may contain lots of sketches or cubic splines. These consist of
many small lines, and can significantly slow down redraws. Try using the
Tools ► Tidy Polygons ► Tidy Up Boundaries function to reduce the number
of lines in the sketches or cubic splines.

Text has disappeared or is drawn as boxes

This is a standard AllyCAD function to speed up redraws. By default,

AllyCAD draws text that is too small to read as boxes or dots. If you
magnify into your text, you should find that it is there in full detail.
You can turn off this function by typing “0” in the Text to Boxes and Text
to Dots options in Settings ► View Settings. However, if you do this you will
find that screen redraws are substantially slower.
You can turn text off altogether using the Annotation to Draw section of
Settings ► View Settings.

Small items on your drawing disappear

This is a standard AllyCAD function to speed up redraws. By default,

AllyCAD draws objects that are too small to see properly as lines or
boxes. If you magnify into your drawing, you should find that your
objects appear in full detail.
You can turn off this function by typing “0” in the Objects to Boxes at
option in Settings ► View Settings. However, if you do this you will find
that screen redraws are slower.

Hatching disappears

This is a standard AllyCAD function to speed up redraws. As hatching

takes a relatively long time to draw, hatches are turned off after they
have been generated. Even though they are not visible, they will be
printed or plotted out.

Common Questions and Problems 15-27

To view your hatches temporarily use the Annotate ► Draw All Hatch
function.
If you want your hatches to be permanently displayed set the Hatch to
draw option to "All" in Settings ► View Settings.

Bitmaps are drawn as hatched boxes

This is a standard AllyCAD function to speed up redraws. As bitmaps

take a relatively long time to draw, it is possible to display them as
placeholders - hatched boxes. To display a bitmap in full detail, double
click on it and uncheck the Placeholder for Bitmap option in the dialog
box that appears.
If you want your bitmaps to be permanently displayed in full detail set
the Bitmaps to draw option to All in Settings ► View Settings.

Text changes size as you magnify in and out of the drawing

This is a windows graphics problem. Find a magnification where the way

that text appears on screen corresponds to the way it appears when you
print or plot the text out. Enter future text at this magnification.

Colours do not display properly

If you have customised AllyCAD’s colours, you may find that some of
them don’t display properly on the screen. This is because your graphics
card is not set to display 65000 colours. Whether this is possible or not
depends on your hardware.

Scroll Box springs back to centre

When you use the Scroll Bars, the Scroll Box (the little square that you
slide around) will always spring back to the middle of the Scroll Bar after
you have finished panning. This is because the AllyCAD Drawing Area
stretches to infinity.

Control Bar text is very large or very small

If the word Command at top left and the layer names in the Layer Display
are very large or very small, go to Settings ► View Settings and click on the
Control Bar Font button. Here you can change the size and font of this
text.

15-28 AllyCAD for Windows

How do I change colours
Most of the examples in this section show you how to change pale blue
parts of your drawing to black, although they can be applied to any two
colours.

Changing pale blue lines and arcs to black

1. Choose Edit ► Selection Filters.

2. Click on the Properties tab of the Selection Dialog box and then
check the Current Colour option.
3. Click on the Pen button on the Control Bar and select the colour you
want to change (pale blue in this case).
4. Click on the Objects tab of the Selection dialog box,
5. Click on the Select All button in the Selection dialog box. All the pale
blue parts of the drawing are selected.
6. Click on the Properties tab again, then on the Current Colour option
in the dialog box to remove the tick from it. If you do not do this, you
will find that you will only be able to select items of the current
colour next time you try to select anything!
7. Click on the Close button to close the Selection dialog box.
8. Right click on the Line icon in the Main toolbar. The Line Style
dialog box appears.
9. Click on the Pen button. Change the pen to black.
10. Click on the Apply button. The Apply What? dialog appears.
11. Click off the All button, and click on the Pen button, to just apply the
current pen.
12. Click on the OK button. The colour of the selected lines and arcs is
changed. You may not be able to see the change because the lines
are still selected.
13. Deselect everything by clicking on an empty area of the drawing.

If the colour of the lines and arcs has not changed, ensure that what you
think are lines and arcs are lines and arcs and not polylines. You can
check this using Tools ► Query Entity.

Common Questions and Problems 15-29

Changing pale blue polylines and Bezier curves to black

This is exactly the same as above except that at step 8 you must right
click on the Polyline icon in the Main toolbar instead of on the Line icon.
The Polyline Style dialog box will appear.

Changing pale blue text to black

Steps 1 to 7 are exactly the same as in Changing pale blue lines and arcs to
black.
8. Right click on the Text icon in the Main toolbar. The Set Text
Defaults dialog box appears.
9. Click on the Pen button. Change the pen to black.
10. Click on the Apply button.
11. The Attributes to Apply dialog box appears. Click on the All check
box at the top of the dialog box so that all the ticks disappear.
12. Click on the Pen check box so that only that box is ticked. You only
want to change the text colour, nothing else.
13. Click on OK to exit the dialog box.
14. Click on OK to exit the Set Text Defaults dialog box. The colour of
the text is changed. You may not be able to see the change because
the text is still selected.
15. Deselect everything by clicking on an empty area of the drawing.

Changing pale blue arrows to black (not dimension arrows)

Steps 1 to 7 are exactly the same as in Changing pale blue lines and arcs to
black.
8. Select Settings ► Set Arrow Defaults. The Arrow Style dialog box
appears.
9. Click on the Pen button. Change the pen to black.
10. Click on the Apply button.
11. Click on the OK button. The colour of the arrows is changed. You
may not be able to see the change because the arrows are still
selected.
12. Deselect everything by clicking on an empty area of the drawing.

15-30 AllyCAD for Windows

Changing pale blue dimension text to black

1. Select Settings ► Set Dim Defaults. The Dimension Settings dialog box
appears.
2. Click on the Text Pen button. Change the pen to black.
3. Click on the OK button.
4. Type [R] to redraw the screen. The dimension text will change
colour.

Changing pale blue dimension arrows and witness lines to black

1. The colour of each dimension's arrows and witness lines must be

changed individually by double clicking on each dimension or by
using the Annotate ► Edit Dimensions ► Edit Dimension Properties
function.
2. You cannot change the colour of Angular Dimension or Radial
Dimension arrows and witness lines once drawn. To change them to
another colour, you must redraw the Angular or Radial dimensions
after selecting another witness line colour in Settings ► Set Dim
Defaults.

Common Questions and Problems 15-31

How do I ...
This section answers some of the most frequently asked questions.

Add a title block (border) to a scaled drawing

See Load Title Block in Load in the File Menu.

Get more than one scale on a drawing

Different scales on one drawing are achieved by drawing on layers with

different “magnifications”. For example, suppose your drawing is at a
scale of 1:100. To create a detail at a scale of 1:50, you must set up a layer
with a magnification of 2. To create a detail at a scale of 1:25, you must
set up a layer with a magnification of 4, etc.
There are two ways of doing this.

Using Expand

Tools ► Expand allows you to create a detail of something you have

already drawn. For example, suppose you have drawn something at 1:100
and you now want a detail of it at 1:50.
1. Create a new layer using the Layer Display or Settings ► Layer
Settings. Call it “DETAIL_50”.
2. Use Tools ► Expand to create the detail automatically. When
AllyCAD prompts:
Enter magnification factor

type “2”.
When the Magnified Layer dialog box appears, select the layer you
have just created, “DETAIL_50”. When AllyCAD prompts:
Enter new magnification for layer

accept the default by pressing [Enter] or clicking on OK.

The detail will automatically be displayed on the layer “DETAIL_50”
correctly trimmed and at the correct scale. Anything that you draw on
the layer “DETAIL_50” in future will also be at a scale of 1:50.

15-32 AllyCAD for Windows

When you draw dimensions, you must make sure you are on a layer with
the same magnification as the layer the entities you are dimensioning
are on. You can check layer magnifications in Settings ► Layer Settings or
check the scale on the status bar.

Using Layer Control

1. Go to Settings ► Layer Settings.

2. Type in the name of the new layer at the end of the list and specify
with a particular magnification. For example, if your drawing is at
1:100 and you want to draw a detail at 1:50, you would give the new
layer a magnification of "2".
Anything you draw on the new layer will be drawn at a scale of 1:50.

When you draw dimensions, you must make sure you are on a layer
with the same magnification as the layer the entities you are
dimensioning are on. You can check layer magnifications in
Settings ► Layer Control.

Get a diameter, degree or other special character

Sometimes you may need to enter a special character such as the

diameter symbol “Ø” or a degree sign “°” onto your drawing.
The special characters can be entered by typing a key code. For example,
to enter the diameter symbol, hold down the [Alt] key on your keyboard
while typing the numbers “0216” into your numeric keypad. To enter the
degree sign, hold down the [Alt] key while typing the numbers “0176”
into your numeric keypad.
To discover the code needed to enter a special character select Start ►
Programs ► Accessories ► Character Map. At the top left of the Character
Map that appears select the font you are using, e.g. Times New Roman.
All the characters available in that font appear on the Character Map.
Click on the character you want to use. The code for that character will
appear at the bottom right of the Character Map.

Common Questions and Problems 15-33

Move dimension text

Click on the text.

60.7 Three nodes (little squares) will appear on the

dimension - one at each of the dimensioned
points and one at the dimension text position.

60.7
Click on the node at the dimension text
position. It will become black (highlighted).

Once the node is highlighted, you can accurately nudge it to a new

position. To do this, press the arrow key pointing in the direction you
want to move the node to, e.g. the [Up-Arrow] key.
AllyCAD prompts
Move Up: How far?

Type a distance and press [Enter]. The dimension text will be moved up
by the amount you specified and the witness lines will be lengthened to
fit.
You can also move the text by dragging the highlighted node to a new
position.

Write a macro with Notepad

If you use Notepad to write a macro or to edit a file in Windows 95 you

may find that it insists on adding a “.txt” extension to any file you save.
For example, you may think you have saved a file as “TEST1.MAC” but
Windows 95 will have saved it as “TEST1.MAC.TXT”. The way round
this problem is to put double quotes around the file name when you save
the macro, i.e. save it as “TEST1.MAC”.

15-34 AllyCAD for Windows

 Index

A
Accelerator Keys .............................................................................................. 3-18
Add New Layer................................................................................................... 8-6
Adding Users ...................................................................................................... 2-7
Alter Dimension ............................................................................................... 6-28
Angles
dimensioning ................................................................................................ 6-25
isometric ........................................................................................................ 12-2
Angular Dimension.......................................................................................... 6-25
Application Error Message .......................................................................... 15-16
Arcs
changing pale blue to black ..................................................................... 15-29
dimensioning radii....................................................................................... 6-24
don't print or print incorrectly .................................................................. 15-7
isometric ........................................................................................................ 12-4
isometric, cutting ..............................................................................12-5, 15-15
problems cutting / trimming.................................................................... 15-13
solid print as dashed.................................................................................... 15-6
Arithmetic Operators ...................................................................................... 9-13
Arrow Keys......................................................................................... 3-18, 9-2, 9-8
Arrows
changing pale blue to black ..................................................................... 15-30
don’t print solidly ......................................................................................... 15-6
Attributes..................................................................................................10-6, 10-7
AutoCAD
blocks...................................................................................................see Blocks
problems importing/exporting from/to.................................................. 15-17
Automatic Detailed Views.................................................................see Expand

B
Begin New Object .................................................................................10-8, 10-15
Bill of Materials .............................................................................................. 10-11
Bitmaps
appear as hatched rectangles .................................................................. 15-28
Blocks ............................................................................................................... 10-18

C
CAD Directory .................................................................................................... 2-3
CAD.INI ............................................................................................................... 2-5
CAD.LOG .............................................................................................................2-5
CAD.MEN ............................................................................................................2-5
Calculations .......................................................................................................9-13
Change Hook Point................................................................................ 7-12, 10-5
Change Name.......................................................................................... 7-12, 10-4
Circles
isometric, problems with ..........................................................................15-15
Circular Copy ....................................................................................................8-16
Command Line ...................................................................................................3-8
text too large or too small .........................................................................15-28
COMPASS.DRG .................................................................................................2-5
COMPASSN.DRG ..............................................................................................2-5
Control Bar ..........................................................................................................3-4
text too large or too small .........................................................................15-28
Coordinate Display...........................................................................................3-15
Copying
by cursor.........................................................................................................8-12
circular copy ..................................................................................................8-16
polar copy.......................................................................................................8-16
Cosines................................................................................................................9-13
Counting Objects .................................................................................. 8-23, 10-10
Crashing ................................................................................................. 15-7, 15-16
Cross Hatching..................................................................................................6-12
Current Object ...............................................................................7-14, 10-3, 10-9
Cursor
select cursor (arrow-shaped)......................................................................3-14
shape ...............................................................................................................3-14
takes on life of its own ...............................................................................15-10
unlocking permanently .................................................................................9-8
Customising the CAD ......................................................................................2-12
Cut and Rub
doesn't work on circles ..............................................................................15-13

D
Define Zoom View ..............................................................................................4-9
Degree Sign .....................................................................................................15-33
Delete
doesn't work...................................................................................................15-9
Deleting
can't delete dimensions .............................................................................15-10
can't delete hatches ....................................................................................15-24
deleted entities keep coming back............................................................15-9
users ..................................................................................................................2-8
Demagnify............................................................................................................4-8
Detailed Views .....................................................................................see Expand
Dialogue Boxes................................................................................................. 3-15
Diameter Sign................................................................................................. 15-33
Diamonds Appear on the Screen................................................................ 15-10
Dimensioning
angles.............................................................................................................. 6-25
radii ................................................................................................................. 6-24
Dimensions........................................................................................................ 6-20
altering object to fit.........................................................see Alter Dimension
angular ........................................................................................................... 6-25
can't delete................................................................................................... 15-10
can't select ................................................................................................... 15-10
changing pale blue arrows to black........................................................ 15-31
changing pale blue text to black ............................................................. 15-31
changing pale blue witness lines to black............................................. 15-31
horizontal....................................................................................................... 6-20
isometric ........................................................................................................ 12-5
linear............................................................................................................... 6-20
moving text.................................................................................................. 15-34
radial............................................................................................................... 6-24
text disappears............................................................................................ 15-27
text drawn as boxes ................................................................................... 15-27
text drawn as dots ...................................................................................... 15-27
text not centred .......................................................................................... 15-12
text printed at wrong orientation ............................................................. 15-4
variable..............................................................................see Alter Dimension
witness lines printed too faintly................................................................ 15-7
wrong............................................................................................................ 15-12
Directories Installed by the CAD.................................................................... 2-2
Display Problems ........................................................................................... 15-27
DOM.TXT............................................................................................................ 2-5
Drag and Snap.................................................................................................... 8-9
Draw by Number ................................................................see Alter Dimension
Drawing Area.................................................................................................... 3-14
Drawing Settings ........................................................................................5-2, 7-2
Drawings, Very Large ..................................................................................... 15-8
Dump Data ...................................................................................................... 10-11

E
Ellipses
problems ...................................................................................................... 15-15
End Key ............................................................................................................. 3-18
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill ............................................................................6-12, 6-13
Enter key
 doesn't work.................................................................................................15-16
Enter Key ...........................................................................................................3-18
Enter polygon about ... prompt .......................................................................3-6
Error Messages ..................................................................................... 15-7, 15-16
Escape Key ........................................................................................................3-18
Expand................................................................................................................6-34
Expanded Views ................................................................................. see Expand

F
Files Installed by the CAD................................................................................2-2
Fill Geom............................................................................................................11-3
Fillet ......................................................................................................................6-3
doesn't work...................................................................................................15-9
Fills......................................................................................................................6-12
Forward Slash Key ..........................................................................................3-18
FP Error Message ................................................................................ 15-7, 15-16
Functions Don't Work .....................................................................................15-8

G
Generic Dimensions............................................................see Alter Dimension
Geometry.................................................................................................. 5-12, 9-12
available constructions................................................................................11-2
deleting ...........................................................................................................11-7
doesn't work...................................................................................................15-9
inking in..........................................................................................................11-3
jumping and snapping to ............................................................................11-4
projecting from existing lines / arcs..........................................................11-4
properties .......................................................................................................11-2
saving ..............................................................................................................11-7
switching on and off.....................................................................................11-7
tan snap mode ...............................................................................................11-6
tracing over....................................................................................................11-3
Geometry Trace-Over......................................................................................11-3
Grid ........................................................................................................... 5-15, 9-12
can't jump or snap to .................................................................................15-10
isometric.........................................................................................................12-3
jumping or snapping to ...............................................................................9-12
Grid (Snap Mode)
doesn't work.................................................................................................15-10
Group Into Object ......................................................7-7, 7-10, 7-11, 10-8, 10-15
Guest Sub-directory................................................................................... 2-4, 2-6

H
Handles
 rotating with.................................................................................................. 8-15
stretching and scaling with ........................................................................ 8-14
Hatch Perimeters............................................................................................. 10-3
HATCH.PAT ....................................................................................................... 2-5
Hatching ............................................................................................................ 6-12
can't attach to symbols / objects.............................................................. 15-20
can't delete................................................................................................... 15-24
can't select ................................................................................................... 15-24
disappears.................................................................................................... 15-27
solid fills create triangles.......................................................................... 15-23
with islands ................................................................................................... 6-13
Help, Smart Cursor ......................................................................................... 3-15
Home (Screen Centre) ...................................................................................... 9-9
Home Directories see also Progam Home Directory; User Home Directory
Home Key .......................................................................................................... 3-18
Hook Point................................................................................................10-5, 10-7
changing................................................................................................7-12, 10-5
Horizontal Dimension..................................................................................... 6-20

I
Icons.................................................................................................................... 3-12
Illegal Operation Message............................................................................ 15-16
Installation........................................................................................................... 2-2
Isometrics
circles.............................................................................................................. 12-4
cutting isometric circles.............................................................................. 12-5
dimensions .................................................................................................... 12-5
grid .................................................................................................................. 12-3
problems with circles ................................................................................ 15-15
It Doesn't Work! ............................................................................................... 15-8

J
Jump Grid
doesn't work ................................................................................................ 15-10
Jump Point
doesn't work ................................................................................................ 15-10
Jumps ..........................................................................................................5-16, 9-9
difference between jumps and snap modes ............................................. 9-9
don't work ...........................................................................................15-8, 15-10

K
Key / .................................................................................................................... 3-18
Keyboard ........................................................................................................... 3-18
Keyboard Short-Cuts ........................................................see Accelerator Keys
 L
Landscape..........................................................................................................15-3
Large Drawings ................................................................................................15-8
Layer Display ......................................................................................................3-9
text too large or too small .........................................................................15-28
Layers ...................................................................................................................8-6
changing ...........................................................................................................3-9
current ..............................................................................................................3-9
Learning the CAD ............................................................................................2-10
Left Mouse Button ................................................................................. 3-13, 3-16
Line Type
current ..............................................................................................................3-9
setting ...............................................................................................................3-9
solid lines/arcs print as dashed..................................................................15-6
Line Type Display ..............................................................................................3-9
Lines
changing pale blue to black......................................................................15-29
drawing orthogonal...................................see Lock Cursor; Move Distance
isometric.........................................................................................................12-2
solid print as dashed ....................................................................................15-6
LINETYPE.MAC................................................................................................2-5
List Objects ............................................................................................ 8-23, 10-10
Load Drawing .....................................................................................................4-4
Load Symbol File ................................................................................... 8-3, 10-14
Load Title Block .............................................................................................15-32
Loading a Drawing.............................................................................................4-4
Lock Cursor .........................................................................................................9-7
see also Move Distance ..................................................................................9-7

M
Macro Sub-directory..........................................................................................2-4
Magnify.................................................................................................................4-5
MainCAD Caused a General Protection Fault Message ........................15-16
Make Geometry ................................................................................................11-4
Make Symbol......................................................................................... 10-8, 10-16
Menus ...................................................................................................................3-3
Minimum Requirements...................................................................................2-1
Mirror Image .....................................................................................................8-18
Mouse..................................................................................................................3-16
Move Distance............................................................................................. 9-7, 9-8
Move to Coordinates.................................................................................. 5-4, 9-9
Moving
dimension text.............................................................................................15-34
 dragging accurately with cursor ................................................................. 8-9
nudging ........................................................................................... 8-11, 9-2, 9-4
Moving the Cursor
at isometric angles ....................................................................................... 12-2
diagonally .................................................see Numeric Keypad; Polar Move
to a specific point ..................................................... see Jumps; Snap Modes
Multiple Users .................................................................................................... 2-6
Multiple Views .................................................................................................. 4-12

N
Nudge .................................................................................................. 8-11, 9-2, 9-4
Numeric Keypad .......................................................................................3-18, 9-4

O
Object Name ............................................................................................10-4, 10-7
changing................................................................................................7-12, 10-4
Objects................................................................................................................ 10-3
adding to ...............................................................................................7-14, 10-9
attributes...............................................................................................10-6, 10-7
automatically created.................................................................................. 10-7
can't attach hatching to............................................................................. 15-20
changing hook point...........................................................................7-12, 10-5
changing object name ........................................................................7-12, 10-4
changing parent name ................................................................................ 10-4
changing snip box ........................................................................................ 10-6
counting ..............................................................................................8-23, 10-10
creating ...................................................................................................7-7, 10-7
see also Begin New Object; Group Into Object ..........................................
current...................................................................................................10-3, 10-9
disappear ..................................................................................................... 15-27
dividing .................................................................................................7-11, 10-8
drawn as boxes ........................................................................................... 15-27
extracting details........................................................................................ 10-11
functions that create.................................................................................... 10-7
hook point.............................................................................................10-5, 10-7
inserted at wrong angle ............................................................................ 15-20
inserting ........................................................................................................... 8-3
listing ...................................................................................................8-23, 10-10
manipulating............................................................................................... 10-13
maximum size ....................................................................................10-3, 15-19
merging .................................................................................................7-10, 10-8
name ......................................................................................................10-4, 10-7
parent name ............................................................................. 10-4, 10-7, 10-17
properties....................................................................................................... 10-4
 search and replace .......................................................................................8-19
size ...................................................................................................................10-7
snip box ................................................................................................ 10-5, 10-7
split into two or more parts ......................................................................15-19
updating .........................................................................................................8-19
viewing....................................................................................see Show Objects
Offsets ...................................................................................................................6-6
Open....................................................................................................... 4-4, 6-2, 8-2
Opening a Drawing ............................................................................................4-4
Orientation
drawing printed at wrong ...........................................................................15-3

P
P Number...........................................................................................................10-7
Panning ................................................................................................................4-6
using Scroll Bars ..........................................................................................3-14
Paper Size
changing causes a crash............................................................................15-16
Parallel Defaults ......................................................................................... 6-6, 6-8
Parallel Line (Draw) ........................................................................... 6-6, 6-7, 6-9
Parallel Lines ......................................................................................................6-6
1 Parallel Element ................................................................................ 7-5, 7-14
Parametric Dimensions .....................................................see Alter Dimension
Parents
changing name..............................................................................................10-4
name...........................................................................................10-4, 10-7, 10-17
Pen Selection ....................................................................................................3-10
Pens
can't change colour of an entity...............................................................15-16
don’t display properly................................................................................15-28
don’t print as expected ................................................................................15-5
editing pen of existing entities.................................................................15-29
PgDn Key ...........................................................................................................3-18
PgUp Key ...........................................................................................................3-18
Point Snap Mode
doesn't work.................................................................................................15-10
Polar Copy .........................................................................................................8-16
Polar Move...........................................................................................................9-6
Polygon (Enter polygon about ... prompt).....................................................3-6
Polylines
changing pale blue to black......................................................................15-30
some functions don't work on ........................................................ 15-9, 15-16
Portrait ...............................................................................................................15-3
Primitives ...........................................................................................................10-2
 grouping into objects................................................................................... 10-7
Printing
arcs don't print or print incorrectly.......................................................... 15-7
arrows don’t print solidly ........................................................................... 15-6
colours don’t print as expected ................................................................. 15-5
dimension witness lines print too faintly ................................................ 15-7
drawing prints to two sheets ..................................................................... 15-3
drivers ............................................................................................................ 15-2
edges of drawing not printed..................................................................... 15-3
FP Errors ....................................................................................................... 15-7
incomplete prints ......................................................................................... 15-3
problems ........................................................................................................ 15-2
solid lines/arcs print as dashed ................................................................. 15-6
text moves around ....................................................................................... 15-4
text prints at wrong orientation................................................................ 15-4
wrong orientation ........................................................................................ 15-3
Program Home Directory................................................................................. 2-3
Prompt Area........................................................................................................ 3-4

Q
Quick Detailed Views .........................................................................see Expand

R
Radial Dimension............................................................................................. 6-24
Radiused Corners .............................................................................................. 6-3
Redraws
problems with ............................................................................................. 15-27
very slow .............................................................................................15-8, 15-27
Reference manual.............................................................................................. 1-2
Reference Point............................................................................ see Hook Point
Repeat ................................................................................................................ 8-16
Replace Objects ................................................................................................ 8-19
Right Clicking.................................................................................................... 3-16
Right Mouse Button ...............................................................................3-13, 3-17
Rotating
by cursor ........................................................................................................ 8-15
Ruler Bar ........................................................................................................... 3-14
turning on and off ........................................................................................ 3-14

S
Save..................................................................................................................... 5-22
Save As...................................................................................5-22, 6-38, 7-15, 8-24
Save Options ..................................................................................................... 5-22
Scale
 entities drawn at wrong ............................................................................15-12
more than one on a drawing ....................................................................15-32
Scaling (Entities)
by cursor.........................................................................................................8-14
Screen Centre, jumping to ...............................................................................9-9
Scroll Bars .........................................................................................................3-14
scroll box (little square) stays at centre ....................................... 3-14, 15-28
Search and Replace Objects ..........................................................................8-19
Select Cursor.....................................................................................................3-14
Selecting
can't select dimensions..............................................................................15-10
can't select hatches.....................................................................................15-24
can't select parts of drawing.....................................................................15-18
Short-Cut Keys .................................................................. see Accelerator Keys
Show Objects........................................................................................... 7-9, 10-10
Sines....................................................................................................................9-13
Slow Drawings ...................................................................................... 15-8, 15-27
Smart Cursor Help...........................................................................................3-15
Snap Modes ......................................................................................5-16, 9-9, 9-11
difference between jumps and snap modes..............................................9-9
don't work .......................................................................................... 15-8, 15-10
Snip
doesn't work...................................................................................................15-9
Snip Box................................................................................................... 10-5, 10-7
changing .........................................................................................................10-6
Space Bar...........................................................................................................3-18
Special Characters .........................................................................................15-33
Standard Parts..................................................................................... see Objects
STARTUP.DRG..................................................................................................2-5
Stretch ................................................................................................................6-31
Symbol (Function) ................................................................................. 8-3, 10-14
Symbol Files .......................................................................see Symbol Libraries
Symbol Libraries.................................................................................. 10-4, 10-14
invisible text ................................................................................................10-17
lost .................................................................................................................15-20
making ..........................................................................................................10-17
Symbol Sub-directory .......................................................................................2-4
Symbols .................................................................................................. 10-3, 10-14
advantages of using Make Symbol ............................................... 10-8, 10-16
can't attach hatching to .............................................................................15-20
inserted at wrong angle.............................................................................15-20
making ..........................................................................................................10-14
maximum size .............................................................................................15-19
see Objects........................................................................................................7-7
 split into two or more parts...................................................................... 15-19
using ............................................................................................................. 10-14
System Requirements....................................................................................... 2-1

T
Tangent (Snap Mode)
using with geometry .................................................................................... 11-6
Tangents ............................................................................................................ 9-13
Text ..................................................................................................................... 6-17
aligning........................................................................................................... 6-18
changing pale blue to black ..................................................................... 15-30
disappears.................................................................................................... 15-27
drawn as boxes ........................................................................................... 15-27
drawn as dots .............................................................................................. 15-27
editing............................................................................................................. 6-18
entering .......................................................................................................... 6-17
moves around ....................................................................................15-4, 15-28
prints at wrong orientation ........................................................................ 15-4
Things You Should Know .............................................................................. 2-11
Title Bar ............................................................................................................... 3-3
Toolbar ............................................................................................................... 3-12
Transparent Commands................................................................................. 5-19
Triangles Appear on the Screen................................................................. 15-23
Trigonometric Operators ............................................................................... 9-13
Trim
doesn't work .................................................................................................. 15-9
Tutorials............................................................................................................. 2-11

U
Undo ..................................................................................................................... 5-5
Unlock (Cursor) .................................................................................................. 9-8
Update Objects ................................................................................................. 8-19
User Home Directory ........................................................................................ 2-5
Users
adding............................................................................................................... 2-7
deleting............................................................................................................. 2-8
Users Sub-directory .......................................................................................... 2-4

V
Variable Dimensions ..........................................................see Alter Dimension
Views .................................................................................................................. 4-12

W
Windows ‘95
 problems with Notepad.............................................................................15-34

X
X, Y Coordinates ........................................................................ see Coordinates
X, Y Scaling ........................................................................ see Scaling (Entities)

Z
Zoom Window .....................................................................................................4-9
Zooming........................................................................................................ 4-5, 4-9
pre-defined views ...........................................................................................4-9
DESIGN CENTRE
V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, Civil
Designer, on the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
3. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any subsidiary,
agent or third party, sell, lease, license, sub-license or otherwise deal
with the software.
5. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the software
shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor and it’s
principals.
6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk, or security module the license must be re-purchased in
full.
8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
application of the software or it’s fitness for any particular purpose.
The verification of all results and output is entirely the responsibility
of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s
employees and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage
(including in particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and
penalties) suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause
whatsoever in connection with the Civil Designer program or the use
thereof whether such loss or damage results from breach of contract
(including a fundamental breach), negligence or any other cause and
whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee
arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil
Designer program or the use thereof whether or not this contract is
at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents
WELCOME
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3
Online documentation 1-4

INSTALLATION AND STARTUP

The Civil Designer program 2-1
Hardware Requirements 2-1
Installing Civil Designer 2-2
Installing the security module drivers 2-3
Reading the README file 2-3
What you need to know 2-3
Directory Structure 2-4
User Home directory 2-6
Macro sub-directory 2-8
Multiple users 2-9
Adding new users 2-10
Deleting user sub-directories 2-11
Starting Civil Designer from Windows. 2-12
Security 2-12
Safety precautions 2-12
What to do now 2-13
Tutorials 2-14
Things you should know 2-14

THE CONCEPT
The Design Centre 3-2
The Survey + Terrain Module 3-3
The Roads Module 3-4
The Sewer Module 3-5
The Storm Module 3-6
The Water Module 3-7
The CAD Module 3-8
The working environment 3-9
Activating a particular mode 3-9
Output 3-10

SCREEN, MOUSE AND KEYBOARD

Screen Overview 4-2
 Title Bar 4-3
Menu Bar 4-3
Prompt Area and Control Bar 4-4
Line Type Display 4-8
Layer Display 4-9
Pen Selection 4-10
Toolbars 4-12
Drawing Area 4-15
Cursor 4-15
Dialog Boxes 4-16
Smart Cursor Help and Coordinate Display 4-16
The Mouse 4-17
The Keyboard 4-19

TUTORIAL 1 – THE SCREEN

Important notes to read before you start this tutorial 5-2
In case you get lost or stuck ... 5-2
Loading a drawing 5-3
Magnifying 5-4
Panning 5-5
Demagnifying 5-7
Zooming 5-8

TUTORIAL 2 - ACCURATE DRAWING

Setting up your drawing 6-2
Using specific coordinate locations 6-4
An aside - Undo 6-5
[Home] [End] [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys 6-5
The arrow keys 6-6
Moving the same distance again 6-7
Polar coordinates 6-9
Using a locked cursor 6-10
Using Geometry 6-11
Using a grid 6-14
Jumps and Snap Modes 6-16
Transparent commands 6-19
Changing line styles 6-22
Saving your drawing 6-23

TUTORIAL 3 – CAD BASICS

Loading a drawing 7-2
Fillets and chamfers 7-3
Filleting 7-3
Chamfering 7-5
Drawing parallel lines 7-6
 Drawing lines around an existing perimeter. 7-6
Drawing Fresh Parallel Lines 7-8
Hatching 7-12
A simple hatch 7-12
Hatching with islands 7-13
Text 7-17
Entering text 7-17
Editing Text 7-18
Dimensions 7-20
Stretching 7-31
Producing an automatic detailed view 7-34
Saving your drawing 7-37

TUTORIAL 4 - DTM BASICS

Create a new project 8-2
Import ASCII data 8-4
Generate a digital terrain model 8-8
Display a backdrop drawing 8-13
Generate contours 8-15
Create a site plan 8-16

PLOT MENU
Generate 9-2
Plot Setup 9-3
Plan 9-4
Cross Section 9-8
Long Section 9-10
Pipe Long Section 9-15
Sewer Long Section Page 9-17
Stormwater Long Section Page 9-19
Water Long Section Page 9-21
Sheet File Editor 9-23
Global Page 9-24
Plan Page 9-33
Cross Section Page 9-56
Long Section 9-69
Preview Page 9-90
Long Section Format Dialog 9-91
Long Section Format Dialog 9-91

DISPLAY SETTINGS
IDE Layers 10-3
Terrain 10-4
Roads 10-15
Strings 10-19
 Sewer 10-20
Storm 10-24
Water 10-28
Map 10-36
Notes: 10-37

DEFAULTS
CAD.INI 11-2
Paths 11-6
Print 11-6
FromDXFFonts 11-6
ToDXFFonts 11-7
DXFFlags 11-7
Controlbar 11-7
Digitizer 11-7
Logfile 11-7
Drawings 11-7
Vmem 11-8
Colors 11-8
Textedit 11-8
Infowindow 11-8
Coordtable 11-8
BOM 11-8

CAD.MEN
Comments 12-1
Toolbars 12-2
Pull-Down Menus 12-4
Accelerators 12-6
Digitizer 12-6
Functions 12-7
Transparent Commands 12-7
Short Cuts 12-7
Macros 12-8

HATCH PATTERNS
Hatch Pattern Definitions 13-2
Example 1 - Line 13-5
Example 2 - Dash 13-6
Example 3 - Newbrick 13-7
Example 4 - Triang 13-11

LINE TYPES
Line Type Definitions 14-2
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Alignment 15-1
Batter 15-1
Batter slope 15-1
Boning Distance 15-1
Carriageway 15-1
Chainage 15-1
Cross fall 15-1
Cross-section 15-1
Datum 15-1
Dual carriageway 15-2
Feature string 15-2
Layer (sections) 15-2
Layerworks 15-2
Lines 15-2
Mass Haul 15-2
Median 15-2
Nodes 15-2
Pivot point 15-2
Points (chainage) 15-3
Points (prick) 15-3
Points (sections) 15-3
Points (topographical) 15-3
Road Index 15-3
Slope 15-3
Station 15-3
Surface (topography) 15-3
Superelevation 15-4

INDEX
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil engineers
for civil engineers, to save you time, effort and money. Now you can
work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience with
the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start an analysis
• How to view and output the results of the calculations
For more detail simply refer to the on-line help file: it contains over 700
pages of detailed information on each function.

Welcome 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw
Ellipses
Ellipse refers to the command you choose by
opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse button is
required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 Design Centre Reference

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays
excluding public holidays by email from our Customer Support Centre at
[email protected].
You can also get telephonic support at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have about
features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program. The
help items can be printed using the Print button on the toolbar.

Welcome 1-3
Online documentation
The User Guide and the Reference Manual are supplied on the CD-ROM
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You have the option to install the Acrobat
Reader when installing Civil Designer. This allows you to browse through
the manual, to search for specific subjects, and to print out all or any
selection of pages.

1-4 Design Centre Reference

Installation and Startup
Before you begin working with Civil Designer,
• Check the contents of your package
• Make sure that your hardware satisfies the program's requirements
• Run the installation program
• Plug the security module ( if supplied) into your printer port
• Start Civil Designer.

The Civil Designer program

Your Civil Designer package includes the following:
• This manual, plus manuals for any other modules you may have
purchased
• CD-ROM
• A security module (if provided)
Make sure you have everything listed here. If anything is missing contact
our Technical Support.

Hardware Requirements
Civil Designer requires a Pentium IV processor (1.6 GHz or better)
running Windows XP/2000 or later, 256 MB or more of available RAM,
240 MB of hard disk space for installation, and a mouse. For the proper
display of the data entry dialog boxes, your screen must be configured to
a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 (XVGA).
If you are handling large drawings and digital terrain models 512 MB
RAM is advisable.

The recommended system requirements are a Pentium IV processor

(3.2 GHz), 1024 MB RAM, 240MB free hard-disk space for installation,
running Windows XP/2000 with a screen configured to a resolution of
1280 x 1024 (XVGA).

Installation and Startup 2-1

Installing Civil Designer
To get Civil Designer up and running you need to start the installation
program INSTALL.EXE.
• Start Windows
• Insert the supplied CD-ROM in your CD drive
• The installation program will auto-run.
If auto-run is disabled then
• Click on Start
Run
• Type X:\INSTALL where X is the drive letter of your CD- ROM drive
• Click on the Run button
If you cannot install from a CD drive on your own computer then you
may be able to install from a shared CD drive on your network. In this
case insert the CD-ROM into the shared drive and proceed as if auto-run
was disabled.
The installation program will offer you a choice of the programs you wish
to install. Click on the Civil Designer button to launch the setup for this
program.

Do not install this program into the same directory as earlier versions of
Stardust, Civil Designer Sewer, Civil Designer Stormwater or AllyCAD.

The SETUP program does the following:

• Creates a directory, CivDes64 by default, on your hard drive and
copies the contents of the CD-ROM into the directory.
• Creates the Civil Designer application group and adds the Civil
Designer program option to the Start menu for Windows 98/NT/2000.
• Installs the required security drivers.
• Inserts a menu item for the README file containing last-minute
information about Civil Designer.

2-2 Design Centre Reference

Installing the security module drivers
You must install the Hasp drivers in order for the security module to
function correctly. This still applies even if you are not using a Hasp
security module. The driver is normally installed during the installation
process but you may need to do a manual installation. To do so, simply
start the Hasp Install option; this will install the drivers. You must then
restart your computer in order for the drivers to be loaded.

Reading the README file

Any last-minute changes or additions to Civil Designer are documented
in the README.TXT file. When the Setup program has finished installing
Civil Designer on your hard disk it creates a menu item for the README
file in the Civil Designer application group.
You can view the README file by selecting the menu item and print the
contents at any stage.

What you need to know

This manual assumes that you are familiar with basic Windows
operations. If you are not, you should read the documentation that came
with your copy of Windows before installing and using the program.

Installation and Startup 2-3

Directory Structure
The directory that Civil Designer is installed into is called your Program
Home directory. Unless you specified another name when you installed
Civil Designer, your Program Home directory is called CivDes64. It
contains a number of sub-directories:

CivDes64

Examples

Macro

Manuals

Support

Symbols

Toolkit

Users

Guest

Manuals
The on-line version of the printed documentation is stored in the
Manuals directory in PDF format. The Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Reader can
be installed from the Civil Designer CD.
Run the Z:\Adobe Acrobat Reader folder\AdbeRdr60_enu_full.exe file to
install.

Examples sub-directory
This directory contains example drawings and sheet files.

Macro sub-directory
This directory is used to store CAD macros that are executed from the
menu. These macros should not be deleted.

2-4 Design Centre Reference

Support sub-directory
This directory contains various supporting files used to test the DDE link
to Visual Basic.

Symbols sub-directory
By default, symbol is the directory where the program looks for symbol
files when you use File
Load Symbol File. To change the default directory
where the program looks for symbol files, you must edit the CAD.INI file
in your User Home directory (see below) using any text editor such as
Windows Notepad or the DOS editor.
The symbol directory will contain some sample symbol files as well as
symbol files for you to use when you are working through the tutorials.

Toolkit sub-directory
The Toolkit directory contains all the toolkits that are supplied with the
CAD module.

Users sub-directory
The Users sub-directory contains another sub-directory called Guest. By
default, Guest is your User Home directory.

Installation and Startup 2-5

User Home directory
The directory where your menus, hatch patterns, defaults and line types
are stored is called your User Home directory.

Each user can have their own User Home directory. See Multiple Users
later in this chapter.

The User Home directory contains the following files:

• IDE.MEN
Defines the menu structure, icon functions and accelerator keys in
the Design Centre.
• CAD.MEN
Defines the menu structure, icon functions and accelerator keys in
the CAD Window.
• SURVEY.MEN
Defines the menu structure in the Survey Mode.
• TERRAIN.MEN
Defines the menu structure in the Terrain Mode.
• ROAD.MEN
Defines the menu structure in the Roads Mode.
• SEWER.MEN
Defines the menu structure in the Sewer Mode.
• STORM.MEN
Defines the menu structure in the Storm Mode.
• WATER.MEN
Defines the menu structure in Water Mode.
• MAP.MEN
Defines the menu structure in MAP Mode.
• LINETYPE.MAC
Defines the standard line styles.
• HATCH.PAT
This contains hatch pattern definitions.
• STARTUP.DRG
This is a drawing that contains your drawing defaults. It is loaded
each time you start the program or start a new drawing.

2-6 Design Centre Reference

• CAD.INI
This stores defaults relating to printing, DXF and DWG transfers,
digitizer setup, colours etc.
• DOM.TXT
The Drawing Office Manager data file. This is updated if you have
specified you want to use the Drawing Office Manager (see Save
Settings in the Reference Manual).
• CAD.LOG
If activated this logs everything you do during a CAD session. See
CAD.INI.
• COMPASS.DRG
This is a compass that you can automatically insert on your drawing
when you print using File
Zoom Print. There is also a compass
called COMPASSN.DRG which is a more elaborate compass. If you
want to use COMPASSN instead of COMPASS, rename it to
COMPASS.DRG.

Installation and Startup 2-7

Macro sub-directory
The Macro directory is the directory where the program looks for CAD
macros to execute.
The following macros are used by CAD functions and should not be
deleted:
• ARCTEXT.MAC
Used for drawing text around arcs.
• CUT&RUB.MAC
Used in Modify
Cut and Rub.
• DDETEST.MAC
Example of DDE use.
• DIMS.MAC
Defines the menu of dimension types that appears when you click on
the Dimension icon in the Main toolbar.
• DIVELN.MAC
Changes the line type of part of a line.
• LOADTITL.MAC
Used in File
Load
Load Title Block.
• MOVEDIST.MAC
Attached to the comma key for use in accurate drawing.
• MOVEPT.MAC
Used in Modify
Move Point.
• POLYGON.MAC
Used in Draw
Polygon.
• TCMACRO.MAC
Example of DDE usage.

2-8 Design Centre Reference

Multiple users
Different users can have their own User Home directories storing their
own menus, hatch patterns, defaults and line types.
For example, one user's preferred menus, hatch patterns, defaults and
line types may be stored in the default User Home directory, Guest.
Other users can then create their own personal sub-directories in which
their preferred menu, hatch patterns, defaults and line types are stored.
See Adding new users below.

HOME

DRAWING

SYMBOL

EXAMPLES

USERS
GUEST

PAUL

VINCENT

ARCH

MECH

As well as creating sub-directories for different users, you can also create
sub-directories for different types of drawing.
For example, in the diagram above, all of Guest's preferred settings will
be stored in the Guest sub-directory, all of Paul's preferred settings will
be stored in the Paul sub-directory, all of Vincent's preferred settings will
be stored in the Vincent sub-directory, etc.

Installation and Startup 2-9

The Arch sub-directory may contain defaults suitable for architectural
drawings, e.g. a default scale of 1:50 and special brick hatch patterns.
The Mech sub-directory may contain defaults suitable for mechanical
drawing, etc.

Adding new users

Before you can add a new user sub-directory, you must switch on the Ask
Logon name at Startup checkbox in the Settings
System Settings dialog
box.
Now, when you start the program, the Login dialog box is displayed.

To add a new user sub-directory, click on the Add new name button in
this dialog box. The dialog below is displayed.

Type the new user sub-directory's name into the New name box. From
the Copy from list box, select one of the existing sub-directories. The
contents of the existing sub-directory will be copied into the new sub-
directory. These copied files can later be edited or overwritten, for
example with the new user's preferred menu system.
When you click on OK, the program will start up using the new user sub-
directory.
Whenever you start the program in future, the Login dialog box will be
displayed. Select the login name you want to use and click on OK. The
menu, hatch patterns, defaults and line types stored in that sub-directory
will be loaded.

2-10 Design Centre Reference

Deleting user sub-directories
To delete a user sub-directory, simply delete it from your hard drive
using Windows Explorer.

Do not do this while Civil Designer is running.

Installation and Startup 2-11

Starting Civil Designer from Windows.
Once installation is complete, you can run the program by clicking on:
Start
Programs
Civil Designer 6.4
Civil Designer 6.4
To exit from inside the program, select File
Exit.

Security
Before you can use the program you must call for an authorization code
as follows:
1. Start the program.
2. Ensure that the security module, if supplied, is plugged into your
printer port.
3. Select the File
Security
Authorize option.
4. Answer yes or no to the question “Do you have a black activator
dongle?” A dialog box with your program code will be displayed.
Contact Knowledge Base at the displayed number for your return
code or click on the Save button and email Knowledge Base at
[email protected] with the contents of the
AUTHORISATION.TXT file.
5. Input the return code and press the [Authorize] button.
You are now ready to go. For more details refer to Security in the
Reference Manual.

Safety precautions

Please insure your program for the full replacement value. Should
your security module be lost or stolen you will have to purchase a
new license.

2-12 Design Centre Reference

What to do now
While Civil Designer is easy to use even without a manual, you will get
up and running more quickly if you read the following chapters:
• The Civil Designer Concept
• Screen, Mouse and Keyboard
• Accurate Drawing
Also work through the Tutorials
Once you begin working on your own projects you can consult the
relevant chapters of the manual for explanations of individual commands
Refer to the following chapters in the Reference Manual that is supplied
on disk in PDF format.
• Colours
• Line Types
• Hatch Patterns
• CAD.MEN
• Defaults
Many CAD functions have short cuts associated with them. These are
given in the relevant chapters.
In order to get the best out of the program we strongly recommend that
you learn the short cuts relating to the functions you use. You can also
define your own short cuts. To do this, see the above- mentioned
chapters.

Installation and Startup 2-13

Tutorials
The program is supplied with four tutorials.
Ideally, you should do all the tutorials consecutively. However, each
tutorial is a complete exercise and the designer in a hurry can do any
tutorial in isolation if necessary.
Tutorial 1 - The Screen
Shows you how to load a drawing and move around the screen, i.e. zoom,
magnify, pan etc.
Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing
Draw eight rectangles using absolute, relative and polar methods. These
include using a grid, jumps and snaps.
Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics
Covers CAD basics like filleting, chamfering, parallel lines, hatching,
text, dimensions.
Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics
Teaches you how to create a DTM (digital terrain model).

Things you should know

If you read nothing else you should read the following chapters as they
contain information that is vital for producing accurate drawings quickly.
Screen, Mouse and Keyboard is an introduction to the program screen
and the terms used to describe its components.
Accurate Drawing lists methods of absolute, relative and polar cursor
movement.
Troubleshooting is a basic trouble-shooting guide on common questions
and problems.

2-14 Design Centre Reference

The Concept
Civil Designer consists of a suite of fully interactive design modules
which combine to form an integrated data gathering, drawing, surface
modeling and design system.
Every routine shares a common data structure and there are facilities to
manipulate data from the basic collection stages all the way through to
final contract drawings.

This seamless interaction between the design tools results in even

greater productivity. No longer do you have to transfer data between
different design programs. In Civil Designer each design module will
share its data with the other modules when required.
All the modules interact with the user and each other through the
simplified and streamlined interface. We've spent hundreds of hours
analyzing CAD methods and have developed an optimized command
system that places the most common operations within one keystroke or
button click.
The Control Bar dramatically cuts the number of user responses for
much faster editing and drawing so those complex tasks are completed
easily.
With Civil Designer all your design tasks will now be faster and easier,
and you will be able to do much more than before.

The Concept 3-1

The Design Centre
This is the heart of the system and contains the AllyCAD
Graphical Engine and the Topographical Engine. It
allows you to create new drawings with supporting
digital terrain modeling (DTM) data.
Jobs are saved as projects that allow specific defaults and
setup information to be saved. Projects are based on a specific
hemisphere, projection and datum including WGS84.
All design options take place in the integrated industrial-strength 2D
production CAD that allows for easy display of backdrop drawings and
the use of CAD functions to define design elements. All output is directed
to a CAD window for preview and enhancement.
For example, you could load a cadastral drawing of a new housing
development, import ASCII data from the topographical survey and
generate the DTM. Now you can switch on the contour display or the
slope shading. When the design module needs an elevation it simply
queries the DTM without any effort from you.
Similarly, you can produce plans with multiple services overlaid on the
cadastral and terrain data. In a matter of minutes you can also calculate
where services may clash.
The terrain database has a theoretical limit of two thousand million
points. Actual capacity will depend on available disk space. Data may be
allocated into one of 128 terrain surfaces or road layers.
The design modules use the Design Centre to communicate with each
other and with you, the user.
There is little inter-dependency between different routines in the suite.
You can run any routine at any time. This means that you have complete
freedom and flexibility to decide how to handle your tasks.
Obviously certain functions require certain types of information before
they will work. For example, you cannot calculate a volume until there
are end areas, you cannot get road edge levels until there is a vertical
alignment, and so on.

3-2 Design Centre Reference

The Survey + Terrain Module
Survey+Terrain is a digital terrain modeling program
that provides interactive earthworks design and
calculations. It will handle the whole process from initial
field work through design and working drawings to the
final construction control.
 Display a bitmap or cadastral backdrop to view the spatial
relationship of earthworks to other services or natural features.
 Intelli-Line break line generation allows you to use cheap computer
time to define the model features instead of expensive manual
breakline definition. Thereafter fill in the rest of the site in a matter
of seconds with the lightning fast triangulation option which retains
feature lines.
 Filter the points display to remove background clutter and only show
break points and lines.
 Terrace volumes may be calculated by simply clicking on the terrace
in question, making the calculation of individual terrace volumes on
a multi-terrace site a snap. Or simply balance the cut and fill volumes
with the optimization function.
 Merge the terrace with the underlying ground profile to create a final
site model quickly and easily.
 Generate pipeline long sections with pipes between manholes, pipes
defined by length or pipes parallel to the ground profile. Graphically
fine-tune the design before calculating trench volumes.
 Visualize the final project in a rendered three dimensional view with
light source, textures and bitmap draping.

The Concept 3-3

The Roads Module
Roads is a comprehensive road design program that
provides interactive embankment design and
calculations. It is eminently suitable for urban and rural
roads, freeways, airports, railways and dams.

 Display a bitmap showing natural features, a cadastral layout or the

site contours while editing the horizontal alignment. Route planning
has never been so easy.
 The road profile provides for various height related cut and fill
conditions to determine the batters.
 Layerworks calculated by the pavement designer or specified
manually.
 The vertical alignment function allows you to display up to 4 profiles
such as the ground line at the centre line plus the left and right road
reserves while the grade envelope will guide you according to the
design criteria. The stake position is dynamically displayed on the
plan view so you know exactly where the horizontal curves are.
 Precise control of the road edge levels allows you to apply complex
super-elevation conditions and it makes provision for changes in lane
widths for climbing lanes or bus bays.
 Up to 20 surfaces may be plotted on long and cross sections. Plot
your long sections with the ground line at the stake line as well as at
the left and right road reserve. You can even include intermediate
and hard ground lines on the same drawing.
 Sections are stored in up to 128 surfaces. Use Roads to keep track of
progress during construction by recording each month's results in a
separate surface. Calculate volumes between any 2 surfaces.
 "Drive" down the completed road in a rendered 3D view to check for
blind rises and other anomalies (requires Survey+Terrain module).

3-4 Design Centre Reference

The Sewer Module
Sewer is a powerful analysis and design program for foul
water networks that combines a powerful design engine
with drawing and terrain modeling functions.

 The graphical interaction allows you to easily insert nodes and links,
make changes to an existing layout by moving a node, change the
flow direction or query a link with a click of the mouse.
 View the network with a bitmap or cadastral backdrop. Or display
the site contours and slope shading to decide on optimum network
layout. Manholes and culverts are displayed in user-defined line
styles and colours with optional input and design data.
 Combine new and existing culverts consisting of multiple types and
sizes in one model. If all the parameters of a culvert are defined then
the program analyzes it's performance, otherwise it will determine
the best solution for the outstanding data based on the design
parameters.
 Simulate the complex system of flows and overflows that are often
found in modern towns and cities. The comprehensive network
design will take into account the relationship between different
branches.
 Attenuation is calculated at every node in the network resulting in a
solution which is 30% to 100% more cost-effective than simply
adding the inflow peaks together. The dynamic time simulation
allows you to view the flow hydrographs of single or multiple culverts
in order to gain an insight into the dynamics of the system.
 Generate construction drawings such as layout plans and
longsections or calculate quantities. The ground profile is
automatically extracted from the supporting digital terrain model
when required.

The Concept 3-5

The Storm Module
Storm is a powerful analysis and design program for
runoff events that combines a powerful design engine
with drawing and terrain modeling functions.

 Graphical interaction allows you to easily insert nodes and links,

make changes to an existing layout by moving a node, change the
flow direction or query a link with a click of the mouse.
 View the network with a bitmap or cadastral backdrop. Or display
the site contours and slope shading to decide on optimum network
layout. Manholes and culverts are displayed in user-defined line
styles and colours with optional input and design data.
 Combine new and existing culverts consisting of multiple types and
sizes in one model. If all the parameters of a culvert are defined the
program analyze it's performance, otherwise it will determine the
best solution.
 Simulate the complex system of dual runoffs and overflows that are
often found in modern towns and cities, including detention storage,
limited flow, limited inflow and limited storage.
 Flows are routed using the Continuity equation or the Time Shift
method resulting in a solution which is 30% to 100% more cost-
effective than simply adding the runoff peaks together.
 The Illudas method allows you to use the standard Chicago storm or
synthesize a storm from Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves.
 Attenuate runoffs by means of reservoir routing with full
performance reporting. Reservoir results include a table of the water
depth, inflow, outflow and storage for the duration of the runoff
event as well as a graph of depth vs. time indicating the full storage
level.

3-6 Design Centre Reference

The Water Module
Water is a powerful, yet easy to use program for the
analysis analysis and extended time simulation of fluid
handling networks consisting of pipes, valves, reservoirs
and pump stations.

 Import data from various sources such as ASCII tables,

spreadsheets, dBase or MS Access tables as well as DXF files.
 Graphical interaction allows you to easily insert nodes and links,
make changes to an existing layout by moving a node, change the
flow direction or query/edit a link with a click of the mouse.
 View the network with a bitmap or cadastral backdrop. Or display
the site contours and slope shading to decide on optimum network
layout.
 Analyse suburbs separately and combine new and existing models to
simulate the complex system of networks that are often found in
modern towns and cities. The comprehensive network design will
take into account the relationship between different branches.
 Time based demand patterns may be defined for different categories
of water usage. Each draw-off point may have a different demand
pattern.
 The impact of extensions to the network, increased demand,
imposition of water restrictions, power failures, major pipe breaks
and empty reservoir conditions may be readily determined.
 Attach external table such as GIS attributes, consumption, tariff or
demographic details. Measured consumption can be compared to the
model to assist in accurate calibration.
 Display the results of an analysis graphically by colour, in tables, or
on time-based curves.
 Generate long sections with the ground profile automatically
extracted from the supporting digital terrain model.

The Concept 3-7

The CAD Module
The CAD module utilises the AllyCAD Graphical Engine
to add extra drawing functions to the Design Centre to
give you full drawing capabilities in conjunction with the
underlying DTM.

AllyCAD is a fast, powerful and very easy to use 2D production computer

aided draughting program for Windows XP/2000. It is designed for use
by professional engineers, surveyors, architects, draughtspersons and all
others who need a versatile yet easy to use drawing program.
 Open multiple drawings at once and cut and paste between them.
CAD also works well with the Windows clipboard. Add drawings to
other documents by simply copying the portion of the drawing you
want and pasting it into the document.
 Edit items easily by double clicking on them. To move an item,
simply drag it to where you want it. Similarly, to rotate or scale an
item just grab the rotation or scale handles and the job is done.
 Full True Type font support and definable line widths mean you get
professional drawings.
 Correcting mistakes is painless. CAD comes with full UNDO which
lets you undo 1000 steps. The REDO lets you reverse an undone
operation and move forward again.
 Read and write AutoCAD Rel 12, 13, 14, 2000, 2002 and 2004 DWG
and DXF, as well as Caddie Exchange (CEX), ArcView Shape (SHP)
and ASCII text files.

3-8 Design Centre Reference

The working environment
The application uses two standard and various other child or sub-
windows to display different aspects of your data.
The two windows in which you will do most of the modeling and
calculations are the Design Centre and Road windows, while you will use
the CAD window for viewing, editing and manipulating plots once they
are generated.
The Spreadsheet window is used for entering various data items and you
use the Output window for viewing listings and the results of calculations
that are displayed on the screen.

Activating a particular mode

At least two, and at times all five, of these windows will be displayed at
the same time. The Design Centre window is always displayed and may
not be closed. The Output window is displayed at the bottom of the
Design Centre window and can be dragged smaller and larger on the
screen, or be closed by the user. The Road and Spreadsheet windows,
however, are only displayed when needed and can be closed by the user,
or will close automatically when no longer required. The Road window
can however be setup to be permanently displayed, as was the case with
the previous Stardust program. See the section on INI File Components
in the on-line help file.
The menu bar is independent of the currently active window (except for
the CAD window which has its own menu) and is based solely on the
currently active design mode. In order to access the menu commands for
a particular design mode, you may either click on one of the buttons in
the design module toolbar or select the required design mode from the
Mode menu.
For example, to activate the Terrain menu, the user has to click on the
Terrain button in the design toolbar or select the Mode
Terrain Mode
option from the current menu.

The Concept 3-9

Output
You may output data to a printer or ASCII file at any time during the
calculation routines.
The main output components are three types of drawing.
1. Layout plans and 3-D views
2. Road cross sections
3. Long sections
Any of these items can be accessed from the Plot menu option of the
currently active module. The drawings that may be created are
dependent on the contents of the plotting sheet file that is loaded.
Any of these can be mixed on a sheet. So, on a short township road, you
might elect to have everything on a single drawing such as sections on
the left, plan in the upper right corner and long section in the lower
right.
You can customise the actual layout of the information on the drawing
takes and save it in a sheet template.
Cross sections can be oriented and sized and include data in various
formats.
Long sections can list edge levels, super elevation diagrams, curve data
and just about anything else that might be required for construction.
Road plans can show chainages, cut and fill banks, cadastral details and
topography.
All drawings are transferred to a CAD window where they can be
modified or enhanced using the CAD functions before being transferred
to a plotter or printer, or stored for subsequent plotting, or exported to a
file in a form suitable for importation to another CAD program.

3-10 Design Centre Reference

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard
This section describes the various components that make up the Civil
Designer screen. These are the:
• Title Bar
• Menu Bar
• Prompt Area and Control Bar
• Line Type Display
• Layer Display
• Toolbars
• Drawing Area
• Smart Cursor Help
• Coordinate Display
• Mouse
• Keyboard

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-1

Screen Overview
The Civil Designer screen is divided into several parts, as shown below.
These parts are described in detail on the next pages.

4-2 Design Centre Reference

Title Bar
Like all Windows programs, Civil Designer has a Title Bar running
across the top. This will look different depending on the version of
Windows you are running. It displays the name of the drawing you are
working on together with the disk drive it is located on and the directory
it is stored in.
For the meanings of the buttons on the Title Bar, see the documentation
that came with your copy of Windows.

Menu Bar
All of Civil Designer's functions can be accessed from the Pull-Down
menus on the Menu Bar, although there are shortcuts to many functions
via the icons in the Toolbars, or via the keyboard.
The type of function in each menu is summarised below:

Save, Stretch,
load, move, Text,
import, mirror, dimensions,
export, Zoom, copy, arrows,
print, pan, scale, balloons, Specialised Arrange all
quit viewports rotate hatching Grouping toolkits open windows

File Edit View Draw Modify Geometry Annotate Tools Objects Settings Toolkit Mode Windows Help

Undo, Lines, Construction Lock cursor, Paper size, Switch Online

cut, Arcs, lines and jumps, units, scale, between help
paste, Circles, circles snaps, line, text, design
select Ellipses, grids, dimension modes
etc. measuring, and arrow
query defaults,
layers

Individual functions in each menu are described in full detail in the

reference section of the manual. If you do not know how to select
functions from the Pull-Down menus, refer to the documentation that
came with your copy of Windows.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-3

Prompt Area and Control Bar
Prompts will be displayed in the prompt area asking for input or telling
you what to do. You type information, answer questions or select options
in the Control Bar. There are several types of prompts and responses.

You are prompted to enter a point or position

If you are prompted to enter a point or a position, for example the first
point of a line, position the cursor in the Drawing Area. Then press
[Enter] or click to accept the position.

You are prompted to enter information

Some prompts expect you to type information into the Control Bar.

In this example, Civil Designer is asking how far you want to move to the
right after you have pressed the [Right-Arrow] key. A default answer
“10” is given.
If you want to accept the default answer, click on the OK button or
press [Enter].
If you want to change the default answer, simply type the answer you
want. So long as the default answer is highlighted, it will automatically
be overtyped.
Alternatively, click in the white part of the Control Bar and use the arrow
and backspace keys to delete the default answer. Then type the answer
you want. When the answer is to your satisfaction, accept it by clicking
on the OK button or pressing [Enter].
If you want to terminate the function click on the Cancel button.

Yes/No questions
Some prompts require a Yes or No answer. A [YES] button and a [NO]
button will appear on the Control Bar and you must click on one or the
other box to answer the question.

4-4 Design Centre Reference

In this example, an angle will be dimensioned if you click on the [YES]
button and an arc length will be dimensioned if you click on the [NO]
button. The option that will be carried out if you click on the [NO] button
is always enclosed in brackets.

Questions with a choice of answers

Some prompts give you a choice of several answers, one of which is the
default.

In this example, you are being given the choice of running, chained or
free dimensions. The default is Running.
If you want to accept the default answer, click on the OK button or press
[Enter].
If you want to change the default answer, type the answer you want, for
example “C” for chained dimensions or “F” for free dimensions. So long
as the default answer is highlighted it will automatically be overtyped.
Alternatively, click in the white part of the Control Bar and use the arrow
and backspace keys to delete the default answer. Then type the answer
you want. When the answer is to your satisfaction, accept it by clicking
on the OK button or by pressing [Enter].

Various options appear on the Control Bar

When you select some functions a row of options appear on the Control
Bar. You need to edit these options to your satisfaction before
responding to the prompt in the Prompt Area.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-5

In this example, you need to select a symbol - either by name or by
viewing it, then specify snipping, rotation, scale and mirroring of the
symbol. When you have done this, you can respond to the prompt
Enter position for symbol
by positioning the cursor where you want the symbol to appear and
pressing [Enter] or clicking to accept this position.

You are prompted to enter a polygon around something

In many CAD functions (e.g. Edit
Select by Polygon, Modify
Stretch,
etc.) you are asked to enter a polygon around something. The function
then operates on the part of the drawing inside this polygon. The
procedure for drawing a polygon is as follows. When Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter polygon about...
You can either draw a regular box around the part of your drawing to be
operated on or, if it is an irregular shape, you can draw an irregular
polygon around it.
To draw a regular box, you must respond to the prompts as follows.
Enter polygon about...
A large cross hair with the cursor at the cross centre appears on the
screen.

Position the cursor at one corner of the

box that will enclose the part of the
drawing to be operated on and press
[Enter] or click.
Civil Designer will prompt:
Enter next point of polygon
[Space Bar for a box]

4-6 Design Centre Reference

 Move the cursor to the diagonally opposite
corner of the box to enclose the part of the
drawing to be operated on.
As you move the cursor, you will see it is
attached to a box with a diagonal line
through it.
Press the [Space Bar], or click on [Done].
The function you are using will now
resume.

To draw an irregular polygon around the

part of the drawing to be operated on, you
must respond to the prompts as follows:
Enter polygon about...
A large cross hair with the cursor at the
cross centre appears on the screen.
Position the cursor at one vertex of the
polygon and press [Enter] or click.

Civil Designer will prompt:

Enter next point of polygon
[Space Bar for a box]
Move the cursor to the next vertex on the
polygon boundary. As you move the
cursor, you will see it is attached to a box
with a diagonal line through it. Press
[Enter] or click.

Civil Designer will continue to prompt:

Next point of polygon (Space Bar
to Close)
Move the cursor to the next vertex on the
polygon and press [Enter] or click.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-7

 Civil Designer will continue to prompt for
the next point of the polygon. Continue to
enter polygon vertices.
When you have entered the last vertex,
move the cursor close to the first point
you entered.
Press the [Space Bar], or click on [Done].
The polygon is automatically closed.

Using the Command Line in the Control Bar

Instead of selecting functions from the Pull-Down menus, Toolbars etc.,
you can type commands into the Command Line - the white part of the
Control Bar after the word Command:
Hit the [ / ] key to move the cursor into the Command Line, or click in it.
Then type the name corresponding to the function you want to use. A list
of function names appears in Appendix A of the Reference Manual. For
example, if you type
load
Civil Designer will prompt for which drawing to load. You can also add
parameters to the function names. See Macros in the Reference Manual.
For example, if you type
load "filter"
The drawing called “filter” will be loaded from the current directory.

Line Type Display

The Line Type Display displays the currently selected line type. To
change line type, click on the arrow to the right of the display. A list of
line types appears. Click on the one you want to use.
If you select the By Layer option, Civil Designer will use the line types
assigned to each layer in the Layer control Panel.

You can also change line type using Settings
Line Defaults or by right
clicking on the Line icon on the Main toolbar.

4-8 Design Centre Reference

Layer Display
The Layer Display displays the currently selected layer. Everything that
you draw appears on this current layer. To change the current layer,
click on the arrow to the right of the display. A list of layers appears.
Click on the one you want to use.

You can also change the current layer using the Settings
Set Current
Layer function. You can change the current layer and add further layers
to your drawing using the Settings
Layer Control function.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-9

Pen Selection
You can customise the first 16 of the 255 pens that are available and are
shown in the Select Colour dialog box when you click on the [Pen] button
in the Control Bar.

You can also click on the AutoCAD Colours button in the Colour toolbar
for a different range of colours as used by AutoCAD.

You can only customise colours when you are in CAD colour mode. You
cannot customise the colours when the AutoCAD Colors check box is on.
To customise a colour, click on the [Pen] button in the Control Bar. Civil
Designer displays the Select Colour dialog box.

Right click on one of the first sixteen colours in the Standard colour area.
The custom colour dialog box is displayed. Click on a new colour from
the palette, or create your own colour, then click on OK.
The customised colour will affect all your drawings. For example, if you
change the red (pen 1) to blue, all the lines that have been drawn on your
existing drawings in pen 1 and that were previously shown in red will
now be shown in blue.
Customised colours are stored in the INI file in your user home
directory. Different users can define different colours and store them in
their own user home directories. See Multiple Users.

4-10 Design Centre Reference

Many colours will not display properly unless your graphics card is set
to display 65000 colours. Whether this is possible or not depends on
your hardware.

There is also a Colour toolbar, usually at the right side of Civil Designer
screen. This toolbar only lists the first 16 colour choices. For example, by
default 1 is red, 2 is olive, 3 is yellow etc.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-11

Toolbars
There are 22 toolbars:
• Screen
Contains shortcuts to often used screen functions (like Magnify,
Zoom). This toolbar is normally hidden. Right click in the Drawing
Area to display it.
• Sectional Plan
Contains functions to assist with preparing sectional plans.
• View
Shortcuts to view functions such as zoom, magnify, etc.
• General Plan
Contains functions to assist in the creation of General Plans.
• SG Diagrams
Contains functions to assist in the creation of SG Diagrams.
• Dimensions
Functions to add dimensions and measure distance and area
• Survey
Contains functions to speed up work for surveyors.
• Mechanical
Contains functions that facilitates the drawing and annotating some
common mechanical components.
• Architectural
Contains functions that facilitates the drawing of building plans and
elevations
• Structural
Contains functions that speed up the drawing of building grids and
steel sections.
• Civil
Contains functions that speed up the drawing of cut & fill lines and
sewer captures.
• General
Contains some functionality to speed up general drafting.
• File
This contains icons to functions like Cut, Save etc.
• Mode
Use this toolbar to change between the design modules

4-12 Design Centre Reference

• Strings
Contains shortcuts to strings functions to be used in the Survey and
Terrain module.
• Turn
Contains shortcuts to the functions of the Turn Module
• GIS
Contains shortcuts to the functions of the MAP module
• Main
Usually to the left of your screen. This has some of the most
frequently used functions used in the creation of a drawing.
• Colour
This displays the colours that the first 15 pens are mapped to.
• Snaps
with shortcuts to often used snap functions (like Graball, Freehand )
• Modify
Shortcuts to move, copy, rotate, stretch, mirror, fillet & chamfer
selections as well as to trim, divide and extend lines.
• Geometry
Functions to create geometry entities
Click on View
Toolbars to select which toolbars must be visible. A list
with the names of the 22 toolbars pops up. Those that are currently
visible have a tick next to them.
Move the mouse over the names and click on an appropriate one to
either display or make it invisible. If you have made it visible you can
now position it anywhere on the screen.
If you drag the toolbar very close to an edge of the screen, you will see
that it changes to align itself to that edge. Let go of the mouse button to
dock it in that position if you wish.
Each icon in the toolbars represents a short cut to a function in the Pull-
Down menus. As you move the cursor over a button on a toolbar a tool-
tip will be displayed explaining the functions assigned to the button.
The left functions are the ones that are executed when you click on the
icon with your left mouse button. The right functions are the ones that
are executed when you click on the icon with your right mouse button.
As you pass your mouse over an icon, the Smart Cursor Help on the
status bar at the bottom of the Civil Designer window tells you what it
does.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-13

The icons on the toolbars may vary slightly in different versions of the
program. The icons in the toolbars are listed in more detail in Appendix
B of the Reference Manual. You can also customise the icons and the
position where the toolbar is initially docked in the CAD.MEN file.

4-14 Design Centre Reference

Drawing Area
The Drawing Area represents your sheet of paper, and it is here that you
draw. When you zoom in or magnify, the drawing area represents only a
portion of your sheet of paper. When you zoom out or de-magnify, you
will see a dotted rectangle that defines your sheet of paper.

The View
Zoom Paper option redraws the screen so that the drawing
area displays your whole sheet of paper.

Running along the bottom of the Drawing Area is the Ruler Bar. At the
left hand end of the Ruler bar is a number. This indicates the
approximate length of each section in the Ruler Bar. This length is
measured in the units selected in Drawing Settings in the Settings menu.
You can turn off the Ruler Bar by un-checking the Ruler option in the
Settings
View Settings option.

Cursor
By default, the cursor is arrow-shaped. It looks either like this:

or like this

This cursor is called the Select Cursor. If you go to Edit
Select Nodes the
cursor will change to the node shape shown below:

or

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-15

 To return to the arrow-shaped cursor, click on the Select icon.

When you enter any function, such as Draw
Line (Chained) the cursor
takes on a different shape, determined by the Snap mode you are using.

Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes are displayed in the drawing area temporarily during
functions. They allow you to enter information and choose options. For
example, drawing settings like paper size, units etc. are selected in a
dialog box, as are settings controlling the way text and lines etc. will be
displayed.
For detailed instructions on how to use and edit dialog boxes, consult the
documentation that came with your copy of Windows.

Smart Cursor Help and Coordinate Display

Smart Cursor Help Coordinate Display

When the cursor touches different parts of the screen, a brief explanation
of what each part does is shown in the Smart Cursor Help. This is
especially useful for learning the functions of the icons in the toolbar.
When the cursor is in the Drawing Area, the Smart Cursor Help tells you
the scale and paper size you are using, and whether you are using a grid.
The Coordinate Display displays either the absolute coordinate position
of the cursor on the screen or the distance and angle of the cursor from
the last point you entered.

4-16 Design Centre Reference

The Mouse
In this manual, clicking means to press and release the left mouse button
quickly.
When a click with your right mouse button is required, the expression
right click or right clicking is used.
The left and right mouse buttons have the following functions.

Left button
Single click of the left mouse button on the:
• Control Bar
Click on the [YES] button, the [NO] button, the [OK] button or the
[Cancel] button, and to select options when these appear.
• Line Type Display, Layer Display and Pen button
Selects a new line type, layer or pen respectively.
• Drawing Area
Accepts the position of a point, of text, of dimensions etc. during
function execution. If no function is active selects the entity closest
to the cursor.
• Pull-Down menus
Select a menu, and then to select a function on that menu.
• Toolbar
Selects the function that has been assigned to it for the icon you are
clicking on.
Double clicking the left mouse button with the Select cursor on:
• A Line
The Line Style dialog box is displayed. See Line Defaults in the
Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• A Text item
The Text Entry dialog box is displayed. See Set Text Defaults in the
Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• A Horizontal, vertical, ordinate or slope dimension
Execute the Edit Dimension Properties function. See Edit Dimension
in the Annotate Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• An arrow
The Arrow Defaults dialog box is displayed. See Set Arrow Defaults
in the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-17

• A polyline or bezier curve
The Polyline Defaults dialog box is displayed. See Polyline Defaults
in the Settings Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.
• The edge of a bitmap
the Set Bitmap Parameters dialog box appears. See Load Bitmap in
Load in the File Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.

Right button
Clicking with the right mouse button in the:
• Toolbar
Selects the function that has been assigned to the icon you are
clicking on.
• Drawing Area
Displays the Screen toolbar.

4-18 Design Centre Reference

The Keyboard
Certain keys are used by all the functions.

Enter and Escape Keys

The [Enter] key accepts answers in the Control Bar or accepts points in
the Drawing Area.
The [Esc] key cancels the function you are using.

Space Bar
If you are not using a function, the [Space Bar] repeats the last function
you used. If you are using a function, pressing the [Space Bar] ends it.

Arrow, Home, PgUp, End and PgDn keys

These keys are used for accurate relative movement. See Accurate
Drawing.

Forward Slash Key

The [/] key moves the cursor up to the Command Line in the Control
Bar. See Prompt Area and Control Bar, earlier in this chapter.

Accelerators
Many of Civil Designer's functions can be accessed by a single keystroke.
These one-key short cuts are called Accelerators because they accelerate
the time it takes for you to access a function. The accelerators that access
particular functions are shown with those functions in the Reference
section of the manual.
Appendix II of the Reference Manual includes a full list of accelerators.

The function assigned to each key is user definable and is determined

in the CAD.MEN file.

Screen, Mouse and Keyboard 4-19

Tutorial 1 – The Screen
This tutorial will show you the basic screen handling features of Civil
Designer. You will learn how to:
• Load a drawing
• Magnify a portion of the drawing
• Pan across a drawing
• De-magnify
• Zoom into portions of the drawing

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 5-1

Important notes to read before you start this tutorial
If you do not know what the different parts of the screen are called read
the chapter on Screen, Mouse and Keyboard before you start this tutorial.

Dialog Boxes and Pull-Down Menus

This tutorial assumes that you have a basic knowledge of Windows. If
you do not know how to edit a Dialog Box or access a Pull-Down Menu,
read the documentation that came with your copy of Windows.

Clicking
In this tutorial, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified.
When a click with your right mouse button is required, the term right
click or right clicking is used.

Clicking is to press and release a mouse button quickly.

Notes
Notes are not part of the tutorial. They provide alternative methods of
accessing functions and extra information for those who are interested.

Illustrations
The icons, menus, ruler bar and other items that surround the drawing
area may be slightly different on your own screen than the ones shown in
the illustrations. This will not affect your use of the tutorial.

In case you get lost or stuck ...

If you get lost or stuck while you are doing this tutorial, do the following:
• Press the [Esc] key to cancel all functions.
• Redraw the screen by pressing the short-cut key [R], or by right
clicking on the Redraw icon in the Files toolbar or the Screen
toolbar.
• Repeat the tutorial from the previous subheading (e.g. Magnifying,
Panning etc.).

5-2 Design Centre Reference

Loading a drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting the File
New option.
To load a drawing, click on the Open icon. A dialog box with the
title Filename to Read is displayed. This dialog box can be used to
load AllyCAD drawings, AutoCAD DWG drawings or DXF files.
The drawing you are going to load is called “hydcyl”. By default,
hydcyl is in the Drawing sub-directory.

Click on “hydcyl.drg” in the list, then click on Open. The file hydcyl will
be loaded and displayed.

HYDRAULIC CYLINDER

If you can only see part of this drawing on the screen, press [R] on your
keyboard. The whole drawing will then appear.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 5-3

Magnifying
You are now going to magnify part of your drawing so that the
detail can be seen. Move your cursor onto the part of the drawing
you want to magnify right click to display the Screen toolbar and
click on the Magnify icon. The drawing is magnified at the cursor
position by a factor of three (the default) as shown below.

If you magnify a second time, your drawing will be further magnified by

a factor of three, i.e. it will be nine times larger than it was originally. If
you magnify a third time, your drawing will be further magnified by a
factor of three, i.e. it will 27 times larger than it was originally, etc.
To change the default magnification factor of three, go to
Settings
Change Magnify Factor.

The Magnify function can also be activated from the View menu or by
moving your cursor to the part of the screen you want to magnify and
pressing the [M] key on your keyboard.
The [M] key is called an Accelerator because it is a fast way of accessing the
Magnify command. The screen is magnified at the cursor position. You can
define your own accelerator keys and which functions appear in the
toolbars. See CAD.MEN.

5-4 Design Centre Reference

Panning
Panning allows you to move around the drawing while it is magnified.
There are two ways of panning: Pan, where the part of the drawing at the
cursor position is moved to the screen centre, and Long Pan, where you
place a box around the part of the drawing you want on the screen.

Pan
Move your cursor to the part of the drawing that you want in the
centre of your screen. Click on the Pan icon in the Screen toolbar.
The part of the drawing that was at the cursor position is moved to
the screen centre. See the next two figures.

Before the Pan function

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 5-5

 After the Pan function

You can also Pan by using the short cut key [W], or via the View menu.

Long Pan
Right click on the Pan icon. A small dotted square representing
your sheet of paper appears, with the drawing inside it.
If you move your mouse so that the cursor appears somewhere outside
the dotted square, you will see that a box accompanies it. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter pan box
Move the cursor so that this box surrounds the part of the drawing you
want to display. Click. Your chosen area appears on the screen.

You can also Long Pan by pressing the [;] key, or via the View menu.

5-6 Design Centre Reference

Demagnifying
Once you no longer need a magnified drawing, you can de-magnify.
The part of the drawing at the cursor position will be at the screen
centre after demagnification.
Position your cursor at the desired spot and right click to call up the
Screen toolbar. Then right click on the Magnify icon. The screen is de-
magnified.

You can also de-magnify by pressing [D], or via the View menu.

When you de-magnify, your drawing is not necessarily returned to its

original size and view. To return to your starting magnification, you must
use the Zoom Paper command. This displays your whole sheet of paper
and its contents. To use Zoom Paper, press the short-cut key [R], or right
click on the Redraw icon in the Files toolbar.

You can also access Zoom Paper via the View menu or the Zoom icon
on the Screen toolbar.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 5-7

Zooming
Zooming has the same effect as magnifying but you must first draw
a box around the part of your drawing that you want magnified.
Click on the Zoom icon in the Screen or the Files toolbar.
A menu list pops up.

1. Click on the Zoom Window option.

2. A large cross hair with the cursor at its centre appears on the screen.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom box
3. Click at a corner of the area you want to magnify into.
Enter second corner of rectangle
4. Click at the diagonally opposite corner of the area you want to
magnify into.
The area you have defined is enlarged. Use the Zoom Paper command to
return your screen to its original magnification by pressing the short cut
key [R] on you keyboard, right clicking on the Redraw icon in the Files
toolbar or the Floating Toolbox (Screen toolbar).

You can also access Zoom Window by clicking on the View menu

Defining Zooms
There may be parts of your drawing that you have to zoom into
frequently. You can define up to nine such areas as zoom views. You can
then zoom into them by selecting the appropriate zoom view.
In this tutorial you are going to define two zoom views. Click on the
Zoom icon in the Screen toolbar. A dialog box pops up. Click on the
Define Zoom View option.

5-8 Design Centre Reference

 3 6 9
P2

2 5 8
P1
HYDRAULIC CYLINDER
1 4 7

A menu of numbers will be displayed. You are going to define

zoom view number 1.
1. Click on the number “1”. A large cross hair with the
cursor at its centre appears on the screen. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom window
2. Click at a corner (P1) of the area you want to define as
zoom view 1. See the figure above. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle
Click at the diagonally opposite corner (P2) of the area you want to
define as zoom 1. The area you have defined is enclosed in a box, and a
menu of numbers appears.
You are now going to define zoom view number 2.
1. Click on the number “2”. The large cross hair appears again.
2. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter a corner of zoom window
Click at a corner of the area you want to define as zoom 1.
3. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle
4. Click at the diagonally opposite corner of the area you want to define
as zoom 2.

Tutorial 1 – The Screen 5-9

A box surrounds the area you have defined, and the menu of numbers
appears again. Click somewhere outside the menu to turn it off.
Now you have defined the two views, you are going to select them. Click
on the Zoom icon in the Screen toolbar. The same menu appears. Click
on the Zoom View option.
Again, a menu of numbers appears. Click on number 1. The view you
defined as view 1 appears. Go to the Zoom View function again and click
on number 2. The view you defined as view 2 appears.
This is a very effective way of moving around a large drawing quickly.

An even faster way of moving between the different zooms is by

pressing the defined zoom view number on your keyboard (1, 2 etc.)
when the Zoom View menu is displayed.

Return your screen to its original magnification using the Zoom Paper
command by pressing the short cut key [R] on you keyboard, or right
clicking on the Redraw icon in the Files toolbar or Zoom icon on the
Screen toolbar.

5-10 Design Centre Reference

Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing
In this exercise you are going to draw a very simple shape - a rectangle -
in several different ways. The purpose of this is not to create a serious
CAD drawing, but to show you how to draw easily and accurately with
Civil Designer, using a variety of methods.
You will be shown how to:
• Use specific coordinate locations
• Undo an operation
• Use the [Home], [End], [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys
• The arrow keys
• Input polar coordinates
• Use a locked cursor
• Use geometry
• Use a grid
• Use jumps and snap modes
• Save your drawing

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-1

Setting up your drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting File
Clear All.
In this tutorial you begin with a clear screen representing a blank sheet
of A4 paper at a scale of 1:1. Your units are millimeters, you are in
Cartesian mode, you are using a decimal angular format (dd.dddd) with
angles measured anti-clockwise from 3 o’clock and your paper is oriented
in landscape.

To set up your drawing like this, select Settings
Drawing Settings. The
Drawing Defaults dialog box is displayed. Click on the button in the
section of the dialog box headed Angular Format.

6-2 Design Centre Reference

The Angular Format dialog box will be displayed. Edit this so that it
looks exactly like the one shown below, and then click on OK to save
your changes.
Use the Zoom Paper command by right clicking on the Redraw icon in
the Files toolbar or the Screen toolbar.
The way that your paper size, scale, units, etc. are set up each time you
start a new drawing is stored in a drawing called STARTUP.DRG. See
the chapter on Defaults in the Reference Manual.

You can change paper size, scale, units, etc. at any time during
drawing. See Drawing Settings in the Settings Menu chapter in the
Reference Manual.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-3

Using specific coordinate locations
Before you start this tutorial, check the bottom right of the screen to see
whether there are two numbers that change as you move the cursor.
These numbers show the coordinate position of the cursor on the screen.
If there is no coordinate display, go to Settings
View Settings and click
on the Show Coordinates box so that a tick appears in it. Then click on
OK to exit the dialog box.
You are going to draw your first rectangle in the top left corner of
the screen. Click on the Rectangle icon.
The program prompts for the position of the first corner of a rectangle:
Enter first rectangle corner
You are going to position the first corner of the rectangle at a specific
coordinate location, using the Move to Coordinates function.
To do this, ensure that your cursor is in the Drawing Area, and
then right click on the Polar Move icon in the Screen toolbar.

You can also access Move to Coordinates from the Jumps section of the
Tools menu or by typing the [U] key on your keyboard.
The [U] key is called an Accelerator, because it is a fast way of accessing
the Move to Coordinates function.

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter coordinates cursor should move to
Type “-120 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates.

You can also accept the coordinates by clicking on the OK button.

The cursor moves to the top left part of the screen. Note that the cursor
display at the bottom right of the screen reflects the cursor's position of -
120 80. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle
Right click on the Polar Move icon to access the Move to Coordinates
function.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to
Type over the default coordinates of “-120 80” with the coordinates “-90
40” and press [Enter].

6-4 Design Centre Reference

The cursor moves and the rectangle appears. You have now drawn your
first rectangle, using absolute coordinate positions. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner
Ignore this prompt for the time being.

An aside - Undo
You are now going to Undo the rectangle you have drawn so that if you
do something wrong later in this tutorial you can Undo it and try again.
Click on the Undo icon. The rectangle disappears. You can Undo a
maximum of 1000 actions in this way. Refer to Undo in the
Reference Manual.

The Undo function can also be accessed from the Edit Menu.
If you undo something by accident you can redo it again by clicking on
the Redo icon or from the Edit menu.

[Home] [End] [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys

As you have undone the rectangle you drew, you should now have a
blank drawing area. Civil Designer continues to prompt:
Enter first rectangle corner
Move your cursor off the toolbar and into the Drawing Area. Right click
on the Polar Move icon to access the Move to Coordinates function. Civil
Designer prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to
Type “-120 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. The cursor
moves to coordinate position -120 80 in the top left part of the screen.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle
In Civil Designer accurate horizontal and vertical movement is achieved
with the arrow keys. Accurate diagonal movement is achieved with the
[Home], [PgUp], [End] and [PgDn] keys, and the Polar Move function.
Press the [PgDn] key. The second corner of your rectangle will be below
and to the right of the first corner. If you have a numeric keypad, you will
note that the [PgDn] key is the bottom right key on the keypad,
corresponding to the direction in which you want to move. Civil Designer
prompts:

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-5

 Move Right and Down: How far?
Type “30 40” and press [Enter] to accept the distances. The cursor moves
to a position 30mm to the right of and 40mm down from the original
point and the outline of a rectangle appears.
Note that the rectangle outline is not coloured and that Civil Designer is
still prompting for the second rectangle corner. This is because while you
have moved the cursor to the new position you have not yet accepted this
as the position for the rectangle corner.
To accept the position as the second rectangle corner, you must press
[Enter]. Alternatively, you can press your left mouse button. However, if
you use your left mouse button you may accidentally wobble your mouse
with your hand, moving it slightly off the correct position and resulting in
an inaccurate rectangle.
Press [Enter] to accept the cursor position as the second point of the
rectangle. The rectangle becomes coloured and Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

When you use the arrow, [Home], [PgUp], [End] or [PgDn] keys, you
have to press [Enter] an extra time to fix the cursor position after the
cursor has moved. This allows you to re-adjust the cursor position if you
are not satisfied with it. For example, you may wish to Shift the cursor
an additional 10mm to the right before accepting its position.

The arrow keys

You are going to draw the next rectangle with lines. You are going
to position this rectangle relative to the first rectangle you drew
using the arrow keys. Ignore the prompt for the first rectangle
corner and click on the Line icon.

You can also access the Line function by pressing the [Ctrl] and [L]
keys on your keyboard at the same time, or by selecting Draw
Line
(Chained).

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter first point of line
An "x" marks the last point you entered at the bottom right corner of the
rectangle. Move back to this point by pressing the [X] key on your
keyboard. This performs a Last Fixed jump and moves your cursor back
to and exactly onto the last point you entered.

6-6 Design Centre Reference

You can also access the Last Fixed jump via the Jumps option of the
Tools menu.

Press the [Right-Arrow] key.

The program prompts:
Move Right: How far?
The program has remembered the horizontal distance that you entered
when you used the [PgDn] key, “30”. Press [Enter] to accept this
distance.
The cursor moves 30mm to the right. Press [Enter] to accept this position
as the first point in the line.
You are now going to draw a rectangle using the arrow keys. The
program prompts:
Enter next point of line
Press the [Up-Arrow] key. Civil Designer prompts:
Move Up: How far?

Civil Designer has remembered the vertical distance that you entered
when you used the [PgDn] key, “40”. Press [Enter] to accept this
distance. A vertical line 40mm long is drawn. Press [Enter] to accept this
line. The program prompts:
Enter next point of line

Moving the same distance again

You now need to draw the next line making up the rectangle - a 30mm
horizontal line.
Press the [Shift] key and the [Right-Arrow] key at the same time. You are
not asked how far you want to move and the cursor automatically moves
30mm to the right, drawing a horizontal line. The program has
remembered the distance you last moved horizontally. Pressing the
[Shift] key at the same time as the arrow key has caused it to move this
distance automatically. Press [Enter] to accept the new horizontal line.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter next point of line
Press the [Shift] key and the [Down-Arrow] key at the same time. A
40mm vertical line is drawn. Press [Enter] to accept the new vertical line.
Complete the rectangle using the [Shift] and [Left-Arrow] keys. Press
[Enter] to accept the last point of the rectangle.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-7

Civil Designer continues to prompt:
Enter next point of line
Press [Esc] to terminate this function.

6-8 Design Centre Reference

Polar coordinates
Click on the Rectangle icon.

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter first rectangle corner
Move your cursor off the toolbar and onto the Drawing Area. Right
click on the Polar Move icon in the Screen toolbar to access the
Move to Coordinates function.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to
Type “0 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. The cursor
moves to the right of the rectangles you have already drawn.
Enter second corner of rectangle
Click on the Polar Move icon to access the Polar Move function.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter distance to move
Type “50” and press [Enter] to accept the distance. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter bearing in form dd.dddd
You have set up the Angular Format to measure angles anti-clockwise
from 3 o’clock. To get a rectangle the same size and shape as the ones
you have already drawn, you need to give a distance of 50mm and an
angle of -53.13 or 306.87 degrees.
Type “-53.13” and press [Enter] to accept the angle. The rectangle is
drawn and Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner
This rectangle will not be exactly the same as the others because only
two decimal places have been used. However, it serves to illustrate the
use of polar coordinates.

You can also access Polar Move by typing the [P] key on your keyboard
or from the Tools
Jumps option.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-9

Using a locked cursor
In this section, only locking the cursor into the horizontal and vertical
directions will be demonstrated. However, the cursor can be locked to
any angle and to its orthogonal, as well as into an isometric mode (30, 330
and 90 degrees). See Lock Cursor in the Reference Manual.
Ignore the prompt for the first rectangle corner and click on the Line
icon. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first point of line
Ensure your mouse is in the Drawing Area. Right click on the Polar
Move icon to access Move to Coordinates. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to
Type “60 80” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. The cursor
moves to the right of the rectangles you have already drawn. Civil
Designer prompts:
Enter next point of line
Press the [Shift] key and your [Right-Arrow] key at the same time to
move the cursor 30mm to the right. Press [Enter] to accept the horizontal
line that is drawn. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter next point of line
Ensure that your cursor is in Grab All mode. If not, click on the
Grab All icon. Do not worry about the fact that the line you are
drawing follows your cursor as you click on the icon in the toolbar.
When you have clicked on the icon, move your cursor back to the
area of the screen where you are drawing.

When the cursor is a square you are in Grab All mode. This means that
the cursor will automatically jump to any point within the cursor box.

You are now going to lock the cursor so that you can only draw
horizontally or vertically. Click on the Set Square icon in the Screen
toolbar.

You can also access this function (called Hold) by pressing the [+] key
on your numeric keypad and via Tools
Lock Cursor.

A diamond shape appears inside the box that represents the cursor. Use
your mouse to pull the cursor downwards. The line that is drawn is
vertical and straight. When the line reaches the level of the bottoms of
the rectangles you have already drawn, move your mouse to the left.

6-10 Design Centre Reference

The square representing the cursor separates from the diamond. Move
the cursor so that the bottom right hand corner of the right hand existing
rectangle is within the cursor box (see below).
Press [Enter] or your left mouse button. The square cursor jumps back to
the diamond shape and the vertical line has been terminated so that it is
exactly the same length as the vertical lines of the other boxes.

Now move your mouse to the left, then move it up so that the cursor box
detaches from the diamond. Place the cursor box around the end of the
top line and press [Enter] or your left mouse button. Again the cursor
box springs back and the bottom line of the box has been cut to exactly
the right length.

To finish the box, move your mouse upwards so that the cursor box
surrounds the end of the top line again. Press [Enter] or your left mouse
button. The rectangle is complete.
Cancel line drawing by clicking on [Done]. You can also cancel functions
by pressing the [Space Bar]. When you cancel line drawing, the cursor is
automatically unlocked.

Using Geometry
In this section you are going to draw some geometry lines and use these
to draw a box. The lines you are going to draw will be very simple.
Select the Geometry
Cross function. Civil Designer prompts for a cross
centre position:
Enter point for geometry cross
Ensure that your cursor is in the Drawing Area, and then right click on
the Polar Move icon to access the Move to Coordinates function.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-11

Civil Designer prompts:
Enter coordinates cursor should move to
Type “-120 0” and press [Enter] to accept these coordinates. A cross of
dotted geometry lines appears at the left of the screen. These lines can be
snapped to. They can be turned on and off, rubbed out, and saved.
Although you can see them on the screen, they do not plot out. Civil
Designer prompts:
Enter point for geometry cross
Press the [Shift] key and the [PgDn] key at the same time. Civil Designer
automatically moves 30mm to the right and 40mm down - the distances
you have been using throughout this tutorial.
Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as the position of the
second cross. The cross is displayed. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter point for geometry cross
Ignore this prompt and select the Geometry
Parallel Line option. Civil
Designer prompts:
Parallel geometry element by distance? (else through point)
Click on the [YES] button. You are going to draw a parallel geometry line
a specific distance away from an existing line. Civil Designer prompts:
Select original line or circle on correct side
Move your cursor to the cursor position shown in the next figure and
click. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter parallel distance
Type “150” and press [Enter] to accept this distance. A parallel geometry
line is drawn.
Civil Designer prompts:
Select original line or circle on correct side
Click again at the same position shown below. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter parallel distance
Type “180” and press [Enter] to accept this distance. Another parallel
line appears. Civil Designer prompts:
Select original line or circle on correct side
Ignore this prompt and click on the Rectangle icon. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter first rectangle corner

6-12 Design Centre Reference

Move your cursor close to the bottom right geometry cross. Press the [I]
key on your keyboard. This causes the cursor to jump exactly onto the
closest intersection of geometry lines.

The Geometry Intersection snap can also be accessed from the Jumps
section of the Tools menu.

Press [Enter] to accept this intersection as the first corner of the

rectangle. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle
Move the cursor close to the intersection above and to the left of the first
rectangle corner. Press [I] to jump onto it exactly and press [Enter] to
accept it as the second rectangle corner.

For the present, you will not need the geometry lines you have drawn.
Turn them off by going to the Settings
View Settings option. Click on the
Show Geometry box so that the tick in the box disappears (i.e. the box is

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-13

unchecked). Then click on OK to exit the View Settings dialog box. The
geometry lines disappear.

You can also switch off the geometry using the Geometry
Switch
Geometry On/Off option. In this tutorial you have used the Geometry
Intersection snap to draw between geometry intersections. You can also
“trace over” geometry lines and arcs using the Draw
Geometry Trace-
Over function. For a full list of constructions see the section on
Geometry.

Some of the rectangle lines may disappear or look broken. Press [S] or
click on the Refresh button.

Using a grid
Now, you will draw a rectangle using a regular grid.
Go to the Tools
Grid option. A Grid Settings dialog box is displayed. Set
it up as shown below. This will yield a grid with horizontal spacing of
30mm and vertical spacing of 40mm.

The Grid Display Density figure is only important if you have a grid that
is too fine to be practically displayed on the screen. The figure shown is
the maximum number of dots that will appear on the screen.
If you have a very fine grid you can limit the maximum number of dots
that will be shown so that perhaps only every second or third grid dot
will be shown. The dots that are not shown exist even though you can’t
see them. They can be snapped to and will appear as you magnify into
the drawing.
Click on OK button to close the dialog box, ensuring that you have
checked the Grid On box. Civil Designer will still prompt you:
Enter first rectangle corner
Move the cursor to the position shown. Press [G]. The cursor jumps
exactly onto the nearest grid point.

6-14 Design Centre Reference

Press [Enter] to accept this grid point as the first rectangle corner. Civil
Designer prompts:
Enter second corner of rectangle
Now move the cursor close to the grid point below and to the right. Press
[G]. The cursor jumps to the grid point. Press [Enter] to accept this as the
second rectangle corner.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-15

Jumps and Snap Modes
So far you have encountered four types of jump:
Key Function
X Makes the cursor jump to the Last Fixed point of the cursor.
I Makes the cursor jump to an Intersection of geometry lines.
P Makes the cursor jump to an exact distance in a specific direction. Also
known as Polar jump.
G Makes the cursor jump to a Grid point.

There are also a number of other jumps:

Key Function
H Jump to the centre of the screen.
A Jump to anything within the cursor box.
J Jump to the nearest point, e.g. the end of a line, an arc centre.
0 Jump to any intersection.
(zero)
N Jump to the nearest line or arc.
Ctrl P Jump perpendicular to a line or circle.
Ctrl T Jump to a tangent point on a circle or arc.
O Jump to a fixed ratio between two points.
U Jump to an exact coordinate location.
C Jump to the midpoint of the nearest line.
Shift C Jump to the midpoint between two points.
* Jump to the nearest circle or arc centre point.
As well as jumps, there are Snap modes. So far in this tutorial you have
used the Grab All snap mode. In Grab All mode the cursor is a square
and automatically jumps exactly to any point within this square each
time you press [Enter] or your left mouse button.
To get to Grab All mode click on the Grab All icon.

You have also been using the Freehand mode. In this mode the
cursor looks like a bird (free as a bird) and does not jump to
anything unless you specifically tell it to.
Some functions automatically switch to Freehand mode, because it is
important that the cursor doesn't snap to anything by accident. These
include Move to Coordinates and Polar Move.

6-16 Design Centre Reference

In the Grab All and Freehand modes you can use any of the jumps listed
above.
However, it may be that you have laid out a grid or a number of geometry
lines, and that you now want to draw between the grid points or
geometry line intersections.
In this case you can change to a special Grid or Geometry Intersection
snap mode where the cursor automatically snaps to grid points or
geometry intersections without you having to type [G] or [I] and [Enter]
each time.
Civil Designer is still prompting:
Enter first rectangle corner
Click on the Grid snap icon and click on OK. The cursor changes
shape.

You can also enter the Grid mode by pressing the [Shift] and [G] keys
on your keyboard at the same time.

Move close to the upper grid point to the right of the rectangle you have
just drawn. Click. Note how the cursor automatically snaps onto the grid
point. There is no need to press [Enter] to accept the point as the first
rectangle corner.
Civil Designer will prompt:
Enter second corner of rectangle
Move the cursor close to the grid point below and to the right and click.
The rectangle is completed. You will no longer need the grid, so go to
Tools
Grid. Click on the Grid On box to uncheck it.
Click on OK to exit the Grid dialog box. The grid disappears.
As well as the Freehand, Grab All and Grid modes, there are also the
following snap modes. Note that the cursor is a different shape in each
mode, as shown in the following table.
Snap Icon Cur Function
Geometry Automatically snaps to nearest geometry
Intersection intersection.
Point Automatically snaps to nearest point.

Nearest Line/Arc Automatically snaps to nearest element.

Intersection Automatically snaps to nearest intersection.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-17

Circle Centre Automatically snaps to nearest circle or arc
centre point.
Perpendicular Automatically snaps a line to another line or
arc so that they are perpendicular to each
other.
Tangent Automatically snaps a line or arc to another
line or arc so that they are perpendicular to
each other.

Although Geometry Intersection and Grid jumps and snap modes are
used in this tutorial, the Grab All mode can also snap to geometry
intersections and grid points, as well as to points and intersections.

6-18 Design Centre Reference

Transparent commands
The program has over 70 “transparent commands”. These are
commands that can be accessed while you are doing something else,
without terminating the thing you are doing.
Moving to a specific coordinate location, using polar coordinates,
defining a grid, all the jumps as well as the snap modes are transparent
commands.
In this section you will be introduced to a few more, including changing
line type, changing line colour, changing line width and magnifying.
Civil Designer is still prompting:
Enter first rectangle corner
Ignore this prompt and click on the Line icon.

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter first point of line
You are going to draw this rectangle in the Geometry Intersection
mode. Click on the Geometry Intersection icon. The cursor changes
shape.

You can also enter Geometry Intersection mode by typing [Shift] [I] on
your keyboard.

You now need the geometry lines you drew earlier. Go to the
Settings
View Settings option. Click on the Show Geometry box so that a
tick appears in the box. Then click on OK to exit the View Settings dialog
box. The geometry lines re-appear.

You can also switch on geometry by using Geometry
Switch Geometry

On/Off.

Note that Civil Designer is still prompting for the first point of the line,
even though you have entered the Geometry Intersection mode and
turned on the Geometry since you selected the line drawing command.
Move your cursor close to the top left geometry cross next to the
rectangle you have just drawn. Click. The cursor snaps to the cross point
that is automatically accepted as the first point of the line. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter next point of line

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-19

You are now going to change the line type you are drawing with. Note
that you can do this even though you are in the middle of drawing a line.
Move your cursor to the top of the screen and click on the arrow next to
the line type display. A menu of line types appears. Click on the line type
you want to use. Civil Designer continues to prompt:
Enter next point of line
Move the cursor close to the next intersection to the right and click. The
cursor jumps to the point. The line type used is the one you have just
chosen.
You are going to draw the next line in a different colour. Move your
cursor to the right, to the Color toolbar and click on a colour. Then move
the cursor close to the next intersection and click. The line is drawn in
the new colour.
You are going to draw the next line with a different width. Move your
cursor to the Line icon. Do not worry about the fact that the line you are
drawing is dragged behind the cursor as you move it.
Right click on the Line icon. The Line Style dialog box is displayed.

Edit the line width. You can also edit the line type and colour again if you
want to. When you have finished editing, click on OK and draw the third
side of the rectangle.

You can also access the Line Style dialog box using Settings
Line
Defaults. If you have selected a dotted or dashed line type and a width
greater than 0, the line may appear continuous. It will, however, print
correctly. Refer to the Common Questions and Problems chapter.

Move your cursor onto the top horizontal line of the rectangle that you
are drawing. Press the [T] key. This will “pick” the line style from the top
horizontal line, so that the last line of the rectangle you draw will have
exactly the same style as the top horizontal line.

6-20 Design Centre Reference

 Pen

Lastly, move your cursor close to the last point of the rectangle. Click on
the Magnify icon. The rectangle is enlarged. Click so that the cursor
jumps onto the final corner of the rectangle. The final line is drawn, in
the same line style as the one you used for the top horizontal line.

You can also access the Magnify command by pressing the [M] key on
your keyboard or via View
Magnify. Each time you use the Magnify
command your screen is magnified or further magnified by a factor of
three. To change this magnification factor, click on the Magnify icon in
the Screen toolbar or use Settings
Change Magnify Factor.

Cancel line drawing by clicking on [Done]. Turn off the geometry lines by
un-checking the Show Geometry option in Settings
View Settings.
Return your screen to its original magnification using the Zoom Paper
command by right clicking on the Redraw icon. You should now have
eight rectangles on your drawing as shown above.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-21

Changing line styles
You are now going to change the line styles of the eighth rectangle so
that this rectangle conforms to the other rectangles.
Position the cursor above and to the left of the eighth rectangle. Press
down your left mouse button and, holding it down, move your mouse
below and to the right of the eighth rectangle. Release your left mouse
button.
The eighth rectangle is highlighted and eight squares, or “handles”,
appear around it. This means that it has been selected, which in turn
means that you can move it, copy it, edit it etc.
Right click on the Line icon to access the Line Style dialog box. Edit the
dialog box so that the line type, colour and width matches the type,
colour and width of the other seven rectangles. Click on the Apply
button, check the attributes you want to change, and then on OK.
Right click on the Eraser icon to deselect the rectangle. The eighth
rectangle now looks like the other seven rectangles.

In this example, you selected all the lines in the rectangle and then
changed them all to a particular line style. You could also use the
Advanced option of Edit
Selection Filters to select some lines, for
example just pale blue lines or just dotted lines.
You could then use the Line Style dialog box to change the line style of
the selected lines in the same way that you used it to change the line
style of the selected lines in this tutorial.

6-22 Design Centre Reference

Saving your drawing
You will now save your drawing. Right click on the Save icon and
type a name for your drawing in the box under the words File
Name. Then click on Save.

For more details on saving see Save Settings, Save Options, and Save As
in the Reference Manual.

You have now completed Tutorial 2.

You can either:
• click on File
Clear All to clear the screen and go on to Tutorial 3;
• experiment on your own; or
• exit Civil Designer using File
Exit.

Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing 6-23

Notes:

6-24 Design Centre Reference

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics
In this tutorial you are going to learn some CAD basics:
• Filleting
• Chamfering
• Parallel Lines
• Hatching
• Text
• Dimensions
• Stretching
• Producing a Detailed View
At the end of this tutorial you will have created your first drawing.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-1

Loading a drawing
Ensure your drawing screen is blank by selecting File
Clear All.
Unless you have done Tutorial 2 and have saved your own drawing
under a name of your choice, the drawing you are going to load is called
“tute3” in the Drawings directory.
Load a drawing by clicking on the Open icon. The following dialog
box is displayed. Select the file “tute3.drg”.

The drawing tute3 appears. It should look like the figure below. If you
can only see part of this drawing when it appears on the screen, press [R]
on your keyboard. The whole drawing will then appear.

7-2 Design Centre Reference

Fillets and chamfers
A Fillet is a radius between two lines or arcs. A Chamfer is a third angled
line between two lines. You are now going to fillet and chamfer the top
left hand rectangle in the drawing.

Filleting
Select the Modify
Fillet function. The Fillet options are displayed on the
Control Bar.
Civil Designer prompts:
Select corner to fillet (Choose inside of arc)
Edit the Fillet settings as shown below.

The Both Lines value in the Fillet Update box means that both lines
making up the rectangle corner will be filleted.
The One Point setting in the Use box means that in cases like this where
there is no ambiguity about which lines to fillet you can select the corner
to fillet with just one mouse click.
Press [Enter] after typing in the radius of “10” or click on the Enter
button on the Control Bar.
Note that the cursor has changed to Freehand mode so it will not jump to
anything unless you specifically tell it to. If you try to fillet in a Snap
mode other than Freehand mode, the cursor may unexpectedly jump
onto a point that you don't want it to jump to while you are filleting, with
unforeseen consequences.

For details on Snap modes, see Tutorial 2 - Accurate Drawing and Snap
Modes in the Reference Manual.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-3

Position the cursor inside the rectangle corner to be filleted, at the
position shown below.

Click or press [Enter]. The corner is filleted. Click on the [Done] button
to terminate the Fillet function.

7-4 Design Centre Reference

Chamfering
Select the Modify
Chamfer command. Chamfer parameter options
appear on the Control Bar and Civil Designer prompts:
Select first line to be chamfered
Edit the Control Bar as shown below.

Length2 in the second box means that you are going to define the
chamfer by giving two lengths, rather than by giving one length and an
angle. The figures on either side of Length2 (10 and 20) are the two
lengths.
Press [Enter] after typing in the lengths or click on the Enter button on
the Control Bar. Select the top line of the rectangle you have just filleted
by clicking near it. The cursor has changes to Freehand mode. Civil
Designer prompts:
Second line

Select the left line of the rectangle in the same way. The two lines are
chamfered. Your top left rectangle should now look like the one above.
Cancel chamfering by clicking on the [Done] button.

For full details of the meanings of all the options on the Control Bar in
the Fillet and Chamfer functions, see Fillet and Chamfer in the Modify
Menu.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-5

Drawing parallel lines
You are now going to draw parallel lines using the bottom right rectangle
of the drawing.

Drawing lines around an existing perimeter.

Select the Settings
Parallel Defaults function. This allows you to define
how many parallel lines there will be, as well as the colour, line type,
width and offset of each line. Edit the dialog box as shown below.

The Around Existing Perimeter option should be checked because you

are going to draw parallel lines around an existing perimeter - the
bottom right rectangle.
The Number of Parallel Lines box should contain the number “3”. You
can draw up to nine parallel lines in this way.
Make sure that you specify positive offsets for the parallel lines. If you
give negative offsets, the parallel lines will be created on the other side of
the original line.
Click on OK to exit the dialog box. You are now ready to start drawing
parallel lines around the bottom right-hand rectangle.

7-6 Design Centre Reference

For full details on the meanings of all the options in the Parallel
Defaults dialog box refer to Parallel Defaults in the Settings Menu
chapter of the Reference Manual.

Click on the Multiple Parallel Line icon. You can also select
Parallel Line from the Draw menu.
The Perimeter menu is displayed in the Control Bar at the top of the
screen. It appears whenever you need a perimeter, such as now, or when
you need to hatch or measure an area.

Click on the Perimeter/Area icon. This option tracks most

perimeters automatically.

See Polygon Area in the Tools Menu for details on other perimeter
tracking options.

Civil Designer prompts:

Place cursor inside perimeter and near a line.

Click at the cursor position shown in the previous figure. The rectangle
becomes highlighted.
Click on the [Accept] button in the Perimeter menu. The parallel lines
will be drawn (see the bottom right rectangle in the figure below).

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-7

Drawing Fresh Parallel Lines
You are now going to draw some more parallel lines while drawing a new
line.
Select the Settings
Parallel Defaults function. Set up the dialog box as
shown below.

7-8 Design Centre Reference

The Draw Fresh option is checked because you are going to draw parallel
lines down the middle of the rectangle with the parallel lines around it
and not around an existing perimeter.
The Number of Parallel Lines box should contain the number “1”. Set up
the Pen (colour), the Type (line type), the Width and the Offset for the
one parallel line you are going to draw. Give an offset of “3”.
Ensure that the Close off Ends box is unchecked. When you have finished
editing the dialog box, click on OK.
Click on the Parallel Line icon. As you are not going to track an
existing perimeter, the Perimeter menu does not appear in the
Control Bar.
Instead, Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first point of line
Move your cursor to the position shown below and press [0] (zero) to
jump exactly to the nearest intersection. Press the [Right-Arrow] key.

Civil Designer prompts:

Move Right: How far?
Type “16.5” and press [Enter] to accept the distance. The cursor moves
16.5mm to the right. Press [Enter] to accept the new cursor position as
the first point of the line.

See Tutorial 2 – Accurate Drawing for more examples of jumps and

accurate movement using arrow keys.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-9

Civil Designer prompts:
Enter next point of line.
Click on the Perpendicular Snap icon. The cursor changes shape to
resemble the icon. Position it close to the bottom line of the
rectangle as shown in the next figure and click.
The cursor jumps exactly onto the bottom line of the rectangle so that
the line you are drawing is perpendicular to it.

Click on the [Done] button. A parallel line is also drawn with the
parameters we defined. Note that Civil Designer also snips away the
ends of the parallel line. This is because the Close Off Ends option was
not ticked.

7-10 Design Centre Reference

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-11
Hatching
You are now going to add hatching to the drawing, first a fairly simply
one and then hatching with islands or exclusions.

A simple hatch
The next step is to hatch the top left rectangle with the chamfer and the
fillet. Go to the Annotate
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill option. Set up the hatch
parameters as shown below.

Select hatch type “ansi31” - the parallel angled lines.

The Perimeter menu is displayed in the Control Bar. Select the
Perimeter/Area icon for an auto perimeter track. The program
asks for a point inside the perimeter and near to a line.
Click inside the rectangle you have chamfered and filleted near to one of
the perimeter lines.
The rectangle perimeter is highlighted. Click on the [Accept] button. The
rectangle is hatched as shown in the next figure.

7-12 Design Centre Reference

Hatching with islands
You are now going to hatch a more complex area.
Go to the Annotate
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill option. Accept the parameters
previously set up in the dialog box.
You could use the Perimeter/Area icon to define the perimeter, but in
order to learn more about the program you will use the Intersections
option. This option is very useful for defining perimeters that are too
complex for the Perimeter/Area option.
Click on the Intersections icon in the Perimeter menu on the
Control Bar. The cursor changes to the Grab All mode.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first intersection point of perimeter
Move the cursor close to the top left-hand corner of the rectangle
containing the two smaller rectangles as shown in the following figure.
Click.
Civil Designer will snap onto the corner as the first intersection and
display the following prompt:
Identify next element of perimeter

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-13

Move your cursor close to the top line of the rectangle and click.

Civil Designer prompts:

Identify next intersection point
Position your cursor close to the right hand corner as shown above.
You will see that the cursor is now attached to a line. When you click, the
cursor will jump onto the right hand corner, and the top line of the
rectangle, which you have now identified as a part of the perimeter, will
be highlighted.

7-14 Design Centre Reference

Civil Designer prompts:
Identify next element of perimeter
Position your cursor close to the right hand side of the rectangle and
click. Continue selecting corners and elements alternately until the
whole rectangle is highlighted. Then terminate the Intersection function
by clicking on the [Done] button in the Perimeter menu. The perimeter
continues to flash.
The [Accept] button appears on the Control Bar in place of the [Done]
button. Clicking on the [Accept] button signifies that a perimeter is
complete. If you were to click on this button now, the entire area inside
the rectangle you have just defined would be hatched.
This would not be a disaster, as you could use Annotate
Alter Existing
Hatch to add the islands to the hatch later.
However, it is more convenient to define the islands now. You are going
to define these using the Perimeter/Area option.
Click on the Perimeter/Area icon in the Perimeter menu and
define the perimeter of one of the islands by clicking close to the
inside of one of the smaller rectangles, but inside the rectangle you
have just defined. The rectangle is tracked and highlighted.
You still need to add the other smaller rectangle to the perimeter. Click
on the Perimeter/Area icon again and select the other rectangle in a
similar manner. The rectangle is tracked and highlighted.
The perimeter is now complete, so you can now click on the [Accept]
button. The perimeter is hatched.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-15

If you have made a mistake and your hatching does not look like the
hatching above, do the following.
Right click on the Select icon in the File toolbar so that the
Selection dialog box appears.
Click on the Hatch button in the Selection dialog box. Then click on the
hatch that has gone wrong, then press the [Delete] key on your keyboard.
The hatch is deleted. Click on the Close button to close the dialog box.
Redo this section from the heading Hatching with islands. Do not worry
about the fact that your other hatching also seems to have disappeared.
Now redraw the screen by right clicking on the Redraw icon. You
will notice that the hatching is not drawn, although if you output
the drawing it will be plotted or printed. This is for speed.
To view your hatching, go to the Annotate
Draw All Hatch function. The
hatches will reappear until next time you redraw the screen.

You can set up the program so that it automatically draws hatches on

each redraw. This will slow down redraws. Go to Settings
View Settings
and select All in the Hatch to Draw section.

7-16 Design Centre Reference

Text
You will now add some text to your drawing. Text objects may use
different fonts, sizes and angles.

Entering text
Click on the Text icon.

Civil Designer will prompt:

Enter text position
Move the cursor to about an inch below the bottom row of rectangles and
click. The Text Entry dialog box is displayed.
Type some text into the white area of the box. Press the [Ctrl] and
[Enter] keys at the same time to move to a new line if you want to type
more than one line of text into the box. If you check the Accept Return
check box in the Text Entry dialog box, you can move to a new line by
pressing the [Enter] key on its own.
When you have finished typing, click on OK.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

The text is displayed on the screen. Cancel text by clicking on [Done].

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-17

You can also enter text using Annotate
Add Text. In this tutorial you
are placing text rather arbitrarily but it is possible to use all tools such
as the arrow keys, snaps, polar coordinates, geometry etc. to place text
accurately.

Editing Text
Unless you have previously changed the text defaults, the text that
appears on your screen is very small. In fact, it might appear on your
screen as a box.
When text is smaller than a certain proportion of the screen size, it is
drawn as a box or even as a dot. This is to speed up redraws. To read the
text, click on it with the cursor and type [M] to magnify.
To return your drawing to its original magnification, right click on the
Redraw icon. You are now going to make the text larger. Double-click on
the text with your left mouse button.

You can also edit single lines, arrows, polylines, dimensions and bitmap
parameters by double clicking on them with the left mouse button.

The Text Entry dialog box is displayed, with your text inside it. Set the
text height at the top left of the Text Entry dialog box to “10” then click
on OK. You can also change your text at this stage if you have made a
spelling error.

You can set the text defaults by right clicking on the Text icon.

Aligning Text
Click on the text once. The text becomes highlighted and eight boxes -
“handles” - appear around it. It is now selected. Hold down your [Shift]
key and click on the left hand bottom rectangle so that the rectangle is
also selected. Click on Annotate
Set Alignment. A dialog box appears.
Edit it so that it looks exactly as shown below.

7-18 Design Centre Reference

This will cause the selected items - the text and the rectangle - to be
aligned to the left. When you have finished editing the dialog box, click
on the [Apply] button, then click on the OK button. The text and
rectangle will be aligned.
Deselect the text and the rectangle by right clicking on the Eraser icon.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-19

Dimensions
You are now going to enhance your drawing by adding various
dimensions to the figures.

Linear Dimensions
Select the Annotate
Horizontal Dimension option to add a horizontal
dimension to the bottom right rectangle. Civil Designer prompts:
Do you want running, chained or free dimensions (R/C/F)
Click on the OK button to accept the default “Running”. Civil Designer
prompts:
Enter text position
When specifying the text position, the only coordinate that matters is the
distance of the text above or below the line to be dimensioned, as the text
is automatically centered between the witness points.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

Position the cursor at a point below the bottom of the rectangle with the
parallel lines and click.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first point
Note that the cursor mode has now changed to Point Snap mode. In
this mode the cursor automatically jumps onto the ends of lines or
onto arc centers

7-20 Design Centre Reference

 Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

Position the cursor near the bottom left corner as shown above and click.
The cursor automatically snaps exactly onto the corner.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter next point
Position the cursor near the bottom right corner as shown in the next
figure and click. The cursor automatically snaps exactly to the corner.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics

The program now measures the distance between the two points you
have entered and displays it (70) with the following prompt:
Enter text of dimension

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-21

At this stage you could alter your dimension, for example add tolerances
to it. For now just accept the displayed dimension by clicking on the OK
button.
The dimension is added as shown in the figure below.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

Civil Designer continues to prompt:

Enter next point
Position the cursor near to the corner shown below and click.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

7-22 Design Centre Reference

The program now measures the distance between the two points you
have entered and displays it (5) with the following prompt:
Enter text of dimension
Accept the dimension as it is by clicking on the OK button. Because the
dimension is very small and the text relatively large, Civil Designer
warns:
Text Cramped. Enter new Horizontal Position.
Click on the “Left” option.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

The dimension is placed on the drawing and the text, which would not
have had space in its original position, is shifted to the left. Small
dimension text, like ordinary text, is displayed as a box.
Cancel horizontal dimensioning by clicking on the [Done] button.

Radial Dimensions
You will now dimension the arc of the fillet you created in the top left
rectangle, as shown in. Select Annotate
Radial Dimension. Civil Designer
prompts:
Radial dimension .. select arc or circle
Position the cursor near to the fillet in the top left rectangle and click.
The program measures the radius of the arc and presents it for editing (R
10) with the following prompt:
Enter text of radial dimension
Accept this radius by clicking on the OK button. Civil Designer prompts:

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-23

 Do you want text on radius arrow
You are going to make the text appear on a separate line, so click on the
[NO] button. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter text position
Move to a point above and to the right of the rectangle as shown below
and click.

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

The dimension is entered. Cancel radial dimensioning by clicking on

[Done].

R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

7-24 Design Centre Reference

Angular Dimensions
You are now going to dimension the chamfer you drew in the top left
rectangle. Choose the Annotate
Angular Dimension command. Civil
Designer will prompt:
Do you want angle? (else arclength)

Click on the [YES] button to dimension an angle. Civil Designer prompts:

Is this dimension between two existing lines?
Click on the [YES] button. Civil Designer prompts:
Select first line
Indicate the top line of the top left box by clicking near it or on it as
shown in the following figure.

R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Civil Designer prompts:

Select second line
Click on or near the sloping chamfered line as shown in the next figure to
select the second line.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-25

 R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter witness line start
The witness line is the line between the dimension arrow and whatever
is being measured. Move to a point above and to the left of the top corner
of the rectangle as shown and click.

R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter witness line end

7-26 Design Centre Reference

Move to a point further up and to the left and click. The program
measures the angle between the two lines and presents it for editing
(116.57°):
Civil Designer will prompt:
Enter text part of angular dimension
Accept the angle by clicking on the OK button. The angular dimension is
placed on the drawing. Civil Designer will prompt:
Satisfied with arc radius?

Click on the [NO] button. Civil Designer will now prompt:

Drag till satisfied with arc radius
Use the mouse to drag the radius. The cursor is linked to a rubber-
banded circle. Click when you are satisfied with the arc radius.
Satisfied with text position
Click on the [YES] button. The angular dimension is updated as shown
below.
7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Variable Dimensions
It is possible to dimension an object with variable dimensions, e.g. x, y,
and z then assign values to these variables. Similarly, you can assign new
values to existing dimensions. The drawing alters to fit the new
dimensions.
Select the Annotate
Horizontal Dimension option to draw a horizontal
dimension. When you are asked whether you want running, chained or

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-27

free dimensions type [F] to select Free, because you are only going to
draw one dimension. Press [Enter].
You are now prompted for the text position. Position the cursor at a
point below the second rectangle from the left on the top row and click.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter first point
Position the cursor near the bottom left corner of the rectangle and click.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter next point
Position the cursor near to the bottom right corner of the rectangle and
click.
The program measures the distance (30) and displays it with the prompt
Enter text of dimension
Overtype this figure with the letter “x” and press [Enter]. Click on the
OK button. The dimension is displayed on your drawing as “x” as shown
in the next figure.
Click on the Magnify icon if required.
7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Select the Annotate
Edit Dimension
Alter Dimension option.

Select dimension to be altered with cursor (else search for
text)
Click on the [YES] button. This means that you will select the dimension
to be altered by clicking on it. If you clicked on [NO] you would be able to

7-28 Design Centre Reference

type “x” and the program would search for the dimension “x” and
update it.
Civil Designer prompts:
Select dimension to be altered with cursor
Click on the dimension “x”. It is highlighted and the text is displayed in
the Control Bar.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter new dimension text
Type “45” and press [Enter]. Civil Designer prompts:
Alter a whole area, along witness line or at witness point
(A/L/P)
If you choose Area, the entire drawing will be altered in relation to the
new dimension. If you choose Line, everything lying along the dimension
witness lines will be altered. If you choose Point, only the one
dimensioned line will change.
Type “P” to choose Point and press [Enter]. Civil Designer prompts:
Keep left/lower point fixed? (else right/upper)

Click on the [YES] button. The bottom, dimensioned line of the rectangle
lengthens. You should still be magnified into your drawing and will be
able to see that the dimension now reads “45”.
7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Civil Designer still prompts:

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-29

 Select dimension to be altered with cursor (else search for
text)
Click on [YES] and then click on the [DONE] button to cancel the Alter
Dimension function.
To return your drawing to its original magnification, right click on the
Redraw icon.

7-30 Design Centre Reference

Stretching
You will now stretch the rectangle with the hatching and the parallel
lines. After the stretch is complete the hatching and dimensions will
automatically be updated.
Select the Modify
Stretch function.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter polygon about point to be moved
A large cross hair appears, with the cursor at the cross centre. Place the
cursor at the position shown and click.
7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter next point of polygon
Move the cursor diagonally to the position shown in the next figure.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-31

 7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 70.0

5.0

Press [Space Bar]. Civil Designer prompts:

Enter point that must move
Position the cursor near the bottom right hand corner of the outside
parallel line and press [0] (zero) to jump exactly onto the corner.
Press [Enter] to accept the bottom right hand corner of the outside
parallel line as the point that must move.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter point it must move to
Press the [Right-Arrow] key. Civil Designer prompts:
Move Right: How far?
Type “15” and press [Enter], then press [Enter] again to accept the new
cursor position as the point the rectangle must stretch to.
The rectangle is stretched 15mm to the right. Note that the stretched
dimension has been updated so that it now reads “85” instead of “70”.
Go to the Annotate
Draw All Hatch function. Note that the hatching has
also been updated.

7-32 Design Centre Reference

 7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 85.0

5.0

Stretch is a very powerful command and can be used for many things
like moving dimension text around (e.g. from inside to outside the
arrows) and for moving complete views to another position.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-33

Producing an automatic detailed view
You are now going to produce an automatic detailed view of part of your
drawing, as shown in.
First you will create a new layer for the detailed view called “A”. Select
the Settings
Layer Settings function.

Now move the cursor to the first empty row and type in the details for a
new layer called “A” with a magnification factor of 2.0 as shown above.
Click on the OK button to close the Layer Settings dialog and create the
new layer.
Select the Tools
Expand function.
Civil Designer prompts:
Expand inside a box (else circle)
Click on [NO] so that the detailed view will be drawn inside a circle.
Would you like to enter box/circle after expand
Click on the [YES] button so that the detailed view will have a border.
Civil Designer prompts:
Enter centre point of expand circle
Position the cursor as shown below and click.

7-34 Design Centre Reference

 7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 85.0

5.0

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter point on radius
Position the cursor as shown in the following figure and click. The
contents of the circle that appears will be included in the detailed view.
7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 85.0

5.0

Civil Designer prompts:

Enter magnification factor
Accept the default value of “2” by clicking on the OK button. Civil
Designer prompts:
Enter position of expanded detail

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-35

 7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 85.0

5.0

Move your cursor to an empty part of the drawing as shown. A rectangle

is displayed to indicate the size of the detailed view. Move the rectangle
to the desired position.
The detailed view is generated.
Do you want arrow joining two circles
Click on the [YES] button. An arrow is added to the drawings.
The Magnified Layer dialog is displayed. This dialog box allows you to
store the detailed view on a different layer that will be at a different
magnification/scale to the rest of the drawing. This magnification is
determined by the next question
Enter new magnification for layer
Anything that you draw on this layer will be at the different
magnification to the rest of the drawing.
In this tutorial the detailed view will remain on the only layer you have
defined, “A”. Click on OK. Civil Designer prompts:
Enter new magnification for layer A
Type “1” and press [Enter] as you do not want to change the
magnification of layer A.

7-36 Design Centre Reference

 7°
6.5
11
R 10.0

45.0

Tutorial 3 - CAD Basics 85.0

5.0

Redraw your drawing by clicking on the Redraw icon. Your drawing

should now look like the one above.

Saving your drawing

Right click on the Save icon. Type a name for your drawing in the
box under the words File Name and click on Save.

For more details on saving see Save Settings, Save Options, and Save As
in the File Menu chapter in the Reference Manual.

You have now completed Tutorial 3.

You can either:
• experiment on your own;
• exit Civil Designer using File
Exit; or
• click on File
Clear All and go on to Tutorial 4.

Tutorial 3 – CAD Basics 7-37

Notes:

7-38 Design Centre Reference

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics
This exercise will teach you all the basic functions you need to know in
order to create a terrain model. You will complete the following tasks:
• Start a new project
• Import ASCII data
• Generate a model using the triangulation option
• Generate a model using the Intelli-Line capabilities
• Display a site drawing as a background
• Produce a contour drawing of the site

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-1

Create a new project
The first step is to create a new project file. Select Terrain Mode on the
design toolbar and then File
New Project option. The following dialog
will be displayed:

All the available items will remain grayed-out until a check box next to
one of the design modules is clicked.
For the purposes of this tutorial we will be using a Terrain file so click on
the check box next to Terrain. The Browse button for Terrain on the
right side of the dialog will now become active.
Click on this button which will then display a standard Windows file
open dialog. Navigate to a suitable subdirectory for storing data, type in
the file name Tutor and click on the Open button.
If the file does not yet exist you will be asked if you want to create it.
Select Yes and you will be returned to the project dialog.
If a file of that name already exists it would be used without change. In
our case we require any empty file to work with, so either use a file name
other than Tutor or navigate to an alernative subdirectory which does not
contain an existing file of that name.

8-2 Design Centre Reference

Fill in the rest of the dialog as shown below (note that the path for your
Terrain file will most likely differ from that displayed here):

Click on the OK button and a standard Windows file save dialog will be
displayed so that the project can be given a name. Once again navigate to
a suitable directory for storing the project (which may or may not be the
same directory in which the data file is to be created. Type in a new file
name of Tutor and click the Save button. If a project file of this name
already exists you will be asked if you wish to overwrite it. If you select
YES then any settings that exist in that file will be overwritten and you
will lose access to the previous files that the project referred to. Rather
change the name of the project file or navigate to another directory
where a project file of that name does not exist.
The following dialog will be displayed as we are creating a new, empty
terrain database. If you happen to know the approximate site location,
type in some coordinates near the centre, otherwise just accept the
entries.

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-3

After clicking OK on the Database Dimensions dialog, the following
dialog is displayed.

While the previous settings were to ensure an efficient DTM database,

the Project Coordinates are for the Design Centre cad window to match
the DTM. Similarly, these settings can be left as their defaults subject to
a later ASCII Import or Rescale Survey.
You have just created a new project file into which new data may be
imported or typed.

Import ASCII data

Once the project file has been created, switch into Survey mode by
clicking the Survey button on the design mode toolbar or select the Mode

Survey Mode option. Now select the File
Import
ASCII YXZ option.
You may import data from a fixed column or comma delimited ASCII
file. A standard Window file open dialog is displayed. Navigate to the
Examples subdirectory below the directory in which Civil Designer was
installed and select the file _Tutor.dat. The following wizard dialog is
presented and the options should be set as illustrated:

8-4 Design Centre Reference

An extract of the first 25 lines of the ASCII file is shown from which we
must now specify the sequence of data items. In this case we have the
coordinate name, Y, X and Height values. Click on the Next button and
set up as shown below:

Now click on the Finish button to start the import.

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-5

The import function scans the incoming file and determines whether it’s
size will cause the Terrain database structure to be inefficient if
imported as-is. If so, an automatic Rescale Survey takes place to have the
database resized to accommodate the new data.
If your data does not include a surface flag or indicator you may now
specify the destination surface for the incoming data. In this case we
want all the points to be in Surface 1.
The Destination Surface Selection message box is displayed. The left-
hand column (Found) indicates None/0. The right-hand column
(Destination) indicates Surface 1, 2 and so on. Select Destination Surface
as Surface 1.
Click the box to Save settings as defaults, and then click OK to allocate the
surfaces to the selected destinations.

Click OK and the data will be imported and the site redrawn.
To view all the data, first switch to Terrain mode by selecting Mode

Terrain Mode from the menu or by clicking on the Terrain button in the
design mode toolbar. Now select the View
Zoom All option (or press the
keys Z and A in succession). The site will be redrawn showing the survey
points.
In order to centre the project view on the site select the Tools
Rescale
Survey option. The program will determine the extents of the site and
calculate a centre point. This is displayed for confirmation as follows:

8-6 Design Centre Reference

Accept the values. The file will now be centered on the screen every time
you open the project.
Save your data using the File
Save Project option.

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-7

Generate a digital terrain model
Civil Designer has very powerful functions to create and edit a digital
terrain model from survey data.
There are two methods to construct the Digital Ground Model (DGM).
The first is by means of triangulation that will connect all the points into
a triangular irregular network (TIN). This method is extremely fast and
works very well on uniform sites with no sharp changes in grade.
Let’s examine the results so far. Select the Model
Triangulate option. Set
the values as indicated:

Click OK and the site will be triangulated. After the triangulation is

completed an Information dialog box is displayed. Click OK.

View Options
To view the generated lines select the Setting
Lines option or click on
the Lines button in the Terrain toolbar. Thereafter refresh the display by
means of the S key (as in refresh) on the keyboard. The lines will be
displayed.
We can now activate various options that will make the editing of the
lines easier and more intuitive.
The first is to display the site contours by means of the Settings

Contours option or the Contours button in the Terrain toolbar and refresh
again in order to see the contours.
In order to understand the site better we can also activate the point
name display using the Settings
Names option (Name button) and the
point height display using the Settings
Heights option (Heights button).

8-8 Design Centre Reference

Refresh the display using S on the numeric keypad to see the latest
changes. Let’s zoom in on the top quarter of the site using the View

Zoom Window menu option or press the Z and W keys. Define a fairly
small area so that we can display some detail as illustrated below (in this
case with only line display switched on):

Editing lines
The contours are derived from the lines that indicate areas of linear
interpolation between two elevations. As you change the lines the
contours will be updated. Switch on the contour display using Settings

Contours or click the Contour button in the Terrain toolbar. Press S to
refresh the display. Remove a line using the Model
Delete Break Line
option or click the Delete Breakline button on the Terrain toolbar. Notice
how the contours are updated after the change. Now add a line using the
Model
Add Break Line option or click the Add Breakline button on the
Terrain toolbar.
Use Esc to terminate these functions.

Zoom and/or pan

Civil Designer has very powerful panning functions. To pan to the
current cursor position simply press P. To zoom in use the M (for
Magnify) key and, to zoom out, use the D (for Demagnify) key.

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-9

The importance of break lines
Study the model carefully and note how the lines and contours around
the ER points are not always accurate. This is a characteristic of all DGM
models. In order to define a terrain model correctly it is essential that the
break lines or changes in grade be defined correctly.
One alternative is to correct the model by means of manual editing using
the add- and delete line functions but, on a large site, manual editing can
become very tedious.

Intelligent break lines

Civil Designer solves this problem with its Intelli-Lines in the Model

Intelli-Lines option. First switch off the point names and heights display
(if switched on) and zoom the entire site using View
Zoom All (or ZA).
Now select the Model
Intelli-Lines option with the following settings:

The lines will be regenerated but will only connect the points labeled as
ER as shown in the next illustration:

8-10 Design Centre Reference

Note that if you chose to retain the existing lines for these operations,
you would be adding lines on to the existing model. Note also that we
chose to generate these lines as Feature lines. This means that we will
not inadvertently delete these lines when next we use the Intelli-Line
option and we choose to delete existing lines.
Tidy up the feature lines by using the various view options and the add-
and delete feature line functions. Don’t worry about any other points at
this stage.
When you have finished the editing the feature lines, connect the rest of
the model with the following Intelli-Lines settings:

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-11

You should now have an accurate digital terrain model that will form the
basis of the rest of your design. Note how the road edges remain clearly
defined in the illustration below as they are feature lines:

8-12 Design Centre Reference

Display a backdrop drawing
Civil Designer allows you to load a drawing into the current project that
will be displayed as a backdrop to the terrain data i.e. a drawing of the
cadastral layout of a town.
In order to specify the drawing to be loaded, select File
Edit Project from
the menu. Set up the project dialog as follows:

You will need to click on the check box next to Drawing, click on the
Browse button that is activated, navigate to the Samples\Tutor
subdirectory and select the file Tutor.drg.
Once the drawing is selected click the OK button to activate the changes.
As the terrain file has recently been changed and has not been saved
since, a message asking if the DTM file should be saved is presented:

Click on the Yes button to save the changes otherwise all your hard work
will be summarily destroyed.

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-13

The project will be reloaded and this time the selected drawing will be
displayed along with the terrain data:

8-14 Design Centre Reference

Generate contours
Even though we can display the contours during the editing process they
need to be saved if we want to include them in our site drawing. Select
the Terrain
Contours from Lines menu option. Specify the following
settings.

The contours will be generated and saved to disk for plotting:

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-15

Create a site plan
Now we may reap the fruits of our labour by producing a site plan that
includes contours.
Firstly we need to set up our display correctly as the site plot is
generated mostly from what you can see on the screen. This is a
WYSIWIG or “What You See Is What You Get” plot.
Select the Settings
Display Settings menu option or click the Display
Settings button on the Terrain toolbar. The following dialog will be
displayed:

Make sure the settings in the dialog are as shown. Now click on the
Contours setting to specify the type of contours to display.

8-16 Design Centre Reference

You may also select to highlight the contours at some multiple of the
general contour interval and to specify the pens to be used for contours
and for highlighted contours (if selected).
Click the Close button and the site will be redrawn to show the selected
items.
Now select the Plot
Generate menu option. The following dialog will be
displayed:

Click the File button [...] and the standard Windows file open dialog will
be displayed. Navigate to the Samples\SheetFiles subdirectory and select
the sheet called Plan.sht.
Click the Next button and the following dialog will be displayed:

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-17

Make the settings in the dialog as shown above and then click the Next
button.
The following dialog will be displayed:

8-18 Design Centre Reference

Make the settings in the dialog as shown above and then click on the
Redefine All button. Now an option to position the plot centre is shown.
If the sheet is positioned correctly simply right-click to generate the
drawing.
If you need to reposition the sheet click on the desired centre position
and move the plot sheet around until you are satisfied. Click again and
you will be asked if you wish to rotate the plot.

Click the NO button.

The previous window will be shown again with a new entry.

Accept it by pressing the Finish button. A drawing similar to the following

will be generated:

Tutorial 4 - DTM Basics 8-19

Use the program functions to zoom in, pan, etc. If you want to print or
plot the drawing select the File
Print option. Remember to check the
paper size before you print.

8-20 Design Centre Reference

Plot Menu
Here you set up sheet files that define the title block layout similar to
Word templates.

Plot Menu 9-1

Generate
To generate a plot on a separate CAD window

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Plot

This function allows you to generate a plan, cross section, long section or
any combination of these in a separate CAD window suitable for printing
or saving.

Procedure
The Plot Wizard will be displayed. Depending on the active data sets in
your project any combination of the following dialogs will be displayed.
The sequence of dialogs that follow depend on the options that have been
set in the selected sheet file. As these files can also create combination
plots (i.e. plan, cross section and long section all in one plot) there are
various dialogs that can be presented and there is no single logical path
that is followed.

9-2 Design Centre Reference

Plot Setup

Make the relevant settings and click the Next button to continue.
Sheet file Displays the name of the selected plot sheet file.
Browse Button (...) Click this button to select a sheet file with which to
plot.
Sheet size Select the size of the plot to be created. The
selected sheet file will be scaled to the size selected
here.
Next Button Click this button to display the next page of the
dialog. The page displayed depends on which
regions are defined in the Sheet File.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.
Sheet File Editor Button Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.

Plot Menu 9-3

Plan

Listing Options

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue.
Lists to plot Check the boxes for the various lists you want as
part of the plot.
Start - X and Start - Y Enter the position of the upper left corner of the
relevant list in 10ths of a mm relative to the bottom
left corner of the sheet at 0,0.
Y - Constant and X - Constant Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
the coordinate values in the relevant list.
Sheet File Editor Button Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Next Button Click this button to accept the current entries and
display the Plan Setup Page.
Back Button Click this button to return to the previous page in the
dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

9-4 Design Centre Reference

Plan Setup

Fill in the relevant details and click the Next button to continue.
Export to a Survey drawing Select the Survey option to have the generated plot
OR Plot as Cartesian. retain survey coordinates. If any rotation is selected
then the title block will rotate around the drawing.
Select the Cartesian option to generate a drawing
suitable for printing (survey coordinates will be lost).
If any rotation is selected then the drawing will rotate
in the title block.
Scale Enter the desired scale for the generated drawing.
Show grids Check this option to have grids (if defined) displayed
on the drawing.
Add New Button Click this button to define a new plot definition or to
generate an immediate plot.
Re Index Button Click this button to redefine the plotting order of
existing plot definitions.
Move Button Click this button to update the position of an existing
plot definition.
Delete Button Click this button to delete an existing plot definition.
Redefine All Button Click this button to remove all existing plot definitions
and start the definition of a new plot.

Plot Menu 9-5

Auto Define Button Click this button to automatically generate plot
sheets along the alignment of the active road, or
within a user defined rectangle. See Generate Plot.
Key Plan Click this button to display the Key Plan Generator.
This is a toggle switch button, if the button is
pressed, the key plan will be plotted before the pre-
defined plots.
Plot column Select whether the relevant plot should be generated
(Yes) or not (No). Right click this cell to toggle.
Center Y Coord column Enter the horizontal coordinate of the center of the
relevant plot definition.
Center X Coord column Enter the vertical coordinate of the center of the
relevant plot definition.
Rotation Angle column Enter the rotation angle for the relevant plot
definition.
Sheet File Editor Button Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Finish Button Click this button to accept the current entries.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Press the Auto Define button to automatically define plots. The Following
message box will be displayed.

Press Yes to automatically define plots along the centerline of the active
road. You will be prompted for a chainage range and overlap (in meters)
between the sheets.
If you press No, you will be asked to define a rectangle within which plots
must be defined. You will also be prompted for a overlap (in meters)
between the sheets. The program will automatically define a matrix of
plots to fill the defined rectangle, all overlapping with the defined value.

9-6 Design Centre Reference

Key Plan Generator

Sheet File Specify the Sheet File to be used for plotting

the Key plan. This Sheet file may differ from
the one used for the plots.
Sheet Size Specify the Sheet Size for the Key Plan.
Scale 1: Specify the Scale for the Key Plan
CAD Layer Indicate the CAD layer name where the
positions boxes of the pre-defined plots
should be added.
Plan Indicator Pen Colour Specify the Pen colour in witch the position
indicator boxes of the pre-defined plots
should be drawn.
Plan Indicator Line Type Specify the line type in witch the position
indicator boxes of the pre-defined plots
should be drawn.
Plan Numbering Pen Colour Specify the pen colour in witch the plan
numbering should be done.
Plan Numbering Text Size Specify the Text size of the plan numbering.
Start Numbering at Indicate the start plan number for the pre-
defined plots. In this example the first plot
will be number: 2002/03/124/1, the second
will be 2002/03/124/2 etc. These plan
numbers will appear in the middle of the
indicator boxes on the key plan. You can
also add the plan numbers to the pre-defined
plots by adding the appropriate entry to the
[Plan] [Plan Titles] page.
Sheet File Editor Press this button to open the Key Plan Sheet
file in the Sheet File Editor.

Plot Menu 9-7

Cross Section

Chainage - Start and Stop Enter the start and end chainages of the range of
chainages for which cross sections should be
plotted.
Offset limit - Left and Right Enter the limits left and right of the centerline within
which cross section information should be extracted.
Note that offsets left of the centerline must be
entered as a negative value.
Vertical scale Enter the vertical scale of the plotted cross section.
Horizontal scale Enter the horizontal scale of the plotted cross
section.
Plot Skew Sections only Check this option to only plot cross sections with
non-zero skew angles.

Auto scroll to next page Check this option to have new plots automatically
generated if the cross sections in the selected
chainage range do not fit on the first sheet.
Plot column Select whether this cross section line should be
plotted (Yes) or not (No). Right click on the cell to
toggle.

9-8 Design Centre Reference

Pen column Enter the pen number to be used for this cross
section line. Right click on the cell to access the pen
selection dialog.
LT column Enter the number of the line type to be used for this
cross section line.
Layer column Select the road layer from which this cross section
line should be extracted. Right click on the cell for a
list of road layers.
Sheet File Editor Button Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Back Button Click this button to return to the previous page in the
dialog.
Next Button Click this button to accept the current entries. and go
to the next page.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Plot Menu 9-9

Long Section
The Road Long Section or ASCII Long Section Page is displayed
depending on the options selected in the dialog itself:

Start chainage Enter the chainage from which long section

extraction should take place.
Stop chainage Enter the chainage at which long section extraction
should terminate.
Horizontal scale Enter the horizontal scale of the generated long
section.
Vertical scale Enter the vertical scale of the generated long
section.
Auto scroll to next page Check this option to have multiple drawings
generated if the long section cannot fit on a single
page.
Plot All the roads Check this option to draw long sections for all the
roads. The program will attempt to fit as many long
sections onto each page. Plotting will start at Road 1
and stop when it encounters the first empty road.
Display Crossing Pipes Check this option to display the Crossing Pipes
Dialog and draw crossing Sewer, Storm or Stardust
pipes on the road long section.

9-10 Design Centre Reference

From Road file options

Up to 20 data items can be specified where each data item represents

either one of the long section lines, one of the long section labels, or both.
Plot Select whether this data item should be plotted.
Right-click to toggle between Yes and No.
Label Select whether this data item should be labelled.
Right-click to toggle between Yes and No.
Layer Select the road layer from which this data item
should be extracted. Right-click to display a list of
road layers.
Offset Specify the offset at which data for this data item
should be extracted. Use a negative offset to specify
data left of the center line, or a positive offset to
specify data to the right.
PLC Specify whether the preceding offset is in meters or
is a Point Location Code. Right-click to toggle
between Yes and No.
Extract Select the type of data to be extracted at the
specified offset for this data item. Right-click to
select the required option. Your options are
Chainage, Elevation or Offset.

Plot Menu 9-11

From ASCII file options

Up to 20 data items can be specified where each data item represents

either one of the long section lines, one of the long section labels, or both.
ASCII file name Displays the name of the selected file.
Browse Button (…) Click this button to select the name of the ASCII file
(which must be comma-delimited) from which the
long section should be extracted.
Display list Displays the contents of the selected file.
Chainage Specify the field that contains the chainage of the
long section data item.
Label Specify the field that contains the chainage label of
the long section data item (can be the same as that
specified for the chainage).
Plot Select whether this data item should be plotted.
Right-click to toggle between Yes and No.
Label Select whether this data item should be Labeled.
Right-click to toggle between Yes and No.
Field Specify the field that contains the data that should
be plotted and/or Labeled.

9-12 Design Centre Reference

Crossing Pipes Dialog

When you check the [Show Crossing Pipes] option the following dialog
will be displayed:

Available Services All the services from which you can display crossing
pipes will be listed here. This includes Sewer, Storm,
Water networks and Stardust Pipes as well as Pipe
Databases
Plot Crossings For: Crossing pipes will be plotted for these services
Remove Button Press this button to remove the item from the "Plot
Crossings For:" list.
Select Road for Pipe If the "Pipe" option is selected then you must use
this combo box to indicate the Roads file for the Pipe
you want to use.

Use the [Select] button to select the services of which you want to display
crossing pipes.

All the pipes of the selected Service(s) that cross the road will be drawn
on the Long Section.

Plot Menu 9-13

Long Section Editor

Chainage Enter the actual chainage of the data item.

bp Specify whether this data item is a label position (1)
or not (0).
Chainage Label Enter the label for the chainage.
Datum Enter the elevation datum for this data item.
Line 1 to Line 20 Enter the value for this data item (Chainage,
Elevation or Offset).
Change Group Button Click this button to change all selected cells to a
specified value.
Calc Difference Press this button to calculate the difference between
two columns and write the results into the selected
column. The Calculate Difference dialog will be
displayed.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

If you want occasional Zero Elevations to be interpolated, check the

"Interpolate long section level for 0 values" option in the Option Settings
dialog.

9-14 Design Centre Reference

Pipe Long Section
The Pipe Long Section Page is displayed:

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue.
If you have selected a long section plot then, after the initial plot, you will
be prompted to enter new settings for horizontal scale, vertical scale and
paper size. If you would like to change any of these settings then type in
the required values and click on the tick mark button to regenerate the
plot. If you are satisfied with the plot click on the [Next] button.
Plot all manholes or Plot Select the option relevant to the manholes you wish
selected only to plot. If you select the Plot selected only option
then you will need to specify the upstream and
downstream manholes of the range to plot.
Upstream manhole Select the first manhole of the range of manholes to
plot. Only available when the Plot selected only
option is selected.
Downstream manhole Select the last manhole of the range of manholes to
plot. Only available when the Plot selected only
option is selected.
Horizontal scale Enter the horizontal scale for the long section.
Vertical scale Enter the vertical scale for the long section.

Plot Menu 9-15

Auto scroll to next page Check this option to have new plots automatically
generated if the long section in the selected range
does not fit on the first sheet.
Plot column Select whether this long section line should be
plotted (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle.
Label column Select whether this long section line should be
labelled (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle.
Layer column Select the road layer from which this long section
line should be extracted. Right click the cell for a list
of road layers.
Label Levels at: Manholes Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
Manhole on the Long Section.
Label Levels at: Ground break Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
points Ground break point, on the Long Section.
Label Levels at: Pipe Bends Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
pipe bend on the Long Section.
Label Labels at: Even Check this option to write Elevation labels at even
chainages chainage intervals, on the Long Section.
Sheet File Editor Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Previous Button Click this button to return to the previous page.
Next Button Click this button to accept the current settings and
proceed to the next page.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

9-16 Design Centre Reference

Sewer Long Section Page

Plot all manholes OR Plot Select the option relevant to the manholes you wish
selected only to plot. If you select the Plot selected only option
then you must also specify the upstream and
downstream manholes of the range of manholes to
plot.
Upstream manhole Select the first manhole of the range of manholes to
plot. Only available if the Plot selected only option is
selected.
Downstream manhole Select the last manhole of the range of manholes to
plot. Only available if the Plot selected only option is
selected.
Horizontal scale Enter the horizontal scale of the long section.
Vertical scale Enter the vertical scale of the long section.
Auto scroll to next page Check this option to have new plots automatically
generated if the long section in the selected range
does not fit on the first sheet.
Label Levels at: Manholes Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
Manhole on the Long Section.
Label Levels at: Ground break Check this option to write Elevation labels at every

Plot Menu 9-17

points Ground break point, on the Long Section.
Label Labels at: Even Check this option to write Elevation labels at even
chainages chainage intervals, on the Long Section.
Crossing pipes Check this option to display the Crossing Pipes
dialog and draw crossing Storm, Water or Stardust
pipes on the long section.
Sheet File Editor Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Previous Button Click this button to return to the previous page.
Next Button Click this button to accept the current entries and
proceed to the next page.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

9-18 Design Centre Reference

Stormwater Long Section Page

Plot all manholes OR Plot Select the option relevant to the manholes you wish
selected only to plot. If you select the Plot selected only option
then you must also specify the upstream and
downstream manholes of the range of manholes to
plot.
Upstream manhole Select the first manhole of the range of manholes to
plot. Only available if the Plot selected only option is
selected.
Downstream manhole Select the last manhole of the range of manholes to
plot. Only available if the Plot selected only option is
selected.
Horizontal scale Enter the horizontal scale of the long section.
Vertical scale Enter the vertical scale of the long section.
Auto scroll to next page Check this option to have new plots automatically
generated if the long section in the selected range
does not fit on the first sheet.
Label Levels at: Manholes Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
Manhole on the Long Section.

Plot Menu 9-19

Label Levels at: Ground break Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
points Ground break point, on the Long Section.
Label Labels at: Even Check this option to write Elevation labels at even
chainages chainage intervals, on the Long Section.
Sheet File Editor Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Crossing Pipes Check this option to display the Crossing Pipes
dialog and draw crossing Sewer, Water or Stardust
pipes on the long section.
Previous Button Click this button to return to the previous page.
Next Button Click this button to accept the current settings and
proceed to the next page.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

9-20 Design Centre Reference

Water Long Section Page
Note that you must have selected the water pipes for which you wish to
plot the long section before using this function.

Horizontal scale Enter the horizontal scale for the long section.
Vertical scale Enter the vertical scale for the long section.
Auto scroll to next page Check this option to have new plots automatically
generated if the long section in the selected range
does not fit on the first sheet.
Sheet File Editor Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Label Levels at: Manholes Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
Manhole on the Long Section.
Label Levels at: Ground break Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
points Ground break point, on the Long Section.
Label Levels at: Pipe Bends Check this option to write Elevation labels at every
pipe bend on the Long Section.
Label Labels at: Even Check this option to write Elevation labels at even
chainages chainage intervals, on the Long Section.

Plot Menu 9-21

Sheet File Editor Displays the Sheet File Editor and load the selected
Sheet File.
Crossing Pipes Check this option to display the Crossing Pipes
dialog and draw crossing Storm, Sewer or Stardust
pipes on the long section.
Previous Button Click this button to return to the previous page.
Next Button Click this button to accept the current settings and
proceed to the next page.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

9-22 Design Centre Reference

Sheet File Editor
To create or edit a sheet file or template

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SheetEdit

Sheet files or templates define the layout of the generated drawing. The
precise position and attributes of the title block and other entities are
defined in the template.

Note that all measurements entered in a sheet file are in 10ths of a

millimeter except where specifically indicated.

It is usually much easier to edit and rename an existing sheet template

file than start a new one from scratch. When loading Stardust 5.x sheet
files Civil Designer will automatically convert the format to a version 6
sheet file. The version 5 sheet will be saved to a new name (e.g.
TPLT5.SHT will be saved as TPLT6.SHT).

Plotting Regions
The template must have a global plotting region and at least one sub
region. This is the only compulsory entry.
The Sheet Template Editor is divided into 5 pages. The first page
contains data which defines the global or overall layout of the sheet. The
next 3 pages, Plan, Cross Section and Long Section, each contain the
data to define the layout of that type of drawing. The Preview page allows
you to view the sheet template.
The global plotting region defines the outer limits on which data will be
plotted. The sheet units are 0.1 mm for absolute accuracy.
A region must also be defined for every plot type if it is to be included on
the sheet. The drawing regions should exclude the areas used by title
blocks. Multiple regions can be configured alongside each other on the
same plan.
All subsequent items on the template are optional.

Preview Page
The sheet file can be viewed graphically at any stage by simply changing
to the [Preview] page. Single entities such as text and lines can be
queried in the [Preview] page after which the appropriate row in the
spreadsheet will be highlighted.

Plot Menu 9-23

Global Page
This section sets up the general sheet layout and the global elements that
make up the title block.

Region

This sub-section controls the overall dimensions of the plot and is a

required element. A page size of 11000 wide and 7880 high is a good
default as these dimension are the nominal size of an A0 sheet in 0.1mm.
The bottom left corner of the sheet is taken as 0, 0 and the top right
corner as 11000, 7880. Sheet files can be created at any sheet size and will
be scaled to the desired sheet size when running the Generate plot
routine.

9-24 Design Centre Reference

The drawing sub-regions for the various plot types must be specified
based on the global region. The drawing sub-regions should exclude the
areas used by title blocks. Multiple regions can be configured alongside
each other on the same plot.
All subsequent items on the Global page are optional.
Plot Limits - Top, Right, Set the overall plot limits in 10th mm.
Bottom and Left

Plot Menu 9-25

Lines

This sub-section deals with lines that have to be drawn on the plot such
as title blocks, plot borders, plotting region etc.
Start X and Start Y Specify the coordinates of the start of the line.
End X and End Y Specify the coordinates of the end of the line.
Pen Select the pen to be used for the line. Right click on
the cell to access the pen selection dialog.
LT Enter the line type to be used for the line.

9-26 Design Centre Reference

Text

This sub-section deals with text that is to be drawn on the plot such as
Company Names, drawing numbers, plot titles, etc.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the point at which the text item must be
placed.
Height Specify the text height in points.
Rotate Specify the angle at which the text should be
rotated. An angle of 0 degrees draws text from left to
right, and angles rotate anti-clockwise.
Pen Select the pen in which to plot the text. Right click
the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Lorg Enter the label origin for the text item. Various lorg's
are supported. See the explanation of LORG's
below.
Text Enter the text to be drawn. There are some
predefined variables that can be entered here. Right
click the cell to select a variable from a pop-up
menu. An explanation of the available variables is
shown below.
Font Select the font in which the text should be drawn.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.

Plot Menu 9-27

The positioning of text relative to the origin is known as the LORG (label
origin). Nine LORG positions may be specified for the text as follows:

Available Variables:
{SCALE.x} Plan scale.
{HSCALE.x} Horizontal scale (Sections only).
{VSCALE.x} Vertical scale (Sections only).
{START.x} Start chainage (Sections only).
{END.x} Stop chainage (Sections only).
{TIME} The current 24 hour time as hh:mm
{DATE1} The current date as dd/mm/yyyy.
{DATE2} The current date as mm/dd/yyyy.
{DATE3} The current date as yyyy/mm/dd
{DRAW_NAME} The original drawing file name

The .x in the above variables can be substituted with a value that

specifies the number of decimals to be displayed. For example, if the
drawing scale was 1 : 1500 and the text item was specified as "1 :
{SCALE.3}" then the text drawn would be 1 : 1500.000.

9-28 Design Centre Reference

North Sign Layout

This sub-section controls the layout of a North sign.

X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position at which the North sign should
be drawn.
X-Text Origin and Y-Text Specify the origin of the north sign text.
Origin
North Text Enter the text to be drawn for the North sign.
Pen Select the pen to be used. Right click the cell to
display the pen selection dialog.
Lorg Enter the label origin of the text. See the
explanations of LORG's above.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Font Select the font in which the text should be drawn.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
CAD Layer Enter the name of the CAD layer that the North sign
should be drawn on.

Plot Menu 9-29

North Sign Lines

This subsection defines the line drawing of the North sign.

The North sign line coordinates are relative to the X and Y Origin settings
in the North Sign Layout section.
Start X and Start Y The position, relative to the North sign origin, of the
start of a line.
End X and End Y The position, relative to the North sign origin, of the
end of a line.
Pen Select the pen to be used for the line. Right click the
cell to display the pen selection dialog.
LT Enter the line type to be used for the line.

9-30 Design Centre Reference

Scale Bar

This sub-section defines the layout of a scale bar on the final drawing.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Define the position of left-bottom corner of the scale
bar.
Scale Bar Height Enter the vertical height of the scale bar.
Pen Select the pen to be used for the scale bar. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the height of the scale bar text in points.
Font Select the font in which the text should be drawn.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.

Plot Menu 9-31

Drawings

This sub-section defines the positioning of extra drawings that can be

inserted into the main drawing. These would be, for example, title
blocks, north signs or typical details. The drawings must be created at a
scale of 1:1 in Cartesian coordinates and in millimeters as units.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Define the position of the placing point of the
inserted drawing. This is normally the center of the
drawing to be inserted.
Drawing Path Enter the full path and name of the drawing to be
inserted. Right click the cell to browse for a drawing
file.
Type Select the type of drawing. North: the drawing must
remain North oriented (e.g. north sighn). Draw: the
drawing will not remain north orianted (e.g. title
block). Symbol: the drawing is a symbol drawing.

9-32 Design Centre Reference

Plan Page
This section allows you to define the position of the plan region on the
sheet as well as the plan details.

Region
Note that all measurements entered in a sheet file are in 10ths of a
millimeter except where specifically indicated.

This sub-section controls the dimensions of the plan region and is a

required element for a plan sheet file. The plan region is defined as part
of the global plotting region and therefore its coordinates should not
exceed those defined for the global plotting region. This allows you to
position a plan region anywhere on your plot sheet.
Plot Limits - Top, Right, Set the plan plot region limits in 10th mm.
Bottom and Left

Plot Menu 9-33

Titles

This sub-section controls text that is drawn only when a plan is plotted.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Enter the position at which the text will be written.
Height Enter the height of the text in points.
Rotate Enter the text rotation angle in degrees.
Pen Select the pen to be used for the text. Right click the cell to
display the pen selection dialog.
Lorg Specify the label origin of the text. See the explanation of
LORG's.
Text Enter the text to be drawn. There are some predefined
variables that can be entered here. Right click the cell to
select a variable from a pop-up menu. An explanation of the
available variables is shown below.
Font Select the font in which to draw the text. Right click the cell
for a list of fonts.

Available Variables:
{SCALE.x} Plan scale.
{PLAN_NO] Enter the plan number specified in the Key Plan Generator

The .x in the above variables can be substituted with a value that

specifies the number of decimals to be displayed. For example, if the
drawing scale was 1:1500 and the text item was specified as
"1:{SCALE.3}" then the text drawn would be 1 : 1500.000.

9-34 Design Centre Reference

Grids

This sub-section defines grids that can be drawn on the plan region.
Display Grids Select whether grids should be displayed (Yes) or
not (No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Grid Interval Specify the interval between grid marks in meters.
Grid Type Select whether to draw grid crosses (Cross) or grid
lines that cross the plan region (Full). Right click the
cell to toggle the selection.
Cross Length Enter the length of the arms of the grid cross.
Pen Select the pen to be used for drawing the grids.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Text Height Enter the height of the grid text in points.
Font Select the font in which to draw the grid text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.
Hor. Constant Enter a constant value to be subtracted from the
Horizontal coordinate.

Ver. Constant Enter a constant value to be subtracted from the

Vertical coordinate.

Plot Menu 9-35

List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a coordinate list on the plan.

X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.

9-36 Design Centre Reference

Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.
Apply Filter Select whether a name filter should be applied to the
points to be listed (Yes) or not (No). Right click the
cell to toggle the state.

List Labels

The Nr. and Width columns have no bearing on the Table row.

Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item

should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-37

Road List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a list of horizontal PI and

chainage information on the plan. Only elements within the plot
rectangle will be listed for visible road layouts.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.

9-38 Design Centre Reference

Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.
List Chainages Change this option to "Yes" in order to list all the
road chainages and the center line coordinates at
each chainage.
Round Chainages Enter a value to filter the listed chainages. e.g. 100
chainages with 100 m increments.

Road List Labels

Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item

should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading

Plot Menu 9-39

 in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Curve List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a list of horizontal road curve on

the plan. Only elements within the plot rectangle will be listed for visible
road layouts.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows

9-40 Design Centre Reference

 in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.

Curve List Labels

Define the Label configurations of the Curve List using this Page.
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-41

Sewer List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a sewer pipe list on the plan.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.

9-42 Design Centre Reference

Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.
Slope as Ratio Select whether pipe slopes should be written as
ratios (Yes) or as percentage slopes (No). Right click
the cell to toggle the state.

Sewer List Labels

Define the Label configurations of the Sewer Schedule using this Page.
Each row of the spreadsheet represents a column on the table.
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-43

Erf Connection List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a erf connection list on the plan.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right

9-44 Design Centre Reference

 click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.

Erf Connection List Labels

Define the Label configurations of the Erf Connection Schedule using

this Page
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.

Plot Menu 9-45

Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Storm List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a stormwater pipe list on the

plan.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right

9-46 Design Centre Reference

 click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.
Slope as Ratio Select whether pipe slopes should be written as
ratios (Yes) or as percentage slopes (No). Right click
the cell to toggle the state.

Storm List Labels

Define the Label configurations of the Stormwater schedule using this

Page
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.

Plot Menu 9-47

Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Water List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a water pipe list on the plan.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.

9-48 Design Centre Reference

Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.
Slope as Ratio Select whether pipe slopes should be written as
ratios (Yes) or as percentage slopes (No). Right click
the cell to toggle the state.

Water List Labels

Define the Label configurations of the Water Schedule using this Page.
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-49

Slope Key

This sub-section controls the drawing of a slope shading key on the plan.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.

9-50 Design Centre Reference

Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.

Slope Key Labels

Define the Label configurations of the Slope Shading key using this
Page.
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-51

Height Key

X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Text Height Enter the text height in points.

9-52 Design Centre Reference

Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.

Height Key Labels

Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item

should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-53

Layer List

This sub-section controls the drawing of a layer list on the plan.

X-Origin and Y-Origin Specify the position of the top-left corner of the list.
Draw Frame Select whether the list should be framed (Yes) or not
(No). Right click the cell to toggle the state.
Frame Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list frame. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Draw Vert. Grid Select whether vertical lines should be drawn for
each column (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Vert Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the vertical lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Draw Hor. Grid Select whether horizontal lines should be drawn for
each row (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the state.
Hor Grid Pen Select the pen in which to draw the horizontal lines.
Right click the cell to display the pen selection
dialog.
Line Spacing Enter the vertical spacing between successive rows
in the list.
Text Pen Select the pen in which to draw the list text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.

9-54 Design Centre Reference

Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be displayed.
Y-Constants and X-Constants Enter the constants (in meters) to be subtracted from
coordinate values before the text is drawn.
Header Font Select the font in which to draw the header text.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Data Font Select the font in which to draw the item text. Right
click the cell for a list of fonts.

Layer List Labels

Define the Label configurations of the CAD layer list using this Page.
Nr. Enter the column number in which the relevant item
should be drawn. To ignore a particular item set it's
column number to 0.
Width Enter the width of the column.
Pen Select the pen in which the table or column heading
should be drawn. Right click the cell to display the
pen selection dialog.
Text Ht. Enter the text height of the table or column heading
in points.
Headings Enter the text for the table or column heading.

Plot Menu 9-55

Cross Section Page
This page allows you to define the layout of cross sections.
The coordinates of section lines, labels and annotations may be specified
using the following position variables (Right click to access the pop up
menu):
{L} The left extent of the rectangle bounding each section
{R} The right extent of the rectangle bounding each section
{T} The top extent of the rectangle bounding each section
{B} The bottom extent of the rectangle bounding each section
{O} The origin of the section

Region
This table allows you to define where on the sheet the cross sections
must be placed.

Specify the cross section plotting region in tenths of a millimeter with the
origin ( 0, 0 ) at the bottom left corner of the paper. This may extend over
the entire sheet or only a portion of the sheet if the sheet contains other
data such as long sections and plan layouts.

9-56 Design Centre Reference

Layout
This defines the basic layout of the cross sections in relation to the cross
section plotting region. It also defines the relationship of one section to
another.

Units are tenths of a millimeter.

First Section Spacing (A) The distance from the bottom of the plotting region
to the origin of the first section.
Vertical Section Spacing (B) The distance between the top of one section and the
origin of the section above it.
Horizontal Section Spacing The horizontal distance between sections.
(C)
Section Bottom Spacing (D) The minimum distance from the datum of the section
to the lowest point on the cross section.
Section Top Spacing (E) The minimum distance from the highest point on the
cross section to the top.
The height of the section may be fixed or may float.
If the value is 0, each section will take up the
minimum space possible.
Fixed Section Height (F) The minimum height of the section drawing. In the
example above each section will be 30.0 millimeters
high. If a specific section cannot fit within this limit it
will be drawn to scale in a larger box.

Plot Menu 9-57

Rounding factor for Datum Rounds the datum off if the cross section is not a
fixed height (see above). For example, a rounding
factor of 5.0 will generate cross sections with datums
of say 40.0, 45.0, etc.
CAD Layer for Frame The CAD layer for the cross section frame when
creating a output drawing.
Rotate Rotates section by 90 degrees if set to Yes.
Centralize Set to "Yes" to centralize the cross section
horizontally within the plotting region. This would
normally be used on small plots where only one
column of sections would be plotted
Display Layerworks Yes/No toggle for layerworks display. If the value of
this cell is changed to Yes, the Layerworks dialog
will be displayed
Layerworks Pen Pen used to draw layerworks. Right click to display
the Colour dialog.
Layerworks Line Type Line type for layerworks.

9-58 Design Centre Reference

If you used the Pavement Designer to design your layerworks, you can
use this dialog to display the pavement design symbol on the cross
section.

Plot Menu 9-59

Lines
These refer to the lines defining the place in which the cross section is
plotted e.g. datum line, center line (CL), border, etc.

You must define the following for every line:

Start X The X coordinate of the start of the line
Start Y The Y coordinate of the start of the line
End X The X coordinate of the end of the line
End Y The Y coordinate of the end of the line
Pen The pen used to draw the line. Right click on the cell
to select a pen from the Colour Dialog.
Tick Interval Specify the tick interval along the line in meters.
Tick length Left Specify the length of the tick to the left or top of the
line in tenths of a millimeter.
Tick length Right Specify the length of the tick to the right or bottom of
the line in tenths of a millimeter.
Tick Pen Specify the pen the tick mark should be drawn in.
Right click on the cell to select a pen from the Colour
Dialog.

You may use position variables to define the line coordinates.

9-60 Design Centre Reference

Titles
Titles are text items added to the cross section region. In the example
below we are adding the horizontal and vertical scales.

You must specify the following for every text item:

X Origin The X coordinate of the reference point of the text
item relative to the cross section origin.
Y Origin The Y coordinate of the reference point of the text
item relative to the cross section origin.
Height The size of the text item in points.
Rotate The text angle in degrees measured anti-clockwise.
Pen The pen used to draw the text. Right click on the cell
to select a pen from the Colour Dialog.
Lorg The label origin of the text item.
Text The text to be output.
Font The text font. Double click on this cell to display a list
of available fonts.

Plot Menu 9-61

The variables that may be used for the text strings are:
{START.x} The start chainage of the sections which fit on the
sheet. The "x" determines the number of decimals
the value is rounded to, usually 0.
{END.x} The end chainage of the sections which fit on the
sheet. The "x" determines the number of decimals
the value is rounded to, usually 0.
{1:HSCALE} The horizontal scale as 1 : x.
{1:VSCALE} The vertical scale as 1 : x.

9-62 Design Centre Reference

Labels
Labels are added to each cross section and are used to identify the
section (chainage) and plot the datum level.

You may use position variables to specify the label coordinates. The
variables that may be used for the text strings are:
{1:HSCALE} The horizontal scale as 1 : x.
{1:VSCALE} The vertical scale as 1 : x.
{DATUM.x} The datum of this section. The "x" determines the
number of decimals the value is rounded to, usually
0.
{CHNGE.x} The chainage value of this section. The "x"
determines the number of decimals the value is
rounded to, usually 0.
{CUTAREA(n).x} Area of cut for the line 'n'. The "x" determines the
number of decimals the value is rounded to, usually
3.
{FILLAREA(n).x} Area of fill for the line 'n'. The "x" determines the
number of decimals the value is rounded to, usually
3.
{SKEWANG.x} The cross section's skew angle as specified in the
index file.

Plot Menu 9-63

Annotation
Annotations are cross section data items written in the section plotting
area.

The text origin is specified by a co-ordinate (Hor,Ver) based on the local

section co-ordinate system. The height of the text (0.1mm), the direction
(degree), pen number, label origin (LORG), slant (degrees from the
vertical) and the text string must be specified.
The line number on which the annotations should be based must be
specified, as well as the offset (m) from the CL on the cross section for
the annotation. The offset may be specified as an offset in meters or the
'100 Code' may be used by specifying a negative number for the cross
section line.
Text The text item and/or variable to be added to the
section.
Lin The line number that the annotations are extracted
from. This is specified in the cross section
generation options.
Offset Enter the value, based on the contents of the Pos
column, where the data must be extracted. e.g. If
Pos = PLC then enter a PLC code here.

9-64 Design Centre Reference

Pos Right click on this column to select the correct
position indicator.
Off: Enter the offset in meters
PLC: Point Location Code (PLC) at which the cross
section data should be extracted.
ID: Cross section ID

X Origin The X coordinate of the reference point of the text

item relative to the cross section origin.
Y Origin The Y coordinate of the reference point of the text
item relative to the cross section origin.
Height The size of the text item in points.
Rotate The text angle in degrees measured anti-clockwise.
Pen The pen used to draw the text. Right click on the cell
to select a pen from the Colour Dialog.
Lorg The label origin of the text item.
Font The text font. Double click on this cell to display a list
of available fonts.

The section data variables are:

{OFFS.x} The horizontal offset from the centerline. The "x"
determines the number of decimals the value is
rounded to, usually 3.
{ELEV.x} The elevation of the point. The "x" determines the
number of decimals the value is rounded to, usually
3.

Plot Menu 9-65

Grids

Hor. Grid Spacing (m) Enter the horizontal spacing for the grids in meter.
Ver. Grid Spacing (m) Enter the vertical spacing for the grids in meter
Hor. Grid Hi-Lite Increment Enter the spacing of highlighted horizontal grid lines
(uses highlight pen) in meters. Enter a value of 0 to
ignore horizontal highlighting.
Ver. Grid Hi-Lite Increment Enter the spacing of highlighted vertical grid lines
(uses highlight pen) in meters. Enter a value of 0 to
ignore vertical highlighting.
Grid Pen Select the pen for the grid lines. Right click the cell
to display the pen selection dialog.
Hi-Lite Pen Select the pen for the highlighted grid lines. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Line Type Enter the line type for the grid lines.
CAD Layer Enter the layer on which the grid should be plotted.

9-66 Design Centre Reference

Grid Text

Text Height Enter the text height in points.

Text Width Enter the text width in points. Enter a value of 0 for
the default font width
Pen Select the pen for the text. Right click the cell to
display the pen selection dialog.
Round to Nearest (m) Enter the rounding factor in meters. An entry of 2 will
add a grid label every 2m.
CAD Layer Enter the line type for the grid text
Font Enter the layer on which the grid text should be
plotted.

Plot Menu 9-67

Symbols

Lin Enter the line number on which the annotations should be based. The
line number corresponds to the line numbers in the Cross Section
Setup dialog.
An entry of 0 as a line number (which is not used in the cross sections)
will set the relevant elevation to the datum elevation. Any offset
entered will be then be added to the elevation. This is useful when
plotting an elevation scale up the side of the section.

Offset- Enter the Offset, PLC or ID (specified in Type column) where the
symbol must be displayed.

-Type Specify whether the entered value in the Offset column is a point
location code, point ID or an offset. Right-click the cell to alter the
current setting.

Scale Enter a scale factor for the symbol if you want to scale the symbol
manually. Enter a scale of Zero if the symbols were drawn to scale and
the program will scale the symbol according to the Horizontal and
Vertical plotting scale automatically.

Name Select the symbol name from the pop-down list. Symbol will only be
listed if a symbol file has been specified.

9-68 Design Centre Reference

Long Section
All measurements entered in a sheet file are in 10ths of a millimeter
except where specifically indicated.

Region

This sub-section controls the dimensions of the long section region and is
a required element for a long section sheet file. The long section region is
defined as part of the global plotting region and therefore its coordinates
should not exceed those defined for the global plotting region. This
allows you to position a long section region anywhere on your plot sheet.
Plot Limits - Top, Right, Set the plan plot region limits in 10th mm.
Bottom and Left

Plot Menu 9-69

Layout

This sub-section defines the layout of the long sections within the long
section region. It also sets the relationship of one long section to another.
The long section layout is divided into two areas. The Detail area is the
area below the datum where the long section data will be entered. The
Section area is the area above the datum where the long section will be
drawn.
First Frame Spacing (A) Enter the distance from the bottom of the plotting
region to the origin of the first section.
Vertical Spacing (B) Enter the distance between the top of one section
and the origin of the section above.
Horizontal Spacing (C) Enter the distance between the origins of adjacent
sections.
Section Area Width (E) Enter the width of the long section plotting area to
the right of the datum origin. Enter 0 here to have
the long section expand to the length of the road or
pipe (or at least that length that still fits on the page).
Section Area Height (D) Enter the height of the long section plotting area
above the datum origin.
Detail Area Width (F) Enter the width of the long section data area to the
left of the datum origin (to give space for detail
annotation text).
Detail Area Height (G) Enter the height of the long section data area below
the datum origin.

9-70 Design Centre Reference

Decimals for Datum Enter the number of decimals for the datum text.
CAD Layer for Frame Enter the layer on which the long section frame
should be drawn.
Slope as Ratio Select whether slopes should be plotted as ratios
(Yes) or as percentages (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the setting.

Plot Menu 9-71

Lines

This sub-section defines the lines that will be drawn on each section.
Typically these will be the lines defining the long section blocks.
Start X and Start Y Enter the position of the start of the line relative to
the long section origin. There are some predefined
variables that can be entered here. Right click the
cell to select a variable from a pop-up menu. An
explanation of the available variables is shown
below.
End X and End Y Enter the position of the end of the line relative to the
long section origin. There are some predefined
variables that can be entered here. Right click the
cell to select a variable from a pop-up menu. An
explanation of the available variables is shown
below.
Pen Enter the pen in which to draw the line. Right click
the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
LT Enter the line type in which to draw the line.
Available Variables
{L} The left edge of the long section.
{R} The right edge of the long section.
{T} The top of the long section.
{B} The bottom of the long section.
{C} The center of the long section.

9-72 Design Centre Reference

Titles

This sub-section defines the text that will appear in each section that will
be plotted, and will typically identify the data in the detail area.
X-Origin and Y-Origin Enter the position at which the text is to be placed
relative to the long section origin. There are some
predefined variables that can be entered here. Right
click the cell to select a variable from a pop-up
menu. An explanation of the available variables is
shown above.
Height Enter the height of the text in points.
Rotate Enter the angle at which the text should be written in
degrees.
Pen Select the pen in which to plot the text. Right click
the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Lorg Enter the label origin for the text item. Various lorg's
are supported. See the explanation of LORG's for
more detail.
Text Enter the text to be plotted. There are some
predefined variables that can be entered here. Right
click the cell to select a variable from a pop-up
menu. An explanation of the available variables is
shown below.
Font Select the font in which to plot the text. Right click
the cell for a list of fonts.

Plot Menu 9-73

Available Text Variables
1 : {HSCALE} The horizontal scale of the long section.
1 : {VSCALE} The vertical scale of the long section.
{START.x} The start chainage of the long section.
{END.x} The end chainage of the long section.
{STARTMH} The first manhole of the long section (for pipe
plotting only).
{ENDMH} The final manhole of the long section (for pipe
plotting only).
{ROAD_NAME} The road name (for road long sections only)

The .x in the above variables can be substituted with a value that

specifies the number of decimals to be displayed. For example, if the
start chainage was 375.25 and the text item was specified as "{START.3}"
then the text drawn would be 375.250.

9-74 Design Centre Reference

Language

This sub-section defines text substitutions for road elements.

Road element Enter the text to be substituted for the particular road
element text.

Plot Menu 9-75

Grids

This sub-section defines the grid lines that are drawn in the long section
Section area.
Hor. Grid Spacing Enter the spacing of the horizontal grid lines in
meters.
Ver. Grid Spacing Enter the spacing of the vertical grid lines in meters.
Hor. Grid Hi-Lite Increment Enter the spacing of highlighted horizontal grid lines
(uses highlight pen) in meters. Enter a value of 0 to
ignore horizontal highlighting.
Ver. Grid Hi-Lite Increment Enter the spacing of highlighted vertical grid lines
(uses highlight pen) in meters. Enter a value of 0 to
ignore vertical highlighting.
Grid Pen Select the pen for the grid lines. Right click the cell
to display the pen selection dialog.
Hi-Lite Pen Select the pen for the highlighted grid lines. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Line Type Enter the line type for the grid lines.
CAD Layer Enter the layer on which the grid should be plotted.

9-76 Design Centre Reference

Grid Text

This sub-section defines the plotting of grid and datum text.

Text Height Enter the text height in points.
Text Width Enter the text width in points. Enter a value of 0 for
the default font width.
Pen Select the pen for the text. Right click the cell to
display the pen selection dialog.
Round to Nearest Enter the rounding factor in meters. An entry of 2 will
add a grid label every 2m.
CAD Layer Enter the layer on which the text is to be drawn.
Font Select the font in which to draw the text. Right click
on the cell for a list of fonts.

Plot Menu 9-77

Road

This sub-section defines the plot settings for the section and detail areas
for road long sections.
The first grid contains settings for the section and detail areas for the
long section data. The row headings (other than Chainage) can be
changed by double clicking on them. This then allows you to enter
descriptive text for the row which is displayed in the Long Section Setup
dialog as an aid to the data required for each particular line.
Plot Select whether a line should be plotted in the section
area for this data (Yes) or not (No). Right click the
cell to toggle the status.
Label Select whether a label should be generated in the
detail area for this data (Yes) or not (No). Right click
the cell to toggle the status.
Table Select whether a long section table should be plotted
for this line (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell to
toggle the status. The Long Section Table dialog
will be displayed.
Smooth Select whether the plotted line should be smoothed
with a bezier curve (Yes) or not (No). Right click the
cell to toggle the status.
Pen Select the pen in which to plot the data line. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.

9-78 Design Centre Reference

LT Enter the line type in which to plot the data line.
CAD Enter the CAD layer on which the line should be
plotted.
Dec Enter the number of decimal places to be used for
the detail data.
All Select whether a line point and/or data value should
be generated for every point in this long section line
(Yes) or only the bend points (road chainage points
or manholes) (No). Right click the cell to toggle the
status.
Min. Y Enter the bottom coordinate of the area in which
labels should be written relative to the datum line.
Enter a value of 0 to use the Y Origin setting instead.
Max. Y Enter the top coordinate of the area in which labels
should be written relative to the datum line. Enter a
value of 0 to use the Y Origin setting instead.
Y Origin Enter the coordinate at which the label origins
should be placed. This is an alternative method to
using the Min Y and Max Y settings.
Lorg Enter the origin of the label text. See the explanation
of LORG's for more detail.
Exag Enter the chainage interval in meters at which data
labels should be exaggerated. The text is written
60% greater than the specified size.
T.Hgt Enter the height of label text in points.
T.Rotate Enter the angle at which label text should be written
in degrees.
T.Pen Select the pen in which to plot the label text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Underline Select whether a line should be drawn under the
data label from the defined Min Y to the defined Max
Y coordinates (Yes) or not (No). Right click the cell
to toggle the status.
Drop Select whether a line should be drawn from the
plotted data point down to the datum line (Yes) or
not (No). Right click the cell to toggle the status.
Round Enter a chainage rounding factor for the specific line.
E.g. enter 100 if you want to display elevations on
100m intervals.
Font Select the font in which the text should be plotted.
Right click the cell for a list of fonts.
Long Section Format Press this button to display the Long Section Format
dialog.

Plot Menu 9-79

If you enable one of the Table options, then the Long Section Tables will
be displayed.

Table Origin; H-Origin Enter the Horizontal coordinate in 10th of millimeters

for the left top coordinate of the table.
Table Origin; V-Origin Enter the Vertical coordinate in 10th of millimeters
for the left top coordinate of the table.
Line Spacing Enter the height in 10th of millimeters of the table
rows.
Decimal Places Enter the amount of decimal places for the data.
Width Width in 10th of millimeters for the columns.
Heading Enter the heading for each column
Font Select a font for both the header and data
Dec Enter the number of decimal places to be used for
the detail data.
Pen Select a pen number for the heading and data.
Size Enter a text size in points for the header and data.
Grid Buttons Select which grid lines to draw, Frame, Horizontal
and Vertical.

Grid pen Select the pen number for the grid Frame, Vertical
lines and horizontal lines

Press [OK] to return to the Sheet File Editor.

9-80 Design Centre Reference

The second grid contains settings for the detail area for road elements.
Label Select whether a data label should be generated for
this road element (Yes) or not (No). Right click the
cell to toggle the status. When toggling the Pipe
Crossing option to (Yes), specify the text that has to
be written next to the pipes using the Custom Text
dialog.
Pen Select the pen in which to plot the label text. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
LT Enter the line type in which lines should be drawn.
CAD Enter the CAD layer on which the data label should
be plotted.
Dec Enter the number of decimal places to be used for
the labels.
Min Y Enter the bottom coordinate of the area in which
labels should be written relative to the datum line.
Max Y Enter the top coordinate of the area in which labels
should be written relative to the datum line.
Hgt Enter the text height in points.
Lorg Enter the origin of the label text. See the explanation
of LORG's for more detail.
Arrow L Enter the length of the arrow head to be drawn for
those data elements which use arrows.
Custom Text Select whether a custom text entry should be
generated for this road entry (Yes) or not (No). If you
select Yes then a dialog is displayed which allows
you to enter the custom text. Right click the edit
box(es) in this dialog to enter pre-defined variables.
Max Super Enter the maximum superelevation value
represented by the Min Y and Max Y entries. This is
used to scale the superelevation to fit the defined
area. This is only applicable to the Left and Right
Super rows.
Font Enter the font in which to draw the data labels. Right
click the cell to display a list of fonts.

Plot Menu 9-81

Pipe Data

This sub-section defines the plot settings for the section and detail areas
for pipe long sections.
The first grid contains settings for the section and detail areas for the
long section data. See the Road Page section for details of the available
settings.
The second grid contains settings for the detail area for pipe elements.
See the Road Page section for details of the available settings.

9-82 Design Centre Reference

Pipe Settings

This sub-section defines the display of manholes and culverts (pipes) for
pipe long sections.
Manhole Pen Select the pen in which to draw manholes. Right
click the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Manhole LT Enter the line type in which to draw manholes.
Manhole Layer Enter the layer on which manholes should be drawn.
Manhole Width Enter the width in meters to draw the manholes.
Culvert Pen Select the pen in which to draw culverts. Right click
the cell to display the pen selection dialog.
Culvert LT Enter the line type in which to draw culverts.
Culvert Layer Enter the layer on which culverts should be drawn.
Invert Type Select whether to draw the manhole base flat (Flat)
or at the slope of the incoming and outgoing pipes
(Incline). Right click the cell to toggle the option.
Positive Slopes Indicate whether pipe slopes must be indicated as
positive values when pipes are running uphill (Up).
or downhill (Down). Right click the cell to toggle the
option.

Plot Menu 9-83

Sewer Data

This sub-section defines the plot settings for the section and detail areas
for sewer long sections.
The first grid contains settings for the section and detail areas for the
long section data. See the Road Page section for details of the available
settings.
The second grid contains settings for the detail area for sewer pipe
elements. See the Road Page section for details of the available settings.

9-84 Design Centre Reference

Sewer Settings

This sub-section defines the display of manholes and culverts (pipes) for
sewer long sections. See the Pipe Settings page for details of the
available settings.

Plot Menu 9-85

Storm Data

This sub-section defines the plot settings for the section and detail areas
for stormwater long sections.
The first grid contains settings for the section and detail areas for the
long section data. See the Road Page section for details of the available
settings.
The second grid contains settings for the detail area for stormwater pipe
elements. See the Road Page section for details of the available settings.

9-86 Design Centre Reference

Storm Settings

This sub-section defines the display of manholes and culverts (pipes) for
stormwater long sections. See the Pipe Settings page for details of the
available settings.

Plot Menu 9-87

Water Data

This sub-section defines the plot settings for the section and detail areas
for water long sections.
The first grid contains settings for the section and detail areas for the
long section data. See the Road Page section for details of the available
settings.
The second grid contains settings for the detail area for water pipe
elements. See the Road Page section for details of the available settings.

9-88 Design Centre Reference

This sub-section defines the display of manholes and culverts (pipes) for
water long sections. See the Pipe Settings page for details of the
available settings.

Plot Menu 9-89

Preview Page

The Preview tab displays the sheet as it is currently defined. Use this tab
to check the effect of different settings in the other tabs. Double-clicking
on items in the preview will also take you to the definition of those items
for possible changes.

9-90 Design Centre Reference

Long Section Format Dialog
Use this dialog to specify Long Section layout, instead of using the
[Layout], [Lines], [Titles] as well as the Min.Y and Max.Y columns on the
[Roads], [Pipe Data], [Sewer Data], [Storm Data] or [Water Data] pages

Plot Menu 9-91

Long Section Design Items
Use the combo boxes on each cell to indicate position of the design items
that has to be written. Use the right hand side column to specify a second
design item that has to be written at the same position.

Right click on any item to edit the Text settings.

Entries into this area can either be a Design Item such as Horizontal
Alignment, or it can be elevations for a Long Section line.

Design Item Entries

Arrow Length Enter the length of the arrow head to be drawn for those
data elements which use arrows.
CAD Layer Enter the CAD layer in which this item should be drawn.
Maximum Super Enter the maximum superelevation value represented by the
Min Y and Max Y entries. This is used to scale the
superelevation to fit the defined area. This is only applicable
to the Left and Right Super rows.
Customized Text Select whether a custom text entry should be generated for
this road entry (Yes) or not (No). If you select Yes then a
dialog is displayed which allows you to enter the custom text.
Right click the edit box(es) in this dialog to enter pre-defined
variables.
Line Type Enter the Line type to be used for the Design Item.
Text Settings Click this button to display the Text Settings Dialog.

9-92 Design Centre Reference

Elevation Entries

Plot Line Check this option if a Long Section line must be drawn in the
section area.
Write Label Check this option if a label should be written in the detail
area.
Pen Press this button to edit the colour in which the Long Section
line will be drawn.
Line Type Use this combo box to edit the line type in which the Long
Section line should be drawn.
Draw Smooth line Check this option if the plotted line should be smoothed with
a bezier curve
Drop line to labels Check this option if a line should be drawn from the plotted
data point down to the datum line
CAD Layer Enter the CAD layer in which this item should be drawn.
Label all break points Check this option if a line point and/or data value should be
generated for every point in this long section line
Underline labels Check this option if a line should be drawn under the data
label from the defined Min Y to the defined Max Y
coordinates
Exaggerate Enter the chainage interval in meters at which data labels
should be exaggerated. The text is written 60% greater than
the specified size.
Text Settings Click this button to display the Text Settings Dialog.

Plot Menu 9-93

Text Settings

Font Enter the Font to be used

Text Size Enter the Text size in points
Pen Press this button to edit the Pen colour to be used for the
text.
Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places to be used for the detail
data.
Text Label origin Check the radio button that represents the desired label
origin (Lorg)

9-94 Design Centre Reference

Display Settings
Opens the Display Settings Dialog

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DisplaySettings

This dialog allows you to specify the items that should be shown in the
graphical display and the manner in which they should be displayed.

Procedure
The Display Settings dialog is displayed.

The Display Settings dialog consists of a number of pages. The left side
of the dialog displays a tree list of available items. Click on the top level
item to display the relevant page. Some of the top level items have
further pages implemented as sub-items. Click on the + sign to the left of
any top level item to display the sub-items. Click on a sub-item to display
the relevant page.

Top level items are displayed only for those elements present in the
current project.

The possible top level items and their respective sub-items are as follows:
• IDE Layers - Layer settings for the drawing (if any) in the project.
• Terrain - General display settings

Display Settings 10-1

• Surfaces - Set up of surface names, visibility, active status and line
display
• Filter - Display filtering by point names
• Contours - Settings for contour display
• Banks - Display on banks for terraces and roads
• Slope Shading - Display of slope ranges by colour shading
• Height Shading - Display of height ranges by colour shading
• Point Symbols - Display of specified symbols on specific point names
• Name to Layer - Creating of specific points on selected CAD layers
during plan plotting
• Roads - General display settings
• Plan Layout - Display of lines and chainages from displayed roads
• Sewer - General display settings
• Nodes - Display of sewer nodes
• Links - Display of sewer links
• Storm - General display settings
• Nodes - Display of sewer nodes
• Links - Display of sewer links
• Water - General display settings
• Pipes - Display of water pipes
• Nodes - Display of water nodes
• Reservoirs - Display of water reservoirs
• Pumps - Display of water pumps
• Valves - Display of water valves
• Pressure Release Chambers - Display of water pressure release
chambers
• Map - General display settings
• Strings – Display of strings

10-2 Design Centre Reference

IDE Layers

Layer column Edit the layer names, or right-click on a cell to delete, add or
make the layer the current layer.
Vis column Right-click the cell to toggle the visibility of the layer on and off.
Lock column Right-click the cell to toggle the lock status of the layer on and
off. Elements on locked layers cannot be edited.
Mag column Enter the magnification factor for the layer. A magnification factor
of 1 assumes the drawing scale, a factor of 2 would use half the
drawing scale, and a factor of 0.5 would use twice the drawing
scale.
Pen column Right-click the cell to specify the pen to be used for elements on
this layer which have their pen set to 'ByLayer'.
Line Type column Select the line type to be used for elements on this layer which
have their line type set to 'ByLayer'.
Width column Enter the line width to be used for elements on this layer which
have their width set to 'ByLayer'.
Visibility Click the All Layers button to set the Vis column for all layers to
Yes. Click the Current Only button to set the Vis column for all
layers to No except for the current layer (highlighted in blue)
which is set to Yes.
Highlight Select the layer highlighting mode to be used. Select the None
option to turn off highlighting, select the Pen 8 option to have all
layers except the current layer displayed in pen 8, or select the
Rainbow option to have all layers except the current layer
displayed in various pens. The current layer is always displayed
using the specified element pens.
Operate on Select the All Unlocked option to be able to edit elements on any
layer which is not specifically locked, or select the Current only
option to be able to edit elements only on the current layer.

Display Settings 10-3

Terrain

General

Checkboxes Select/deselect the checkboxes to quickly toggle the display of

the various elements.
Font settings - Check this item to have text displayed at a set size regardless of
Draft text the current magnification of the drawing. Uncheck this item to
have the text displayed as it would be plotted.
Font settings - Select the font to be used for all text displayed.
Font
Font settings - Specify the rotation angle for point names and heights. This is a
Rotation cartesian angle.
Font settings - Specify the size of displayed text in points.
Size
Font settings - Specify the number of decimal places to be displayed for point
Decimal places heights.
Line types - Break Select the line style in which to display break lines.
Line types - Select the line style in which to display feature lines.
Feature

10-4 Design Centre Reference

Surfaces

Surf. column Displays the actual surface numbers.

Name column Enter the name to be used for this surface.
Pen column Select the pen in which points (including names and heights)
on this surface should be displayed. Right click the relevant
cell to access the standard pen selection dialog.
Vis. column Toggles the visibility of this surface. Right click the relevant
cell to toggle between Yes and No. DTM points that are not
visible cannot be selected in those functions which act on
individual points.
Act. column Toggles the active status of this surface. Right click the
relevant cell to toggle between Yes and No. DTM Points on
inactive surfaces will not be used by any functions that alter
groups of points.
Lin. column Toggles the line display status of this surface. Right click the
cell to toggle between Yes and No.
CAD Layer column Enter the name of the CAD layer on which items on this
surface should be drawn when plotting a plan. Two variables
are available, {NUMBER} and {TYPE}, which translate to the
surface number and item type respectively. Right click the
relevant cell to select from a menu.
Active button Click this button to set the Active status for all surfaces to Yes.
Inactive button Click this button to set the Active status for all surfaces to No.
Visible button Click this button to set the Visible status for all surfaces to Yes
Hidden button Click this button to set the Visible status for all surfaces to No.

Display Settings 10-5

Filter

Apply filter Check this option to have the specified filter applied in order to
restrict the points displayed in the IDE window, or processed
by certain functions, to those that pass the filter.
All surfaces Check this option to have the filter applied to points in all
visible surfaces.
Apply to surface Select the surface to which this filter should be applied. The
selected surface must be active (and therefore visible).
Names to pass – All Select this option to allow all points to pass the inclusion filter.
Names to pass Enter up to 5 names that should be tested for when filtering
points in order to determine which points are to be passed for
processing. See the Name Filters section for details on using
wildcards for filtering. The dropdown list shows the names of
points that are currently visible on the screen.
Names to avoid – Select this option to allow all included points (those that
None passed the Names to pass filter) to pass the exclusion filter.
Names to avoid Enter up to 5 names that should be tested for when filtering
points in order to determine which points that have already
passed the Names to pass filter, are now to be excluded from
processing. See the Name Filters section for details on using
wildcards for filtering. The dropdown list shows the names of
points that are currently visible on the screen.

10-6 Design Centre Reference

Contours

Contour details - Check this option to enable contour display.

Display contours
Contour details - Select either the Quick option to display contours from
Quick or Generated polygons, or select the Generated option to display contours
as generated by the Contours from Lines or DTM Contour
functions.
Contour details - If you have selected the Generated option then you may also
Smoothed select to have the contours smoothed. This will apply a Bezier
curve to the contour. This smoothing can however sometimes
introduce anomolies such as contours crossing each other.
Use with caution. It is also far slower than displaying
unsmoothed contours.
Contour details - Select the surface for which contours must be displayed. Only
Surface available if the Quick option is selected.
Contour details - Enter the lowest contour elevation to be displayed. Only
Datum available if the Quick option is selected.
Contour details - Enter the minimum height for the displayed contours. A value
Min. Height of 0 implies no minimum. Only available if the Generated
option is selected. Not available for single contours.

Contour details - Enter the maximum height for the displayed contours. A value
Max. Height of 0 implies no maximum. Only available if the Generated
option is selected. Not available for single contours.

Contour display - Enter the height interval at which to display contours, the pen
Contour Interval, to be used to draw the contour lines, and the line type in which
Pen and Linetype to draw the contours.
Contour display - Check this option to display highlighted contours. Enter the
Highlight, Interval, height interval at which to display highlighted contours, the

Display Settings 10-7

Pen and Linetype pen to be used to draw the highlighted contours, and the line
type in which to draw the highlighted contours. Not available
for single contours.
Contour display - Check this option to label contours. Enter the height interval at
Label, Interval and which to display labels, and the pen to be used to label the
Pen contours. Only applicable to Generated contours.
Transparent labels Check this option for the background behind the label,
including the contour itself, to be visible. Without it checked
(the default) the label is in a box coloured in the background
Design Centre colour. Only applicable to Generated contours.
Contour display - Txt Enter the height of contour labels in points. Only applicable to
hgt Generated contours.
Contour display - Enter the number of decimal places for contour labels. Only
Decimals applicable to Generated contours.
Contour display - Specify the interval (in metres) along the contour line at which
Label spacing contour labels should be displayed. Only applicable to
Generated contours. To turn off interval labelling along
contour lines, set the spacing to 0.000.
Second surface - Check this option to have contours displayed for an additional
Display contours surface. Only available for Quick contours.
Second surface - Click this button to select the colour in which these contours
Pen should be displayed. Only available for Quick contours.
Second surface - Select the surface for which the second set of contours must
Surface be displayed. Only available for Quick contours.
Difference contour Select the Pen and Linetype in which to display difference
display - Above Pen contours above the datum contour. Only applicable when
and Linetype Generated is selected and the stored contour file was created
from a grid generated by the DTM Ground/Design Difference
function.
Difference contour Select the Pen and Linetype in which to display the datum
display - Datum Pen contour. Only applicable when Generated is selected and the
and Linetype stored contour file was created from a grid generated by the
DTM Ground/Design Difference function.
Difference contour Select the Pen and Linetype in which to display difference
display - Below Pen contours below the datum contour. Only applicable when
and Linetype Generated is selected and the stored contour file was created
from a grid generated by the DTM Ground/Design Difference
function.

10-8 Design Centre Reference

Banks

Display banks Check this option to enable bank display.

Bank surface Select the surface on which the banks have been generated.
Bank lines Button Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
a colour in which to display the normal bank lines.
Short lines Button Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
a colour in which to display the short bank lines.
Shoulder lines Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
Button a colour in which to display the bank shoulder lines.
Cut/Fill lines Button Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
a colour in which to display the bank cut/fill lines.
Snip factor Enter the percentage of the bank line length that should be
used for short lines.
Cut line type Enter the linetype with which to display cut lines.
Fill line type Enter the linetype with which to display fill lines.

Display Settings 10-9

Slope Shading

Show slope shading Check this option to enable slope shading display.
Display slope Check this option to enable the colour display.
colours
Surface Select the surface for which slope shading should be
generated.
From Slope column Enter the minimum slope for this range.
To Slope column Enter the maximum slope for this range.
Colour column Right-click the cell to access the Windows colour dialog, in
order to specify a colour with which to shade the range.
Out of range pen Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
Button a pen for shading items which do not fall into the specified
ranges.
Display slope arrows Check this option to display arrows in the direction of water
flow across the model.
Arrow pen Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
a pen for the slope arrow.
Arrow length and Enter the length and width of the slope arrow head in
width millmeters on paper.
Slope Ramp Button Click this button to access the Slope Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to all ranges.
Colour Ramp Button Click this button to access the Colour Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to all ranges.

10-10 Design Centre Reference

Height Shading

Show height Check this option to enable height shading display.

shading
Surface Select the surface for which height shading should be
generated.
From Height column Enter the minimum height for this range.
To Height column Enter the maximum height for this range.
Colour column Right-click the cell to access the Windows colour dialog, in
order to specify a colour with which to shade the range.
Below range pen Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
Button a pen for shading items which fall below the minimum
specified height.
Above range pen Click this button to access the colour dialog in order to specify
Button a pen for shading items which are above the maximum
specified height.
Autoscale Button Click this button to automatically generate height ranges
based on the minimum and maximum heights of the DTM
points.
Height Ramp Button Click this button to access the Height Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to all ranges.
Colour Ramp Button Click this button to access the Colour Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to all ranges.

Display Settings 10-11

Point Symbols

Display point Check this option to display point symbols.

symbols
Name column Enter the point names to be displayed as symbols. This
functions in the same way as a name filter entry in that the
points whose names contain the entered text will be
processed. Right click to select from a list of point names that
are currently visible on the screen.
Symbol column Right-click the cell and select the appropriate symbol from the
drop-down list. Only those symbols that are contained in the
drawing SurveySymbols.drg (stored in the user directory) will
be available.
Scale column Enter the exaggeration factor for the symbol. The minimum
factor that can be entered is 0.001.
Lbl. column Set the display of labels on or off. Enter either Yes or No in the
desired cell or right-click the cell to toggle the current entry.
This label setting is independent of the normal Name display
option.
Hgt. column Set the display of heights on or off. Enter either Yes or No in
the desired cell or right-click the cell to toggle the current
entry. This height setting is independent of the normal Height
display option.

10-12 Design Centre Reference

Name to Layer

Process name to Check this to enable processing of this name list.

layer settings
Name column Enter the point names to be processed. This functions in the
same way as a name filter entry in that the points whose
names match the entered text will be processed. See the
Name Filters section for details on using wildcards for filtering.
Note that processing is done from the first entry to the last,
and the settings for the first entry that matches the name
being processed are applied. This means that duplicate name
specifications are not allowed as only the first of the duplicates
will ever be matched. This also implies that while you can
have any combination of point, height or name displayed on a
specific named CAD layer, you cannot have a specific CAD
layer for the point and another specific CAD layer for the
height and/or label of the same point, other than the standard
CAD layer. Right click to select from a list of point names that
are currently visible on the screen.
Layer column Enter the name of the CAD layer on which items should be
drawn.
Pnt. column Set the processing of points on or off. Enter either Yes or No
in the desired cell or right-click the cell to toggle the current
entry. If set to Yes then the entered CAD layer name is used
for this item. If set to No then the standard CAD layer is used.
Hgt. column Set the processing of height labels on or off. Enter either Yes
or No in the desired cell or right-click the cell to toggle the
current entry. If set to Yes then the entered CAD layer name is
used for this item. If set to No then the standard CAD layer is
used.

Display Settings 10-13

Lbl. column Set the processing of name labels on or off. Enter either Yes
or No in the desired cell or right-click the cell to toggle the
current entry. If set to Yes then the entered CAD layer name is
used for this item. If set to No then the standard CAD layer is
used.

10-14 Design Centre Reference

Roads

General

Display road plan Check this option to enable display of roads.

Vis. column Set the visible status for each of the available roads. Enter
either Yes or No in the desired cell or right-click the cell to
toggle the current setting.
CAD Layer column Enter the name of the CAD layer on which items for this road
should be drawn when plotting a plan. Two variables are
available, {NUMBER} and {TYPE}, which translate to the road
number and item type respectively. Right click the relevant cell
to select from a menu.
Visible Button Click this button to set all the cells in the Vis column to Yes.
Hidden Button Click this button to set all the cells in the Vis column to No.
Current road Enter the first and last chainages of the range of the horizontal
settings - Start chg alignment to be displayed. Applicable only to the currently
and Stop chg highlighted road.
Current road Check this option to have the batter slopes displayed as
settings - Plot road banks.
banks
Current road Check this option to display the road name, on the road layout
settings – Plot road plan.
names
Current road Enter the road name interval in meters. This value is the
settings - Interval repeat distance for the road name text.
Current road Specify the pen colour for the road name text.
settings- Pen

Display Settings 10-15

Current road Enter the text size for the road name text.
settings- Text size
Current road Select the layer that contains the cross sections for which
settings - Bank layer banks should be drawn.

Plan Layout

Chainage interval Enter the interval between successive chainage

indicators.

Chainage Label Interval Enter the interval between successive chainage

labels

Chainage kilometre separator Enter the kilometre separator. If you enter "km "
chainage 1250 will be written as "1km 250" on the
road plan.

Decimal places Enter the number of decimals to be displayed in the

chainage labels.

Offset for start of indicator Enter the offset from the centreline at which the
indicator line should start drawing. Offsets to the left
of the centreline should be entered as a negative
value.

Offset for end of indicator Enter the offset from the centreline at which the
indicator line should stop drawing. Offsets to the left
of the centreline should be entered as a negative
value.

Label pen Button Click this button to select the colour in which to
display the labels.

Size Enter the size of the labels in points.

10-16 Design Centre Reference

Label Offset Enter the offset from the centerline where the labels
should be plotted.

Label Position Enter the position of the chainage label relative to

the chainage coordinate on the center line. This
option can be set to: Above, Below, Left or Right.

Label Skew Sections Check this option to label all the skew sections with
the change label and skew angle. If this option is
checked then skew sections will always be labeled
regardless of the Chainage Interval.

Box out text Check this option to box out the label text.

Labels parallel to road Check this option to have the labels placed parallel
to the centerline instead of at right-angles.

Label BCC and ECC Check this option to have the beginning and ending
of curves labelled in addition to the regular
chainages.

Chainages for BCC and ECC Check this option to have the beginning and ending
of curves labelled in addition to the regular
chainages.

Plot column Select whether the particular line should be plotted

or not. Enter either Yes or No in the cell or right-click
the cell to toggle the current setting.

Pen column Enter a pen number or right-click the cell to display

the colour dialog in order to specify a pen with which
to plot the line.

LT column Enter the number of the linetype in which to display

the line.

Smth column Select whether the line should be smoothed or not.

Enter either Yes or No in the cell or right-click the
cell to toggle the current setting.

Offset column Enter either the offset, point location code or ID of

the cross section point that should be used for
plotting this line.

Pos column Specify whether the entered value in the Offset

column is a point location code, point ID or an offset.
Right-click the cell to alter the current setting.

Layer column Right-click the cell and select the layer from which
the cross section data should be extracted.

Change all roads to these Press this button to copy the visible settings to all
settings the existing roads.

Display Settings 10-17

Horizontal Curves

Always plot at Check this option to keep the rotation of the Curve and PI
Default rotation details text at Zero degrees when you generate a plan plot,
regardless of the rotation of the plot
Show Curve Details Check this to display Horizontal curve details onto the Design
Center window.
Show PI Details Check this to display the PI details onto the Design Cener
window.
Pen Pen colour for the curves or PI box
Box out text Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the details text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Size Enter the text size for the relative details box in points.
Offset from Road CL Enter the distance in meters from the crown of the horizontal
(Curve Details) curve towards the curve center point where the curve details
have to be plotted.
Offset from Road CL Enter the distance in meters from the PI position away from
(PI Details) the curve center point where the PI details have to be plotted.
PI Indicator Check this option to indicate the PI position.
Indicator Size Enter the size of one of the two lines that form the PI Indicator,
in meters.
Text Enter the text to be written into the Curves, or PI details
boxes. A number of variables are available. These are
{RADIUS}, {TR_IN}, {TR_OUT}, {BACK_DIR}, {FRONT_DIR},
{TAN_IN}, {TAN_OUT}, {I}, {PI}, {PI_Y} and {PI_X}. Right click
the relevant cell to select from a menu.

10-18 Design Centre Reference

Strings

Display strings Check this option to enable display of strings.

Plot Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
tree view. Set the string to plot.
Chainage Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
tree view. Switch on the display of chainages. Enabled only for
a chainage string.
Banks Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
tree view. Switch on the display of banks between this string
and it's parent.
Pen Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
tree view. Set the pen colour of the string.
Linetype Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
tree view. Set the linetype of the string.
String width Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
tree view. Set the line width of the string.
Vertex circle screen Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
% tree view. Set the size of the circle surrounding each vertex of
the string. Set to zero to switch off the display of vertex circles.
Copy settings to Setting applicable to the highlighted string name in the centre
children tree view. Copy all the display settings of this string to all
children of this string.

Display Settings 10-19

Sewer

General

Show sewer layout Check this option to display the Sewer layout.
Annotation Font Select the font to be used for all annotations on the Sewer
layout.

10-20 Design Centre Reference

Nodes

Symbol - Pen The node is displayed as a circle in the specified colour. To

change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the circle in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Symbol - Linetype Specify the line type the circle must be drawn in. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotations - Pen The node annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotations - Size Specify the node annotation text size in points.
Annotations - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres horizontally from the actual node
Horizontal offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres vertically from the actual node
Vertical offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Text Select one of the 8 available positions for the annotation text
label origin origin. The centre position is the actual node position.
Annotations - Node Enter the text to be written as annotation at each node. A
text number of variables are available. These are {NAME},
{COVER}, {INVERT} and {DEPTH}. Right click the relevant
cell to select from a menu.

Display Settings 10-21

Links

Line - Default Pen The link is displayed as a line in the specified colour if Colour
Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the colour
click the button and select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Linetype Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available line styles.
Line - Arrow Length Specify the length and width (in millimetres on paper) of the
and Width flow direction arrow. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available sizes.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the link colours should be
Scheme determined. The options here are Default (which uses the
default line pen as specified previously), Size, Slope,
Capacity, Flow, Velocity and Depth of Flow.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default.
Annotation - Pen The link annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the link annotation text size in points. Use the arrows
to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Offset Enter the offset in metres from the annotation text to the link.
distance The text label origin will be moved away from the link by that
amount.

10-22 Design Centre Reference

Annotation - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each link. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {SIZE}, {TYPE},
link {LENGTH}, {BEDDING}, {SLOPE}, {RATIOSLOPE}, {FLOW},
{CAPACITY}, {VELOCITY}, {DEPTH}, {FIXEDSIZE},
{FIXEDSLOPE} and {FIXEDRATIOSLOPE}. Right click the
relevant cell to select from a menu. You may also define the
number of decimals for numeric items. For example, an item
"{LENGTH.1}" will display the length of the link to 1 decimal.
The default display is 3 decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Display Settings 10-23

Storm

General

Show stormwater Check this option to display the Stormwater layout.

layout
Annotation Font Select the font to be used for all annotations on the
Stormwater layout.

10-24 Design Centre Reference

Nodes

Symbol - Pen The node is displayed as a circle in the specified colour. To

change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the circle in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Symbol - Linetype Specify the line type the circle must be drawn in. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotations - Pen The node annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotations - Size Specify the node annotation text size in points.
Annotations - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres horizontally from the actual node
Horizontal offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres vertically from the actual node
Vertical offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Text Select one of the 8 available positions for the annotation text
label origin origin. The centre position is the actual node position.
Annotations - Node Enter the text to be written as annotation at each node. A
text number of variables are available. These are {NAME},
{COVER}, {INVERT} and {DEPTH}. Right click the relevant
cell to select from a menu.

Display Settings 10-25

Links

Line - Default Pen The link is displayed as a line in the specified colour if Colour
Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the colour
click the button and select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Linetype Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available line styles.
Line - Arrow Length Specify the length and width (in millimetres on paper) of the
and Width flow direction arrow. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available sizes.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the link colours should be
Scheme determined. The options here are Default (which uses the
default line pen as specified previously), Size, Slope,
Capacity, Flow, Velocity and Depth of Flow.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default.
Annotation - Pen The link annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the link annotation text size in points. Use the arrows
to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Offset Enter the offset in metres from the annotation text to the link.
distance The text label origin will be moved away from the link by that
amount.

10-26 Design Centre Reference

Annotation - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each link. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {SIZE}, {TYPE},
link {LENGTH}, {BEDDING}, {SLOPE}, {RATIOSLOPE}, {FLOW},
{CAPACITY}, {VELOCITY}, {DEPTH}, {FIXEDSIZE},
{FIXEDSLOPE} and {FIXEDRATIOSLOPE}. Right click the
relevant cell to select from a menu. You may also define the
number of decimals for numeric items. For example, an item
"{LENGTH.1}" will display the length of the link to 1 decimal.
The default display is 3 decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Display Settings 10-27

Water

General

Show Water Layout Check this item to display the Water layout.

Pipes

Line - Default Pen The pipe is displayed as a line in the specified colour if Colour
Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the colour
click the button and select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.

10-28 Design Centre Reference

Line - Linetype Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available line styles.
Line - Arrow Length Specify the length and width (in millimetres on paper) of the
and Width flow direction arrow. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available sizes.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the pipe colours should be
Scheme determined. The options here are Default (which uses the
default line pen as specified previously), Diameters, Velocities,
Flows, Headloss and Gradient.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default.
Annotation - Pen The pipe annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the pipe annotation text size in points. Use the arrows
to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each pipe. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {ID}, {NAME},
link {MATERIAL}, {DIAMETER}, {LENGTH}, {FLOW} and
{VELOCITY}. Right click the relevant cell to select from a
menu. You may also define the number of decimals for
numeric items. For example, an item "{LENGTH.1}" will
display the length of the pipe to 1 decimal. The default display
is 3 decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Display Settings 10-29

Nodes

Line - Default Pen The node is displayed as a circle in the specified colour if
Colour Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the
colour click the button and select a colour from the Colour
dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Size on paper Specify the diameter of the circle in millimetres on paper. Use
the arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the node colours should be
Scheme determined. The options here are Default (which uses the
default line pen as specified previously), Discharge, Elevations
and Pressure.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default.
Annotation - Pen The node annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the node annotation text size in points. Use the arrows
to step through a list of available sizes.

10-30 Design Centre Reference

Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each node. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {ID}, {NAME},
link {ELEVATION}, {DISCHARGE}, {HEAD} and {PRESSURE}.
Right click the relevant cell to select from a menu. You may
also define the number of decimals for numeric items. For
example, an item "{DISCHARGE.1}" will display the discharge
of the node to 1 decimal. The default display is 3 decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Display Settings 10-31

Reservoirs

Symbol - Line Pen The reservoir is displayed as a symbol in the specified colour.
To change the colour click the button and select a colour from
the Colour dialog.
Symbol - Fill Pen The reservoir symbol is filled with the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the symbol in millimetres on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotation - Pen The reservoir annotations are displayed in the specified
colour. To change the colour click the button and select a
colour from the Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the reservoir annotation text size in points. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each reservoir. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {ID}, {NAME},
link {CAPACITY}, {FSL} and {INFLOW}. Right click the relevant
cell to select from a menu. You may also define the number of
decimals for numeric items. For example, an item
"{CAPACITY.1}" will display the capacity of the reservoir to 1
decimal. The default display is 3 decimals.

10-32 Design Centre Reference

Pumps

Symbol - Line Pen The pump is displayed as a symbol in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Fill Pen The pump symbol is filled with the specified colour. To change
the colour click the button and select a colour from the Colour
dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the symbol in millimetres on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotation - Pen The pump annotations are displayed in the specified colour.
To change the colour click the button and select a colour from
the Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the pump annotation text size in points. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each pump. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {ID}, {NAME},
link {FLOW} and {HEAD}. Right click the relevant cell to select
from a menu. You may also define the number of decimals for
numeric items. For example, an item "{HEAD.1}" will display
the pump head to 1 decimal. The default display is 3 decimals.

Display Settings 10-33

Valves

Symbol - Line Pen The valve is displayed as a symbol in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the symbol in millimetres on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotation - Pen The valve annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the valve annotation text size in points. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each valve. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {ID}, {NAME},
link {DIAMETER}, {FLOW}, {HEADLOSS} and {OPENING}. Right
click the relevant cell to select from a menu. You may also
define the number of decimals for numeric items. For
example, an item "{FLOW.1}" will display the valve flow to 1
decimal. The default display is 3 decimals.

10-34 Design Centre Reference

Pressure Release Chamber

Symbol - Line Pen The pressure release chamber is displayed as a symbol in the
specified colour. To change the colour click the button and
select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Symbol - Fill Pen The pressure release chamber symbol is filled with the
specified colour. To change the colour click the button and
select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the symbol in millimetres on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotation - Pen The pressure release chamber annotations are displayed in
the specified colour. To change the colour click the button and
select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the pressure release chamber annotation text size in
points. Use the arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each pressure
above and below release chamber. A number of variables are available. These
link are {ID}, {NAME}, {ELEVATION} and {FLOW}. Right click the
relevant cell to select from a menu. You may also define the
number of decimals for numeric items. For example, an item
"{ELEVATION.1}" will display the pressure release chamber
elevation to 1 decimal. The default display is 3 decimals.

Display Settings 10-35

Map

Display themes Check this item to display the Map themes.

Reference - Show Check this item to display a marker at the text reference point
theme reference of each theme entity.
points
Reference - Circle, Select the manner in which you wish to display the marker.
Cross, Triangle,
Diamond
Reference - Pen Click this button to select the colour in which the marker is to
be displayed.
Reference - Size Enter the size of the marker in metres.
Graphical Index - Check this item to display the blocks of the graphical index.
Show index blocks This is useful to check that themes have been indexed
correctly as any theme entity falling outside the index will NOT
be selectable.

10-36 Design Centre Reference

Notes:

Display Settings 10-37

Defaults
Every time you enter Civil Designer or use the File
New function to
start a new drawing, a default drawing called STARTUP.DRG is
automatically loaded.
This drawing sets up the defaults - the paper size, scale, units,
background colour you normally use, the way you normally want text
and dimensions to look, etc.
You may change these defaults so that your preferred paper size, scale,
colour etc. are automatically loaded each time you start a new drawing.
To do this, load Civil Designer. Do not draw anything, but set the
defaults to the values you would like loaded each time you start a new
drawing. Refer to the functions in the Settings Menu.
Use File
Save As to save the blank drawing. You must save it into your
user directory with the name STARTUP.DRG.

Defaults 11-1
CAD.INI
The CAD.INI file in your user directory store defaults such as your
default directories, etc. A typical file looks like this:
[WINDOW_PLACEMENT]
Main Length=44
Main Flags=2
Main Show=3
Main PosRect=-1 -1 -4 -4 184 207 854 1043

[LOGFILE]
WriteLogFile=0

[PATHS]
drawpath=J:\AllyTest\

[STOREDEF]
AUTOGEOM=0
USEDOM=1
AUTOBACKUP=10
REFERENCEPROMPT=0
ASKBACKUP=0
BACKUPPATH=

[VMEM]
MaxMegAlloc=5
Vmempath=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP

[COLORS]
pen0=128 0 0
pen1=255 0 0
pen2=153 41 247
pen3=255 255 0
pen4=0 255 0
pen5=0 128 0
pen6=0 128 128
pen7=0 255 255
pen8=0 0 255
pen9=0 0 128
pen10=128 0 128
pen11=255 0 255
pen12=255 255 255
pen13=128 128 128
pen14=0 0 0
pen15=192 192 192
Use_AutoCAD_Colors=0
CustColor0=244 129 152
CustColor1=111 23 116
CustColor2=2 0 157

11-2 Design Centre Reference

CustColor3=60 130 40
CustColor4=153 41 247
CustColor5=0 0 0
CustColor6=0 0 0
CustColor7=41 2 176
CustColor8=176 5 41
CustColor9=20 7 0
CustColor10=176 186 184
CustColor11=214 17 64
CustColor12=118 35 246
CustColor13=0 112 165
CustColor14=176 186 184
CustColor15=0 243 165

[SETTINGS]
UseWidthInPerimeter=0
OpenCreatesNewWindow=1
CompileMacro=0
Create16BitCompatible=0
DefaultEditor=NOTEPAD.EXE
ZoomOutFactor=0
PopUpDoneButton=0
BitmapTilingThreshold=1000
CompressedTiles=0
TilePath=.

[DRAWINGS]
drawing1=I:\DTP\CIVIL DESIGNER 6\PAVEMENT.DRG
drawing2=I:\DTP\CIVIL DESIGNER 6\SKC.DRG
drawing3=J:\ALLYTEST\LINCOLN1.DRG
drawing4=D:\DEMO\DATA\DEMODATA.DRG
drawing5=C:\ALLYCAD3\DRAWING\BOMTEST.DRG
drawing6=J:\ALLYTEST\4486801.DRG
drawing7=J:\ALLYTEST\TESTDUPL.DRG
drawing8=J:\ALLYTEST\PDV\HK_CC.DRG

[TOOLBARPOSN]
Color=TOP 637 917 0 20 VISIBLE 1
File=TOP -2 399 50 82 VISIBLE 1
Main=LEFT -2 31 80 448 VISIBLE 16
Snaps=RIGHT 1249 1282 110 390 VISIBLE 12
Screen=LEFT 0 0 0 0 HIDE 16
View=TOP 397 620 50 82 VISIBLE 1
Modify=TOP 618 1027 206 238 HIDE 1
Trims=TOP -2 106 236 268 HIDE 1
Geometry=RIGHT 1249 1282 388 732 VISIBLE 18
Dimensions=LEFT -2 31 446 697 VISIBLE 13

[CONTROLBAR]
name=Arial

Defaults 11-3
size=8
weight=400
italic=0
charset=0
pitchandfamily=34

[PRINTDEF]
PROFILES=SCE,PRINT
CURRPROFILE=PRINT

[PRINT_PROFILE_PRINT]
PRINTERARCS=1
ALLPENSTOBLACK=1
SCALEHATCH=0
SCALEFATLINES=1
XOFFSET=0
YOFFSET=0
MINPEN=1
MAXPEN=15
PEN0_WIDTH=0
PEN0_COLOR=128 0 0
PEN1_WIDTH=0.13
PEN1_COLOR=255 0 0
PEN2_WIDTH=0.18
PEN2_COLOR=128 128 0
PEN3_WIDTH=0.25
PEN3_COLOR=255 255 0
PEN4_WIDTH=0.35
PEN4_COLOR=0 255 0
PEN5_WIDTH=0.5
PEN5_COLOR=0 128 0
PEN6_WIDTH=0.7
PEN6_COLOR=0 128 128
PEN7_WIDTH=1
PEN7_COLOR=0 255 255
PEN8_WIDTH=0.25
PEN8_COLOR=0 0 255
PEN9_WIDTH=0
PEN9_COLOR=0 0 128
PEN10_WIDTH=0
PEN10_COLOR=128 0 128
PEN11_WIDTH=0
PEN11_COLOR=255 0 255
PEN12_WIDTH=0
PEN12_COLOR=255 255 255
PEN13_WIDTH=0
PEN13_COLOR=128 128 128
PEN14_WIDTH=0
PEN14_COLOR=0 0 0
PEN15_WIDTH=0

11-4 Design Centre Reference

PEN15_COLOR=192 192 192

[TEXTEDIT]
TAKERETURN=0
DLGBOXSIZE=492,392,788,603

[INFOWINDOW]
POSITION=118,301

[BOM]
COMMATABSPACE=2
FIRSTLINEFIELDNAMES=1

[ToDXFFonts]
MODERN=TXT
ROMAN=ROMANS
ARIAL=ROMAND
TIMES NEW ROMAN=ROMANC
TIMES NEW ROMAN.I=ITALICC
TIMES NEW ROMAN.B=ROMANT
TIMES NEW ROMAN.B.I=ITALICT
SCRIPT=SCRIPTS
SCRIPT.I=SCRIPTC
UNKNOWNNAME=TXT

[DXFFlags]
ExplodeBlocks=0
TargetVersion=10

[FromDXFFonts]
STANDARD=MODERN
TXT=MODERN
MONOTXT=MODERN
ROMANS=ROMAN
SCRIPTS=SCRIPT
ROMAND=ARIAL
ROMANT=TIMES NEW ROMAN.B
ITALICT=TIMES NEW ROMAN.B.I
ROMANC=TIMES NEW ROMAN
ITALICC=TIMES NEW ROMAN.I
SCRIPTC=SCRIPT.I
UNKNOWNNAME=MODERN

[ToDXFFonts]
MODERN=TXT
ROMAN=ROMANS
ARIAL=ROMAND
TIMES NEW ROMAN=ROMANC
TIMES NEW ROMAN.I=ITALICC
TIMES NEW ROMAN.B=ROMANT

Defaults 11-5
TIMES NEW ROMAN.B.I=ITALICT
SCRIPT=SCRIPTS
SCRIPT.I=SCRIPTC
UNKNOWNNAME=TXT

[DIGITIZER]
TYPE=None
FORMAT=
INITSTRING=
COMPORT=0
BAUD=0
DATABITS=0
STOPBITS=0
PARITY=0
DIGSCALE=0,1000,0,0,1000,0
SCREENSCALE=0,100,0,0,100,0
MINDIST=1
NOBUTTON=0

Paths
This contains the paths for drawing, symbol and macro files - i.e. the
names of the directories where you store these files and where on the
hard drive Civil Designer can find them.

Print
This contains the print settings.
Item Value Description
PRINTERARCS 0 Use plotter arcs
1 Plot arcs as lines
ALLPENSTOBLACK 0 Print with colours
1 Print all colours as black
PEN_WIDTH Define the width of each pen in mm

FromDXFFonts
This section stores the Civil Designer font that an AutoCAD font must be
converted to during a transfer from a DWG or DXF file to a Civil
Designer drawing file.
The font on the left of the = sign is the AutoCAD font, and the one on the
right is the Civil Designer font it must be converted to.
A “.B” or “.I” after the Civil Designer font name indicates that the font
must be bold or italic.

11-6 Design Centre Reference

ToDXFFonts
This section stores the AutoCAD font that an Civil Designer font must be
converted to during a transfer from an Civil Designer drawing to a DWG
or DXF file.
The font on the left of the = sign is the Civil Designer font, and the one
on the right is the AutoCAD font it must be converted to.
A “.B” or “.I” after the Civil Designer font name indicates that the font is
bold or italic.

DXFFlags
TargetVersion is 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 depending on the version of
AutoCAD the DWG or DXF files you are creating must be compatible
with. See DXF/DWG Conversion Settings.

Controlbar
This section stores the font used on the Control Bar. See View Settings.

Digitizer
This stores the current digitizer setup. See Digitizer Settings. The
NOBUTTON line stores the code returned as the pen by the digitizer
when you are not pressing any buttons.

Logfile
If WriteLogFile=1, Civil Designer will record everything that you do in a
file called CIVILDESIGNER.LOG. This is useful if you are experiencing
problems and wish to contact the programmers.
Each time you start a new Civil Designer session, the previous log file
will be added on to. If WriteLogFile=0, no log file will be written.

Drawings
This stores the names of the last eight drawings you have worked on.
These names appear at the bottom of the File Menu, where you can click
on them to open the drawings quickly.

Defaults 11-7
Vmem
This section stores the virtual memory settings. See Virtual Memory
Settings in the Settings Menu.

Colors
The first part of this section stores the colours you have assigned to each
pen in the Color toolbar in the format
pen=red green blue
Red, green and blue have values between 0 and 255 and define the
amount of red, green and blue making up each colour.
The second part of this section stores any custom colours you have
defined in the colour palette that appears when you right click on the
Pen button in the Control Bar to define a colour or when you are
entering a solid fill.

Textedit
This section stores the size of the Text Entry dialog box, and whether it
has been set to accept [Enter] (1) or [CTRL][Enter] (0) for multiline text.
See Add Text.

Infowindow
This section stores the last position of the Measure and Query Entity
dialog boxes. See Measure and Query Entity.
All the values in CAD.INI except for the symbol and macro paths are
automatically updated each time you exit Civil Designer. To change the
symbol and macro paths, you need to edit them manually in an ASCII
text editor such as Windows Notepad.

Coordtable
FORMAT contains the format that will be used to display coordinate
labels and tables. See Label Coord.

BOM
This section stores the bill of materials (BOM) delimiter and whether the
first line of the BOM contains field names (set to 1 if it does). The
delimiter is

11-8 Design Centre Reference

• 0 comma
• 1 tab
• 2 columns

Defaults 11-9
CAD.MEN
Civil Designer is supplied with its functions arranged on the pull-down
menus and toolbars in a particular way. However, if you want to, you can
re-arrange the functions, re-name them, “switch off” the ones you don't
want, and add your own. You can even create alternative menu systems
and switch between them.
The menu layout is defined in the CAD.MEN file that resides in your
user directory. To create alternative menu systems, you must create files
with the same format as CAD.MEN, and with .MEN extensions.
You can look at, print out or edit the menu file in any text editor such as
the Windows Notepad. We suggest that before you edit the CAD.MEN
file, you make a backup of it.
• Different users can have their own CAD.MEN files. Refer to
Installation in the User Guide.
• Do not use TABS to create spaces in lines in menu files. If you do,
Civil Designer may not be able to understand the commands. Use
spaces.
If you look at your menu file, you will see that it comprises several
sections.

Comments
The first few lines in your CAD.MEN file, as well as some other lines, are
preceded by two slashes: “//”.
For example:
// ally menu
// menus down side of screen
The two slashes mean that the following text is a comment. Civil
Designer will ignore this text. It is just to remind you, the user, of what is
going on. You can add as many comments as you like, so long as each
comment line begins with a //.

CAD.MEN 12-1
Toolbars
You may also assign as many functions as you wish to as many toolbars
as you need. The toolbars can also appear on any convenient spot on
your drawing space. You can program it to dock LEFT, RIGHT, TOP,
BOTTOM or FLOAT by typing the appropriate word next to STYLE.
The term HIDE that may also follow STYLE refers to a toolbar that is
hidden at startup.
The next lines of your CAD.MEN file list the code for the respective
toolbars. These sections start with the word TOOLBAR with a name of
the particular toolbar, for instance “MAIN”. This is followed by the word
STYLE that determines where the toolbar is docked on the Civil
Designer screen. Next comes the word BUTTONS that determine which
functions appear on the Toolbar.

Toolbar Styles
You can use any combination of the following toolbar styles:

TOP This determines if the toolbar is docked to one side of the

BOTTOM Civil Designer main window, or free floating.
LEFT
RIGHT
FLOAT
HIDEONCLICK The toolbar will hide itself when you click on it. Used for the
screen right mouse button pop-up.
SQUARE The toolbar will attempt to make itself as square as possible.
Used for the screen right mouse button pop-up.
HIDE The toolbar is created in a hidden (invisible) state.

12-2 Design Centre Reference

Example:
BUTTON "SetSquar" {#cursorhold;} {#lockang "L";}
{Left: Toggle cursor hold. Right: Lock cursor to a line;}
The name in quotes
“SetSquar ”
refers to the name of the bitmap that appears on the buttons on the
floating toolbox.
You can also create your own bitmaps using any graphical editor capable
of creating a .BMP file (e.g. Windows Paintbrush). Create a 16 color
(16x15) pixel bitmap. Save the bitmap in the home directory that was
created when you installed Civil Designer. Place the name of the bitmap
you have created in quotes, without the .BMP extension.
The first set of curly brackets and their contents
{#cursorhold;}
define the macro function that is executed when you click on button
number 0 with your left mouse button. The macro function's name is
cursorhold. See the section headed Using functions in CAD.MEN for
more details on functions.
The second set of curly brackets and their contents
{#lockang "L";}
define the function that is executed when you click on button number 0
with your right mouse button. This function locks the cursor to a line.
The third set of curly brackets and their contents
{Left: Toggle cursor hold. Right: Lock cursor to a line;}
define the help line that appears at the bottom of the screen when you
move your cursor over the icon on the number 0 button. Note that there
is a semicolon (;) after the help text. This help text also shows up in a
tooltip when you move your mouse over a button and leave it there for
about a second.
The word SEPARATOR may also appear, which puts a space between
the respective buttons on the toolbar.

CAD.MEN 12-3
Pull-Down Menus
Next the functions on the pull-down menus are defined. These are the
sub-menus of the main top bar menu.
The part of the menu file that defines the pull-down menus begins with
the words
// main top bar menu
MAINMENU
BEGIN
and ends with the word
END
Each individual pull-down menu is then defined using the following
commands:
POPUP “&File”
BEGIN
MENUITEM "&New" {delall;} {Clear drawing memory;}
etc.
END
The POPUP command “introduces” the menu. The name in quotes,
“&File”, is the name of the menu, File. The & sign causes the letter
following it to be underlined, so that the name File appears as File. The
underlined letter is the one used to select the menu from the keyboard.
Thus, to select the File Menu you could either click on it with your
mouse or press [Alt] F.
BEGIN and END simply signify the beginning and end of the menu.
Each function on the menu is preceded by the word MENUITEM. The
name in quotes, for example “&New”, is the name of the function that
appears on the menu. The “&” sign causes the letter following it to be
underlined. Thus, the name New appears as “New”. The underlined
letter is the one used to select the function from the keyboard. To select
the New function you can either click on it with your mouse or press N.
Some of the function names contain the characters “\t”. These cause the
text following to appear on the right of the menu.

12-4 Design Centre Reference

Example:
In the Edit Menu the function:
MENUITEM "&Undo\tCtrl+Z" {Undo;} {Undo last operation;}
is displayed in the menu as shown here.
Ctrl+Z is the standard Windows keyboard
shortcut for the Undo command.
The contents of the first set of curly brackets in
the MENUITEM lines define the function that is
executed when the menu option is chosen.
The second set of curly brackets and their
contents define the help line that appears at the
bottom of the screen when the function is
highlighted.
Note that there is a semicolon (;) after the help
text.

You will note that some MENUITEM lines simply read:

MENUITEM SEPARATOR
This command causes a horizontal line to be drawn across the menu.

CAD.MEN 12-5
Accelerators
The final section of the CAD.MEN file defines accelerators. These are
keyboard shortcuts. For example:
“M” {#magnify;}; VK_SEMICOLON {#longpan;}
The first part of each line defines the key. In the examples above “M”
denotes the [M] key and “VK_SEMICOLON” denotes the semicolon [ ; ]
key. A full list of the keys you can use is given in Appendix V. The
contents of the curly brackets define the function that is executed when
the key is pressed.
In the examples given here, the screen will be magnified when you press
[M] and a long pan will be performed when you press the [ ; ] key. This
saves you selecting these functions from the menu or toolbars.

Digitizer
The final section of the menu file maps Civil Designer functions to
digitizer puck buttons. It looks like this:
DIGITIZER
BEGIN
BUTTON "1" {#enterpt;}
BUTTON "2" {line;}
BUTTON "3" {done;}
BUTTON "4" {#jumppt;}
END
The first part of each line defines the number of the digitizer puck button
that the command is being assigned to. The example above assumes that
your digitizer numbers its puck buttons 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The contents of the curly brackets define the function that is executed
when each button is pressed.

12-6 Design Centre Reference

Functions
A full list of function names and the function they perform is given in
Appendix VI. In the menu file the name of the function that is executed
when you click on a button, select a menu option or press a key is
enclosed within curly brackets and followed by a semi-colon (;).

Transparent Commands
Some function names are preceded by a hash sign “#”. This sign is
optional. Its presence means that the function is transparent. If you are
in the middle of one command, and you execute a transparent command,
you will be returned to your original command after the transparent
command has finished. If you are in the middle of one command and you
execute a command that is not transparent, your original command will
be terminated.
Transparency is especially useful for commands like magnify. It means
that if you are drawing a line, for example, and you need to magnify the
screen so that you can see better, you can magnify without interrupting
or losing the line you are drawing.
Theoretically, you could make any of Civil Designer's commands
transparent by adding a # to the front of its name. However, there are
some commands where this is not advisable. The commands it is safe to
make transparent are marked with a bullet-point (•) in Appendix VI.

Short Cuts
When you choose most Civil Designer functions, you are asked various
questions. If your answers to particular questions are always the same,
you can “pre-answer” them in the menu file, thus speeding up your
operation. This is exemplified below, with reference to the Mid Point
Jump command.
If you look at the CAD.MEN file you will see the Mid Point Jump and
Ratio Jump functions in the Tools Menu are defined as follows:
MENUITEM "Mid Poin&t Jump\tC" {#jumpratio .5 "Y";} {Jump to
mid point of line;}
MENUITEM "Ra&tio Jump\tO" {#jumpratio;} {Jump a fixed ratio
between two points or along a line;}
The Mid Point command is in fact the Ratio Jump command, but the
prompts that normally appear during the Ratio Jump command have
been “pre-answered” so that Ratio Jump automatically jumps to the
midpoint of the nearest line.
CAD.MEN 12-7
To jump to the midpoint of a line using Ratio Jump, you would:
• Select Tools Jumps Ratio Jump, or press O to access it quickly from the
keyboard.
• Type “0.5” in response to the prompt:
Enter division ratio of jump.
• Click on the YES button in response to the prompt:
Would you like to jump to ratio point on line (Else
between two points)
In Mid Point Jump, the answers 0.5 and “Y” (YES) are given after the
Ratio Jump macro function name jumpratio. They are separated by
spaces, and the “Y” is enclosed within double quotes.
You can create a short cut of most functions in this way, simply by
adding the letters and numbers that you would normally type to the end
of the function name.
Where you would normally click on a YES or NO button, you must type
“Y” or “N”. Where you would normally choose an answer from a sub-
menu, you must type the underlined letter of the menu option you would
choose. You must enclose alphabetic answers in double quotes.
• To create short cuts for functions like Draw Symbol that give you
options on the Control Bar or in a dialogue box, use the Macro
section to find out the correct function name, letters and numbers.
• The function name and the letters and numbers you type after it are
exactly the same as the parameters you would use when writing a
macro program (see Macros )

Macros
You can add macro programs that you write to the menu or assign them
to an icon in the Toolbar or to an Accelerator. To do this, the function
name must be the following:
{exec “macro_name” ;}
where macro_name is the full name of the macro, including its path. For
example:
MENUITEM “Cut and Ru&b” {exec “.\macro\cut&rub”;} {Cut a
line and delete the segment;}

12-8 Design Centre Reference

Hatch Patterns
The hatch patterns are defined in a file called HATCH.PAT, which
resides in your user directory. This chapter shows you how hatch
patterns are defined so that you can edit existing hatch patterns or create
your own.
You can look at, print out or edit the HATCH.PAT file in any text editor
such as Windows Notepad. We suggest that you make a backup of the
HATCH.PAT file before you edit it.

Different users can have their own HATCH.PAT files. Refer to

Installation in the User Guide.

Hatch Patterns 13-1

Hatch Pattern Definitions
Below are shown the definitions of four sample hatches in the
HATCH.PAT file:
• line (parallel horizontal lines)
• dash (dashed lines)
• newbrick (brick hatching)
• triang (equilateral triangles)

*line,Parallel horizontal lines

10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.125
*dash,Dashed lines
10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, .125,.125, .125,-.125
*newbrick, Paulus Brick or masonry-type surface
10, 0
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
1, 0, 0, 0,.025, 0,.25
5, 1, 90, 0,.025, .25,.25, .225,-.275
*triang,Equilateral triangles
10, 0
1, 0, 60, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 120, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 0, -.09375,.162379763, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875

These definitions comprise the following information.

*hatch name, hatch description
scale, rotation
pen, line width, angle, x origin, y origin, odd line offset, spacing, on
distance, off distance

... for one line of hatch

pen, line width, angle, x origin, y origin, odd line offset, spacing, on
distance, off distance

... for another line of hatch, etc.

The information in each description is summarised below, but is best
understood by studying the examples on the next few pages.

Scale
Scale is a scale factor which multiplies the x and y origins, off line offset,
and on and off distance measurements to give the final size of the hatch.

13-2 Design Centre Reference

Rotation
Rotation is applied to the entire hatch pattern and rotates it by the given
angle. The angle is measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock position.

Pen
Pen is the colour of an individual line in the hatch pattern. The colours in
the Color toolbar are numbered from 1 to 15.

Line width
Line width is the width of an individual line in the hatch pattern. It is
measured in tenths of a millimetre and will be the width of the line on
paper, regardless of drawing scale.

Angle
Angle is the angle of an individual line in the hatch pattern. The angle is
measured anti-clockwise from the 3 o'clock position.

X origin and Y origin

X origin and Y origin allow individual lines in the hatch pattern to start
in different places and therefore to be offset with respect to one another.
X and Y origin are measured in millimeters on the final paper plot,
regardless of drawing scale.

Odd line offset

Odd line offset allows alternate lines of a hatch to be offset, i.e.

Offset

like this ...

... rather than like this.

It is measured in millimeters on the final paper plot, regardless of

drawing scale.

Hatch Patterns 13-3

Spacing

Spacing is the distance between

Spacing
subsequent lines of the hatch.

It is measured in millimeters on the final paper plot, regardless of

drawing scale.

On distance and Off distance

On distance
The on and off distances are the
lengths of each dash and gap in a
dashed line. The off distance is always
Off distance a negative number.

On and off distances are measured in millimetres on the final paper plot,
regardless of drawing scale.

13-4 Design Centre Reference

Example 1 - Line

Scale

*line,Parallel horizontal lines

10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, .125 Spacing

Odd line
Pen offset
Line width Y origin

Angle X origin

The line hatch pattern comprises just one line at an angle of 0 degrees.

Spacing The line is repeated at a spacing of

=1.25mm 0.125mm.

This spacing is multiplied by a scale of 10 so the spacing between

subsequent lines is actually 1.25mm.
No on distance or off distance have been included in the hatch pattern
because the line in the hatch is solid, not dashed.

Hatch Patterns 13-5

Example 2 - Dash

Scale
*dash,Dashed lines
10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 0, 0,0, .125,.125, .125,-.125 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

The dash hatch pattern comprises just one dashed line at an angle of 0
degrees.

Spacing = 1.25mm The line is repeated at a spacing of

Offset =1.25mm
0.125mm. This spacing is multiplied by
a scale of 10, so the spacing between
subsequent lines is actually 1.25mm.
Each alternate line is offset by
On distance =
1.25mm 0.125mm. This offset is multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the offset is actually
Off distance =
-1.25mm 1.25mm.

Each dash is 0.125mm long (on distance), and the gap between each dash
is also 0.125mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is a
negative number (-0.125). The on and off distances are multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the dashes and gaps are actually 1.25mm long.

13-6 Design Centre Reference

Example 3 - Newbrick

Scale

*newbrick, Paulus Brick or masonry-type surface

10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25
1, 0, 0, 0,.025, 0,.25
5, 1, 90, 0,.025, .25,.25, .225,-.275
The newbrick hatch pattern comprises three lines:

two solid lines at 0 degrees

and one dashed line at 90 degrees.

Line 1
1, 0, 0, 0,0, 0,.25 Spacing

Pen Odd line offset

Line width Y origin
Angle X origin

Hatch Patterns 13-7

 Line 1 is at an angle of 0 degrees.

Spacing The line is repeated at a spacing of

=2.5mm 0.25mm. This spacing is multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the spacing between
subsequent lines is actually 2.5mm.

No on distance or off distance have been included in line 1 because it is

solid, not dashed.

Line 2
1, 0, 0, 0,.025, 0,.25 Spacing

Pen Odd line offset

Line width Y origin
Angle X origin

Line 2 is at an angle of 0 degrees.

Spacing The line is repeated at a spacing of

=2.5mm 0.25mm. This spacing is multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the spacing between
subsequent lines is actually 2.5mm.

Line 2 also has a Y origin of 0.025mm. Multiplied by the scale of 10, this
gives an actual Y origin of 0.25mm. The effect of this origin can be seen if
you superimpose lines 1 and 2:

Line 2 has a Y origin of 0.25mm. This means it is

drawn 0.25mm above line 1.

Line 1 has a Y origin of 0mm.

No on distance or off distance have been included in line 2 because it is

solid, not dashed.

13-8 Design Centre Reference

Line 3

5, 1, 90, 0,.025, .25,.25, .225,-.275 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Spacing=2.5mm Line 3 is at an angle of 90 degrees. It is

a different colour from lines 1 and 2
Off distance
(it's pen is 5), and slightly thicker (it's
=2.25mm line width is 1 tenth of a millimetre).

The line is repeated at a spacing of

0.25mm. This spacing is multiplied by a
On distance
= -2.75mm scale of 10, so the spacing between
subsequent lines is actually 2.5mm.

Each alternate line is offset by 0.25mm.

Odd line offset
=2.5mm This offset is multiplied by a scale of
10, so is actually 2.5mm.

Each dash is 0.225mm long (on distance), and the gap between each dash
is also 0.275mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is a
negative number (-0.275). The on and off distances are multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the dashes and gaps are actually 2.25 and 2.75mm long
respectively.
Line 3 also has a Y origin of 0.025mm. Multiplied by the scale of 10, this
gives an actual Y origin of 0.25mm. The effect of this origin can be seen if
you superimpose lines 1, 2 and 3:

Hatch Patterns 13-9

Line 3 has a Y origin of
This means it starts
0.25mm.
above line
0.25mm
1.
Line 2 has a Y origin
0.25mm. This means it
of
drawn 0.25mm above line
is
1.

Line 1 has a Y origin of

0mm.

13-10 Design Centre Reference

Example 4 - Triang

Scale

*triang,Equilateral triangles
10, 0 Rotation
1, 0, 60, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 120, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875
1, 0, 0, -.09375,.162379763, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875

The triang hatch pattern comprises three lines:

a dashed line at 60 degrees,

a dashed line at 120 degrees,

and a dashed line at 0 degrees.

Hatch Patterns 13-11

Line 1
1, 0, 60, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 1 is at an angle of 60 degrees.

Spacing=3.24759526mm

On distance=1.875mm

Odd line offset=1.875mm

Off distance= -1.875mm

The line is repeated at a spacing of 0.324759526mm. This spacing is

multiplied by a scale of 10, so the spacing between subsequent lines is
actually 3.24759526mm.
Each alternate line is offset by 0.1875mm. This offset is multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the offset is actually 1.875mm.
Each dash is 0.1875mm long (on distance), and the gap between each
dash is also 0.1875mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is a
negative number (-0.1875).
The on and off distances are multiplied by a scale of 10, so the dashes
and gaps are actually 1.875mm and 1.875mm long respectively.

Line 2
1, 0, 120, 0,0, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875 Off distance

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 2 is at an angle of 120 degrees.

13-12 Design Centre Reference

 Spacing=3.24759526mm

On distance=1.875mm

Odd line offset=1.875mm

Off distance= -1.875mm

The line is repeated at a spacing of 0.324759526mm. This spacing is

multiplied by a scale of 10, so the spacing between subsequent lines is
actually 3.24759526mm.
Each alternate line is offset by 0.1875mm. This offset is multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the offset is actually 1.875mm.
Each dash is 0.1875mm long (on distance), and the gap between each
dash is also 0.1875mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is a
negative number (-0.1875).
The on and off distances are multiplied by a scale of 10, so the dashes
and gaps are actually 1.875mm and 1.875mm long respectively.

Line 3
Off distance

1, 0, 0, -.09375,.162379763, .1875,.324759526, .1875,-.1875

Pen On distance
Line width Spacing
Angle Odd line offset
X origin Y origin

Line 3 is at an angle of 0 degrees.

Odd line offset=1.875mm

Spacing=3.24759526mm

On distance
=1.875mm
Off distance= -1.875mm

Hatch Patterns 13-13

The line is repeated at a spacing of 0.324759526mm. This spacing is
multiplied by a scale of 10, so the spacing between subsequent lines is
actually 3.24759526mm.
Each alternate line is offset by 0.1875mm. This offset is multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the offset is actually 1.875mm.
Each dash is 0.1875mm long (on distance), and the gap between each
dash is also 0.1875mm long (off distance). Note that the off distance is a
negative number (-0.1875). The on and off distances are multiplied by a
scale of 10, so the dashes and gaps are actually 1.875mm and 1.875mm
long respectively.
Line 3 also has an X origin of -0.09375mm and a Y origin of
0.162379763mm. Multiplied by the scale of 10, this gives an actual X
origin of -0.9375mm and an actual Y origin of 1.62379763mm. The effect
of this origin can be seen if you superimpose lines 1, 2 and 3:

Line 3 starts 0.9375mm to the left

of lines 1 and 2.

Line 3 starts 1.62379763mm

above lines 1 and 2.

Origin of lines 1 and 2.

13-14 Design Centre Reference

Line Types
Every time you start Civil Designer a macro called LINETYPE.MAC is
automatically run. This macro controls the way that different line types
appear on the screen and on paper. This chapter shows you how line
types are defined so that you can edit existing line types or create your
own.
You can define up to 30 line types.
The LINETYPE.MAC file is stored in the MACRO sub-directory of your
Civil Designer directory. You can look at, print it out or edit it in any text
editor such as Windows Notepad. We suggest that you back up the
LINETYPE.MAC file before you edit it.
This file determines whether handles are displayed when you select
something.
Lines in the LINETYPE.MAC that start with the word REM are
comments and will be ignored.
Different users can have their own LINETYPE.MAC files. See
Installation in the User Guide.

Line Types 14-1

Line Type Definitions
Each line that defines a line type starts with the word SETLINEDASH.
Below are shown the definitions of five sample line types:
• 1 (Continuous)
• 2 (Dashed)
• 3 (Hidden)
• 4 (Center2)
• 5 (Phantom2)
SETLINEDASH 1 “Continuous” 8 32 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 2 “Dashed” 8 16 0 70 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 3 “Hidden” 4 8 0 50 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 4 “Center2” 8 32 0 50 70 80 100 0 0 0 0 0 0
SETLINEDASH 5 “Phantom2” 8 32 0 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 0 0 0
These definitions comprise the following information.
SETLINEDASH Line_number “Description” Plotrepeat Pixrepeat
Percstart Perc_on Perc_off Perc_on Perc_off etc.
This information is summarised below, but is best understood by
studying the diagrams at the end of this chapter.

Line number
Each line is numbered from 1 to 30.

Description
The description is matched to DXF or DWG line types when you load or
save a DXF or AutoCAD DWG file. For example, when you load a DXF
file, the DXF line type “Hidden” is displayed as line type 3 in Civil
Designer.

Plotrepeat
This is the distance over which the line type pattern is repeated on your
printer or plotter - 8mm for line types 1, 2, 4 and 5 and 4mm for line 3.

Pixrepeat
This is the distance over which the line type pattern is repeated on the
screen - 32 pixels for line types 1, 4 and 5; 16 pixels for line type 2 and 8
pixels for line type 3.
Pixrepeat must be a factor of 32, e.g. 4, 8, 16 or 32.

14-2 Design Centre Reference

Pixels are the little squares that make up the display on your screen.
Typically there are 640 pixels across the screen and 480 down it, or 800
pixels across the screen and 600 down it, or 1024 pixels across the
screen and 768 down it, depending on screen resolution.

Some dashed/dotted line types appear continuous on the screen,

although they plot or print correctly on paper. This problem can be
overcome by increasing the Pixrepeat.

Percstart, Perc_on and Perc_off

Percstart, perc_on and perc_off show the percentage of Plotrepeat or
Pixrepeat where a line is drawn and where a gap is left. Percstart is
always 0. For example, in line type 4:

SETLINEDASH 4 Center2 8 32 0 50 70 80 100 0 0 0 0 0 0

Plotrepeat Perc_off
Pixrepeat Perc_on
Percstart Perc_off
Perc_on

On paper, a line is drawn between 0 and 50% of the 8mm Plotrepeat. No

line is drawn between 50 and 70%. A line is drawn between 70 and 80%.
No line is drawn between 80 and 100%.

8mm

line type 4

50%

70%

80%

100%

On the screen, a line is drawn between 0 and 50% of the 32 pixel

Pixrepeat. No line is drawn between 50 and 70%. A line is drawn
between 70 and 80%. No line is drawn between 80 and 100%.

Line Types 14-3

 32 pixels

line type 4

50%

70%

80%

100%

14-4 Design Centre Reference

Glossary of Terms

Alignment
An ordered sequence of points that geometrically control a series of
curves and straights. These define a particular route in feature space,
hence a horizontal or vertical alignment or, by implication, both.

Batter
A batter is the term used for artificial banks in earthwork construction.
By implication the slope is uniform and usually steep.

Batter slope
The inclination of a batter or bank. Sometimes called the rake. See also
'slope'.

Boning Distance
Term used to describe the constant distance below a string line or line of
sight at which a final earthworks level should be achieved.

Carriageway
The part of a road that is designed to carry vehicles. It may be broken up
into lanes. Hence, “left lane”, “passing lane”, etc.

Chainage
The running distance from the start of a road (or alignment) along which
cross-sections have been, or can be, taken. Also sometimes (incorrectly)
known as the “station” of an alignment.

Cross fall
The gradient across a road carriageway taken from the crown or pivot
point to the outer edge. It is expressed as a signed percentage.
Therefore, a cross fall of -2% would correspond to a slope of 1:50 DOWN
from the road crown.

Cross-section
An ordered sequence of offsets and elevations that describe a particular
layer. The elevations are absolute. The offsets are distances relative to a
centre point. The horizontal locations of the cross-section points are
defined as being normal (at right angles) to the horizontal alignment at
that centre point.

Datum
Refers to the base from which a calculation (such as a DTM volume) or
plot (such as a long-section) is carried out.

Glossary 15-1
Dual carriageway
A divided road with two carriageways where each carries traffic in one
direction only. They share a common horizontal alignment but may have
separate vertical alignments.

Feature string
An ordered sequence of topographical points connected with lines that
describe a particular feature on the ground, e.g. fence, drain, edge of
road, and so on.

Layer (sections)
A named cross-section or sequence of cross-sections that describe actual
or theoretical topography. Hence “Original ground” layer, “Top of
Earthworks” layer and so on.

Layerworks
Used to describe the different types of material used as a road foundation
and placed between the top of the earthworks and the final wearing
bitumen or concrete surface.

Lines
Lines refer to “break lines” or “feature lines” which inter-connect
topographical points. A complete network of lines forms the basis for the
mathematical model of the terrain. Lines should conform to (or “hug”)
the actual surface they describe.

Mass Haul
The cumulative running total cut-and-fill volumes along an alignment.
This single figure total gives the excess of cut or fill at any particular
chainage. When this is plotted (ordinate) against the distance from start
(abscissa), it yields a “Mass Haul diagram”.

Median
The portion of road that lies between the two carriageways in a divided
or dual road. Hence “median drain”, “median edge left”, etc.

Nodes
See Points (topographical).

Pivot point
The axis or point about which cross-fall rotations take place. Each
carriageway has a pivot point. In a single carriageway road, this is
usually the centre. In a dual carriageway road, it is usually some location
close to the inner edge but might also be entirely outside the relative
carriageway.

15-2 Design Centre Reference

Points (chainage)
Points along an alignment at which sections have been (or can be)
acquired. They have a known distance from the start and may or may not
be defined in terms of Y, X and Z as well.

Points (prick)
A “prick” is the point on a cross-section that represents the intersection
of that layer with some other layer. By implication it will also be the first
or last point on the section and will invariably be the toe or top of a bank.

Points (sections)
Locations in feature space that:
• Have relative Y and absolute Z coordinates (offset and elevation)
• Belong to a particular section surface

Points (topographical)
Locations in feature space that:
• Have absolute Y, X and Z coordinates
• Have a name (not greater than 8 characters long)
• Belong to a particular surface

Road Index
A compilation of information that controls and pertains to the data that is
present at each chainage point on a road. It includes such items as the
layers that are present, batter slopes for each layer, area calculation
control and so on.

Slope
Inclination expressed as a vertical to horizontal ratio and where the
vertical component is assumed to be 1. So “1:2” will be one unit vertically
for every two units horizontally.

Station
A surveyed point that is part of a network of control points. By
implication a station has usually been visited or observed from and
usually has a permanent mark of some form. Hence “traverse station”,
etc.

Surface (topography)
A mathematical model (consisting of a network of lines) that describes
actual or theoretical topography.

Glossary 15-3
Superelevation
The condition on a road that describes a constant cross fall across the
road. It is usually applied as an inward tilt on horizontal curves to
increase design speeds.

15-4 Design Centre Reference

Index
Accelerator Keys .................................................................................................. 4-19
adding macros to .............................................................................................. 12-8
customising ...................................................................................................... 12-6
Adding Users........................................................................................................ 2-10
Alter Dimension ................................................................................................... 7-27
Angles
dimensioning.................................................................................................... 7-25
Angular Dimension .............................................................................................. 7-25
Angular Format
saving defaults.................................................................................................. 11-1
Arcs
dimensioning radii............................................................................................ 7-23
ARCTEXT.MAC ................................................................................................... 2-8
Arrow Keys .......................................................................................................... 4-19
Arrows
saving defaults.................................................................................................. 11-1
AutoCAD
exporting line types to ...................................................................................... 14-2
importing line types from ................................................................................. 14-2
Automatic Detailed Views .........................................................................see Expand
Backdrop .............................................................................................................. 8-13
Background Colour
saving default ................................................................................................... 11-1
Balloons
saving defaults.................................................................................................. 11-1
CAD ....................................................................................................................... 9-2
CAD Directory....................................................................................................... 2-4
CAD.INI........................................................................................................ 2-7, 11-2
CAD.LOG .............................................................................................................. 2-7
CAD.MEN ............................................................................................................. 2-6
Colour, Background
saving default ................................................................................................... 11-1
Command Line....................................................................................................... 4-8
COMPASS.DRG.................................................................................................... 2-7
COMPASSN.DRG................................................................................................. 2-7
Contours............................................................................................................... 8-15
Control Bar............................................................................................................. 4-4
Coordinate Display............................................................................................... 4-16
Coordinates
saving defaults.................................................................................................. 11-1
Cross Hatching..................................................................................................... 7-12
Cross Sections ............................................................................................... 9-2, 9-56
Cursor
select cursor (arrow-shaped)............................................................................. 4-15

Glossary 16-1
 shape................................................................................................................. 4-15
Customising AllyCAD
accelerator (short-cut) keys............................................................................... 12-6
icons.................................................................................................................. 12-2
toolbars ............................................................................................................. 12-2
CUT&RUB.MAC................................................................................................... 2-8
DDETEST.MAC .................................................................................................... 2-8
Define Zoom View ................................................................................................. 5-8
Deleting
users.................................................................................................................. 2-11
Demagnify .............................................................................................................. 5-7
Detailed Views .......................................................................................... see Expand
Dialogue Boxes..................................................................................................... 4-16
Dimensioning
angles................................................................................................................ 7-25
radii................................................................................................................... 7-23
Dimensions ........................................................................................................... 7-20
altering object to fit..................................................................see Alter Dimension
angular .............................................................................................................. 7-25
horizontal.......................................................................................................... 7-20
linear................................................................................................................. 7-20
radial................................................................................................................. 7-23
saving defaults .................................................................................................. 11-1
variable ....................................................................................see Alter Dimension
DIMS.MAC ............................................................................................................ 2-8
Display Settings.................................................................................................... 10-1
DIVELN.MAC ....................................................................................................... 2-8
DOM.TXT .............................................................................................................. 2-7
Draw by Number .........................................................................see Alter Dimension
Drawing Area ....................................................................................................... 4-15
Drawing Settings .................................................................................................... 6-2
Drawing Units
saving default.................................................................................................... 11-1
DTM
break lines......................................................................................................... 8-10
Intelli-Lines ...................................................................................................... 8-10
TIN ..................................................................................................................... 8-8
triangulate ........................................................................................................... 8-8
End Key................................................................................................................ 4-19
Enter Hatch/Solid Fill ..................................................................................7-12, 7-13
Enter Key.............................................................................................................. 4-19
Enter polygon about ... prompt ............................................................................... 4-6
Escape Key ........................................................................................................... 4-19
Expand.................................................................................................................. 7-34
Expanded Views ........................................................................................ see Expand
Fillet........................................................................................................................ 7-3
Fills....................................................................................................................... 7-12

16-2 Design Centre Reference

Forward Slash Key............................................................................................... 4-19
Generic Dimensions .................................................................... see Alter Dimension
Geometry.............................................................................................................. 6-11
Grid ...................................................................................................................... 6-14
Guest Sub-directory......................................................................................... 2-5, 2-9
Hatch Patterns
defining ............................................................................................................ 13-2
defining, example 1 - line................................................................................. 13-5
defining, example 2 - dash ............................................................................... 13-6
defining, example 3 - newbrick ........................................................................ 13-7
defining, example 4 - triang............................................................................ 13-11
HATCH.PAT ................................................................................................ 2-6, 13-1
Hatching............................................................................................................... 7-12
with islands....................................................................................................... 7-13
Help, Smart Cursor............................................................................................... 4-16
Home Directories ................see also Progam Home Directory; User Home Directory
Home Key ............................................................................................................ 4-19
Horizontal Dimension .......................................................................................... 7-20
Icons..................................................................................................................... 4-12
adding macros to .............................................................................................. 12-8
customising ...................................................................................................... 12-2
IDE.MEN ............................................................................................................... 2-6
Import
ASCII YXZ data................................................................................................. 8-4
Installation.............................................................................................................. 2-2
Jumps ................................................................................................................... 6-16
Key /..................................................................................................................... 4-19
Keyboard.............................................................................................................. 4-19
Keyboard Short-Cuts.................................................................. see Accelerator Keys
Layer Display......................................................................................................... 4-9
Layers
changing ............................................................................................................. 4-9
current ................................................................................................................ 4-9
saving default ................................................................................................... 11-1
Layerworks........................................................................................................... 9-56
Learning the CAD ................................................................................................ 2-13
Left Mouse Button ...................................................................................... 4-13, 4-17
Line Type
current ................................................................................................................ 4-8
saving default ................................................................................................... 11-1
setting................................................................................................................. 4-8
Line Type Display.................................................................................................. 4-8
Line Types
exporting to AutoCAD ..................................................................................... 14-2
how displayed................................................................................................... 14-2
how printed....................................................................................................... 14-2
importing from AutoCAD ................................................................................ 14-2

Glossary 16-3
LINETYPE.MAC ................................................................................................. 14-1
Load Drawing ......................................................................................................... 5-3
Loading a Drawing ................................................................................................. 5-3
LOADTITL.MAC .................................................................................................. 2-8
Long Pan................................................................................................................. 5-6
Long Section..................................................................................................9-2, 9-56
Macro Sub-directory........................................................................................2-4, 2-8
Macros
adding to menus, icons or accelerator keys....................................................... 12-8
Magnify .................................................................................................................. 5-4
Menus ..................................................................................................................... 4-3
adding macros to............................................................................................... 12-8
Mouse ................................................................................................................... 4-17
Move to Coordinates............................................................................................... 6-4
MOVEDIST.MAC ................................................................................................. 2-8
MOVEPT.MAC...................................................................................................... 2-8
Multiple Users ........................................................................................................ 2-9
Name Filter........................................................................................................... 10-6
Numeric Keypad................................................................................................... 4-19
Offsets .................................................................................................................... 7-6
saving defaults .................................................................................................. 11-1
Open ................................................................................................................5-3, 7-2
Opening a Drawing................................................................................................. 5-3
Panning................................................................................................................... 5-5
Long Pan............................................................................................................. 5-6
Paper Size
saving default.................................................................................................... 11-1
Parallel Defaults ..............................................................................................7-6, 7-8
Parallel Line (Draw) ................................................................................ 7-6, 7-7, 7-9
Parallel Lines .......................................................................................................... 7-6
saving defaults .................................................................................................. 11-1
Parametric Dimensions................................................................see Alter Dimension
Pen Selection ........................................................................................................ 4-10
Pens
saving default.................................................................................................... 11-1
PgDn Key ............................................................................................................. 4-19
PgUp Key ............................................................................................................. 4-19
Plan....................................................................................................................... 8-16
Plot ......................................................................................................................... 9-2
Plotting ................................................................................................................. 8-16
site plan............................................................................................................. 8-16
Polar Move ............................................................................................................. 6-9
Polygon (Enter polygon about ... prompt) .............................................................. 4-6
POLYGON.MAC ................................................................................................... 2-8
Polylines
saving defaults .................................................................................................. 11-1
Program Home Directory ....................................................................................... 2-4

16-4 Design Centre Reference

Project
add terrain file .................................................................................................... 8-2
create .................................................................................................................. 8-2
Prompt Area ........................................................................................................... 4-4
Quick Detailed Views ................................................................................see Expand
Radial Dimension................................................................................................. 7-23
Radiused Corners ................................................................................................... 7-3
Reference manual................................................................................................... 1-4
Right Clicking....................................................................................................... 4-17
Right Mouse Button .................................................................................... 4-13, 4-18
ROADS.MEN ........................................................................................................ 2-6
Ruler Bar .............................................................................................................. 4-15
turning on and off............................................................................................. 4-15
Save...................................................................................................................... 6-22
Save As ....................................................................................................... 6-22, 7-37
Save Options ........................................................................................................ 6-22
Scale
saving default ................................................................................................... 11-1
Select Cursor ........................................................................................................ 4-15
SEWER.MEN ........................................................................................................ 2-6
Short-Cut Keys........................................................................... see Accelerator Keys
Smart Cursor Help................................................................................................ 4-16
Snap Modes.......................................................................................................... 6-16
Space Bar ............................................................................................................. 4-19
STARTUP.DRG..................................................................................................... 2-6
STORM.MEN ........................................................................................................ 2-6
Stretch .................................................................................................................. 7-31
SURVEY.MEN...................................................................................................... 2-6
Symbol Sub-directory ............................................................................................ 2-5
TCMACRO.MAC .................................................................................................. 2-8
TERRAIN.MEN..................................................................................................... 2-6
Text ...................................................................................................................... 7-17
aligning............................................................................................................. 7-18
editing............................................................................................................... 7-18
entering............................................................................................................. 7-17
saving defaults.................................................................................................. 11-1
Things You Should Know.................................................................................... 2-14
Title Bar ................................................................................................................. 4-3
Toolbar
customising ...................................................................................................... 12-2
Toolbar................................................................................................................. 4-12
Transparent Commands........................................................................................ 6-19
Tutorials ............................................................................................................... 2-14
Undo....................................................................................................................... 6-5
Units of Measure
saving default ................................................................................................... 11-1
User Home Directory ............................................................................................. 2-6

Glossary 16-5
Users
adding ............................................................................................................... 2-10
deleting ............................................................................................................. 2-11
Users Sub-directory ................................................................................................ 2-5
Variable Dimensions ...................................................................see Alter Dimension
Zoom Window........................................................................................................ 5-8
Zooming ..........................................................................................................5-4, 5-8
pre-defined views................................................................................................ 5-8

16-6 Design Centre Reference

 APPLICATION OF 'ILLUDAS'
TO STORMWATER DRAINAGE DESIGN IN
SOUTH AFRICA

M. D. Watson

Report No. 1/81

Urban Hydrology Series

Hydrological Research Unit

University of the Witwatersrand
Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
April 1981
Director: Professor D. C. Midgley
 i

PREFACE - SERIES IN URBAN HYDROLOGY

Considerable research is being conducted throughout the world on

stormwater hydrology and the effects of urbanization on runoff.
A group of researchers has been established within the Hydrological
Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand to conduct
research on these lines, bearing in mind the importance of flooding in
the urban environment. The s~udies embrace catchment monitoring for
runoff and pollution, mathematical modelling of urban catchments and
development of design aids for estimating floods in South Africa.

The mathematica~ modelling approach has proved very suitable for urban
drainage studies and challenging research has been commenced on these
lines. This particular report documents the adaptation and use of an
isochronal-type model for simulating the flow in storm-water drains.
 ii

ABSTRACT

The Illinois Urban Drainage Area Simulator (ILLUDAS) is evaluated

for the purpose of stormwater drainage design in South Africa. The
historical development of the model is described and published
verification results are reviewed. The principles of the model are
described, as also are the features of the computer program which
was made available during the early part of 1980 by the Illinois
State Water Survey (ISWS).

ISWS recommendations for parameter estimation were tested with

rainfall-runoff data from two local catchments and in general
found to be adequate. Improvements to the method of accounting
for grassed area losses in sub-catchments having long flow paths
were found to be necessary.

Problems associated with design inputs are discussed and use of

the Chicago design storm is demonstrated. A modified metric
version of the program is presented and tentative recommendations
are made for design parameter estimation.
 iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Preface i
Abstract ii
Chapter 1 : Introduction 1

Chapter 2 : Development and testing

2.1 General 6
2.2 The TRRL hydrograph method 6
2.3 ILLUDAS 13
2.4 Discussion 16

Chapter 3 : Description of the model

3.1 Introduction 18
3.2 An overview of the model 18
3.3 Paved area runoff 21
3.4 Grassed area runoff 23
3.5 Entry time 25
3.6 Infiltration 26
3.7 Combining of hydrographs 28
3.8 Routing procedure 28
3.9 Flood control ponds 30
Chapter 4 : Local verification
4.1 General 33
4.2 Pinetown catchment 33
4.3 Kew catchment 42
4.4 Discussion 58

Chapter 5 : Storm inputs for design

5.1 General 59
5.2 The Chicago design storm 61
5.3 Evaluation of the Chicago storm 64
5.4 Estimation of parameters 74
5.5 Discussion of results 77
 iv

Page

Chapter 6 : Modifications to ILDUDAS

6.1 General 79
6.2 Rainfall input 79
6.3 Grassed area losses 79
6.4 Sensitivity analysis 80
6.5 Pipe sizing 81
6.6 Further modifications 81
Chapter 7 : Conclusions 82

References 84

Appendix A Users Manual Al

Appendix B Program listing Bl

Appendix C List of variables Cl

Appendix D Pinetown rainfall and runoff data Dl

Appendix E Kew rainfall and runoff data El

Appendix F Norwood severe storms Fl
 - 1 -

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Changes from rural to urban land use have a dramatic influence on

runoff. Paving of large areas reduces infiltration and increases
the velocity of overland flow. Collection of runoff into gutters,
lined channels and pipes reduces the length of overland flow and
also increases flow velocities. The time required for water to
accumulate at any point is thus reduced, making discharge highly
sensitive to short-duration high-intensity rainfall. Analyses of
records collected before and after urbanization generally
indicate that urban flood peaks are three to four times as large
as the corresponding rural floods (Cordery, 1976).. The increase is
less significant, however,
for the more extreme storm events.

The primary functions of a stormwater drainage system are:

(i) the removal of street surface flows under short term

conditions to the extent required to avoid unreason-
able levels and frequencies of inconvenience to
pedestrians and traffic, and
(ii) the elimination or minimization of flood damages and
hazards under long-term storm conditions.

Design thus involves first the sizing of an underground conduit

network to remove flows exceeded at low recurrence interval
(eg. 2 years) and secondly the checking that damages and
hazards are acceptable for more infrequent storm events.

As new areas develop there is an increase in the volume of runoff

in downstream channels and it becomes necessary to ensure that
downstream development does not experience frequent or severe
inundation. Downstream culverts and bridges may have
to be enlarged or storage facilities incorporated into new
developments to cope with the increased flows.

Other factors to be considered in design are maintenance costs,

reliability of operation, inlet capacity, stream bank erosion,
 - 2 -

adaptability of the drainage system to future expansion and

possible pollution of receiving waters.

At present in South Africa the Rational Method and Unit Hydro-

graph techniques are the most commonly used for design flood
determination. The Rational Method is employed to determine peak
discharges and the Unit Hydrograph method to establish the
temporal distribution of runoff.

The limitations of the Rational Method have been widely discussed

(Aitken, 1975; McPherson, 1969; J.P. MacLaren Ltd., 1975). The
method is recognised, however, as a valuable design technique for
small catchments (eg. where pipe sizes do not exceed 600 rom),
and as an approximate technique for larger catchments. The method
does not adequately account for pipe routing or variations in
rainfall intensity, contributing area and rate of contribution.
The lumping of all physical factors into two parameters (runoff
coefficient and time of concentration) makes parameter estimation
subjective and could be the source of serious errors.

Schaake et al (1967) showed for five catchments smaller than

20 ha that 20% of Rational Method estimates were in error by 25%
or more. Less encouraging information is given by Ardis et al
(1969) who show independent estimations of the Rational runoff
coefficient for the same area to vary between 0,2 and 0,5. A
similar local study (Watson and Miles, 1980) shows estimates
ranging from 0,23 to 0,78.

The parameters of the Rational Method cannot readily be verified

from short term rainfall-runoff records. Guidance provided in the
literature is rarely based on sufficient data and is more usually
of a subjective nature.

The Rational Method assumptions are generally found to be too

simplistic to permit actual discharge to be adequately predicted
from observed rainfall. A mean ratio of predicted to observed peak
discharge of 1,23 with a standard deviation of 0,50 is reported by
J.P. MacLaren Ltd (1975) for four catchments smaller
 - 3 -

than 36 ha. Better results are reported by Watkins (1962) who

obtained a mean ratio of 1,12 with a standard deviation of 0,42
for storms observed on twelve catchments in the U.K. The better
results are due to the calibration of the runoff coefficient with
observed volume of runoff.

Watkins also evaluated the performance of the Unit Hydrograph

technique and found it adequate as long as sufficient runoff data
were available to determine the hydrograph shape. As data are
generally not available for urban areas, use of the unitgraph is
limited. Use of regional data from rural catchments is
theoretically unsound and cannot be recommended.

Due to the complexity of flood prediction as well as related

problems of stormwater pollution wide use is being made of
computer based techniques. These are generally mathematical models
of the runoff process and their use has many advantages.
Parameters have to be objectively estimated and this encourages an
understanding of the runoff process. The user can focus attention
on the actual problem rather than on the calculations. Sensitivity
analysis is desirable and can be easily accomplished using these
techniques. Tests using recorded data indicate
that mathematical models can accurately and reliably simulate
the runoff hydrograph.

The use of mathematical models for the assessment, planning,

design and control of storm and combined sewerage systems has
become widespread overseas. The potential user now has many well
documented and tested models at his disposal. Table 1.1 lists
the principal features of 24 such models as assessed by the U.s.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1975 (Brandstetter et
al, 1976). Most of the programs are available at a nominal
charge to cover handling.

It should be noted that some of the models are continually

being developed and probably already have more capabilities
than indicated in the table. The U.S. EPA's Stormwater
Management Model (SWMM), for example, is now capable of con-
 - 4 -

tinuous simulation. Program availability has also increased.

Much of the Water Resource Engineers program has been incor-
porated into SWMM which is freely available. The Hydrocomp
Simulation Program (HSP) is also freely available in a Fortran
version (HSPF) from the u.S. EPA.

Table 1.1 : Comparison of major model categories by the u.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (1975)

The present research is directed at evaluating the application of

one such mathematical model to local stormwater drainage design
practice. The Illinois Urban Drainage Area Simulator, ILLUDAS,
has been selected as being most appropriate for local design
needs. It is one of the few models that has pipe sizing as a
major objective; it is conceptually simple and has been widely
used and tested.

The major objectives of this report are to assess how well the
 - 5 -

model will perform under local conditions and how the parameters
may be estimated for design purposes. The limited availability of
local urban rainfall and runoff data make this assessment
difficult and further data collection and subsequent assessment
are recommended. A modified metric version of the model is
presented and tentative recommendations for parameter estimation
are made. The successful performance of the model makes
it a promising design tool and it is therefore recommended for
local design use.
 - 6 -

CHAPTER 2 DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING

2.1 GENERAL

ILLUDAS, which stands for Illinois Urban Drainage Area Simulator,

is a development of the popular British Transport and Road Research
Laboratory method, called the TRRL (previously RRL) hydrograph
method. The development of ILLUDAS was undertaken by Terstriep and
Stall of the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) with the aim of
providing engineers with an objective and reliable technique for
stormwater drainage design that would require little more input
than would be required for the Rational Method, and at the same
time would allow the user to examine various alternatives in
.arriving at a final design. Both ILLUDAS and the TRRL method have
had widespread use and have undergone considerable testing and
refinement.

2.2 THE TRRL HYDROGRAPH METHOD

During the early 1950's the United Kingdom Department of Scientific

and Industrial Research initiated a research program to examine the
current methodology in stormwater drainage design. The research was
undertaken by the Road Research Laboratory (now the Transport and
Road Research Laboratory). Eleven representative urban catchments
ranging in size from 0,5 to 250 ha and one mainly rural catchment
of 2100 ha were instrumented. In all,
286 storms on these catchments were analysed and a report was
published recommending what is now called the TRRL hydrograph
method (Watkins, 1962).

The report examined existing techniques (viz. the Rational and

Unit hydrograph methods) and compared them with the recommended
TRRL method. The comparisons showed the TRRL method to be the
most accurate and reliable in reproducing observed events, and on
this basis it was recommended for general design use.

As originally developed, the TRRL method is conceptually similar to

the well-known model proposed for flood estimation on rural
catchments by Clark (1943). In Clark's model the rainfall excess
 - 7 -

is applied to the time-area diagram and then routed through a

linear storage at the outlet of the catchment. The TRRL method
also applies the rainfall excess to the catchment time-area
diagram. The routing, however, is through a slightly non-linear
storage at the outlet of the catchment. The method involves:

(a) computation of the catchment time-area diagram using

pipe-full velocities for all pipes in the catchment

(b) computation of the temporal pattern for the rainfall

excess hyetograph

(c) combination of the results of steps (a) and (b) to

yield the 'inflow hydrograph'

(d) computation of the storage-discharge curve based on the

assumption of uniform proportional depth. (This
assumption implies that at any time the proportional
depth of flow is the same throughout the stormwater
drainage system)

(e) routing of the inflow hydrograph through pipe storage

determined in (d) using a stage-discharge curve for the
outlet pipe.

In the tests by Watkins (1962) runoff from pervious areas was found
to be negligible and therefore ignored in the calculations. The
percentage of impervious area ranged from 2% to 100% and runoff
from such areas was determined using a percentage loss rate or in
some cases a uniform loss rate based on observations.
Storage:discharge relationships used in the calculations were
determined from the recession portions of observed hydrographs. The
mean ratio of computed to observed peak discharge for all areas was
0,98 with a standard deviation of 0,15.

The recommended assumption of uniform proportional depth in cal-

culating detention was found to be satisfactory for most areas. In
old development areas the presence of exceptionally large upstream
sewers, however, caused this assumption to lead to an over-
estimation of detention and therefore a serious underestimation of
peak discharge. The assumption was considered adequate only for
systems with a reasonable degree of taper
 - 8 -

(i.e. a proportional reduction in pipe capacity with reduction

in area served) and with pipes of similar geometric properties.

It was also recommended that, subject to some qualifications in

exceptional circumstances, the whole area of paved surface should
be considered impermeable in sewer design calculations, and the
unpaved areas should be taken to be completely pervious.

The method established itself as a standard design method in the

U.K. Criticism of its one-step routing procedure led to a modi-
fication by Watkins and Young (1965). The routing was applied to
one pipe length at a time. This avoided the limitation of pipe
taper and enabled potentially surcharged pipes to be redesigned
before proceeding to the next reach.

Terstriep and Stall (1969) evaluated the performance of the orig-

inal method on three catchments in the USA. The catchment sizes
were 0.2, 5.2 and 930 ha and the percentages of paved area 100%, 45%
and 44% respectively. The average ratio of computed to observed
peak discharge for a total of 39 events was 0,94 with a standard
deviation of 0,15. In their calculations Terstriep and Stall used
Watkins' design recommendatian of 100% runoff from paved surfaces
directly connected to the sewer system. For the largest catchment
the storage:discharge relationship was obtained from observed
hydrographs. The smallest catchment, a parking let with no pipe
drainage did not require storage routing. For the remaining
catchment the uniform depth assumption was applied.

The authors concluded that the method provided a highly useful

tool far developing an understanding of storm runoff but recog-
nised the weakness of the one-step routing procedure.

In 1972 these authors reported a further evaluation of the method

using rainfall and runoff data for ten urban catchments ranging
in size from 6 to 2200 ha. Percentage of paved area ranged from
21 to 61%. In all 122 storm events were analysed. The mean
absolute error in the computation of peak discharge was 41%.
 - 9 -

The principal findings of this study, as summarised by Aitken

(1975), were as follows:

(i) The model is accurate for computing runoff from paved

areas

(ii) The model is generally satisfactory providing:

the area is less than 13 km2

• the directly connected impervious area exceeds 15%

of the catchment area, and

• the return period of the storm event is not greater

than 20 years

(iii) The model breaks down where there is significant runoff

from pervious areas; this occurs for pervious areas with
steep slopes, tight soils or high soil moisture
conditions

(iv) The model should not be promoted for general use (in the
USA) because as indicated in (ii) and (iii) under certain
circumstances the results are not satisfactory

(v) More good quality rainfall-runoff data are required

(vi) The model should be developed to include pervious runoff

and further use should be made of water balance models
such as the Hydrocomp Simulation Programme
(HSP)

Papadakis and Preul (1973) tested the original TRRL method for two
storms (three peaks) on Oakdale Avenue catchment in Chicago, USA.
The catchment has an area of 5,2 ha of which 45% is paved. The mean
ratio of computed to observed peak discharge was 1,15 with a
standard deviation of 0,31. Data from this area had been previously
used by Terstriep and Stall (1969) who noted that some observed
peaks were truncated due to problems with the recording device.
Further errors can partly be accounted for
in neglect of pervious runoff and initial losses.

Testing of the modified TRRL method in Australia was reported by

Aitken (1975) .The results of evaluations by Aitken(1968,1973), Read
 - 10 -

(1971), and by Heeps and Mein (1973) are presented. The mean value
of the ratio of computed to observed peaks was 0,95 with a high
standard deviation of 0,45. Aitken concluded that the TRRL method
did not accurately simulate the runoff process. Examination of the
paper by Heeps and Mein (1974), however, shows that apart from the
sampling errors many of the errors can be ascribed to neglect of
pervious area runoff.

A further evaluation of the modified version for 57 events on four

catchments ranging from 5 to 36 ha in area is reported by J.F.
MacLaren Ltd. (1975). The percentage imperviousness of the
catchments ranged from 27 to 68%. The mean ratio of computed to
observed peak discharge is 1,13 with a standard deviation of 0,31.
One catchment (Northwood) showed large errors and after further
investigation was rejected as unreliable. The mean peak discharge
ratio for the remaining three subcatchments (43 events) was 1,ll
with a standard deviation of 0,22.

Another of the catchments studied was the Oakdale Avenue catch-

ment in Chicago. Thirteen storms were analysed including the two
used by Papadakis and Preul (1973). A mean peak discharge ratio
of 1,00 with a standard deviation of 0,23 was obtained. The
improved results achieved were possibly due to a change in
parameter estimation technique as well as to the larger data base
used.

Several models were tested in this study including the US EPA's

SWMM, the UCUR model of the University of Cincinnati, and the
TRRL model. It was concluded that SWMM gave the best overall
performance, but that the TRRL model had the advantage of
simplicity and, in general, performed as well as the other
methods in real event simulation. Its neglect of runoff from
pervious areas was considered a drawback and its routing compu-
tations were shown to be inadequate in two extreme examples. For
pipe slopes of 0,1% and lengths of 5500 m and 9100 m peak
discharges were shown to be in error by -37% and -50% respec-
tively.

Ford (1975) reports modifications of the method to allow for

runoff from unpaved areas. Losses were accounted for by a run-
 - 11 -

off coefficient and runoff attenuated by a linear reservoir sub-

model. The modified method was calibrated and tested using 44
events on catchments in Nairobi and Kampala. The sizes
ranged from 35 to 63 ha with percentage paved area ranging from 16
to 29%. The mean ratio of computed to observed peak discharge was
1,00 with a standard deviation of 0,19.

The use of parameters derived from calibration accounts for the

high quality of results achieved. Tentative recommendations
for the estimation of pervious area parameters based on type of
development were made on the basis of the catchments studied. It
was recognised, however, that these parameters could not readily be
related to catchment characteristics, such as slope and drainage
density.

A recent study by Williams et al (1980) is of interest since it

shows that comparable results can be obtained with the TRRL
method using estimated parameters or with the Unit Hydrograph
method with calibrated parameters. Values derived by the two
methods were compared with observed values for one event on a
catchment of 107 ha, of which 35% was impervious. Both methods
overestimated discharges at the start of the storm and under-
estimated the peak discharge by approximately 30%. It was con-
cluded that both m0thods reproduced observed flows well and that
the introduction of a better rainfall loss model would improve
simulations.

The results of all these tests are summarised in Table 2.1. For
further information on performance of the TRRL method the reader
is referred to the original publications as well as an excellent
summary by Colyer and Pethick (1976).
- 12 -
 - 13 -

2.3 ILLUDAS

In order to render the TRRL method generally applicable to urban

catchments in the USA, Terstriep and Stall (1974) incorporated an
improved method of accounting for losses. Each sub-catchment was
assumed to consist of three sub-areas: a paved area contributing
runoff directly to the drainage system, a grassed (or pervious)
area and a paved area which contributed runoff to the grassed area.
Depression storage losses were accounted for by
an initial abstraction from rainfall and infiltration losses were
accounted for by a time-decreasing loss rate on the grassed area.
The modified method was named ILLUDAS, and was tested with 246
storms on 21 urban catchments in the USA. Areas ranged from 0,2 ha
to over 2000 ha with percentage of paved area ranging from 21% to
100%. With minor exceptions the data originally measured on
topographic maps or obtained from the gauging agency were used
throughout the study. Infiltration parameters were estimated on the
basis of soil type and the depth of rainfall during the 5 days
preceding the storm. Overland flow travel times were computed using
an equation developed by Hicks (1944).

The results are summarised in Table 2.2 (catchments 1 to 21). The

mean ratio of computed to observed peak discharge is 1,04 with a
standard deviation of 0,37. Fairly high errors are evident for some
catchments and Terstriep and Stall concluded that the method
produced acceptable results for 12 of the catchments. Three other
catchments were considered marginal, 3 indeterminate and 3 were not
acceptable. In all cases results could have been improved by making
adjustments to the estimated catchment parameters such as
contributing areas and inlet times.

Data from two rural catchments were used to test the grassed
area runoff computations. The catchment sizes were 3 ha and
7 ha. Parameters were estimated in the same fashion as for
urban catchments. In all 12 events were tested. ILLUDAS predicted
zero runoff for four of these, three of which had an average
runoff of 0,4 mm and one of 15 mm. The mean ratio of computed to
observed discharge for the remaining G events was 0,65 with a
standard deviation of 0,20. The prediction of runoff volume was
slightly better with a ratio of computed to ob-
- 14 -
 - 15 -

served of 0,84 with a standard deviation of 0,27. The results were

considered acceptable considering the increased sensitivity to
antecedent moisture conditions and the number of factors involved
in a complete analysis of pervious runoff not included
in ILLUDAS.

The presence of data errors for both urban rural catchments was
recognised but no attempt was made to eliminate them. This and
the use of estimated parameters prevents direct comparison of the
results with those from other verification studies.

Some of the data used to assess the performance of the TRRL method
were used in the assessment of ILLUDAS. A comparison of results
shows a decrease in the mean absolute error for the prediction of
peak discharge on 8 catchments from 42% to 37%. On another
catchment the error increased (20% to 49%). This was probably due
to inadequate consideration of antecedent moisture conditions.

Patry et al (1979) report the adaptation of ILLUDAS for the

HP9830 - 16k byte programmable calculator. This has been achieved
with no loss of flexibility: in fact, new features such as graph
plotting and hydraulic grade line analysis have been
incorporated. The model has been successfully applied to two
catchments in Canada, one of 23 ha and the other 862 ha.
Percentages of paved area were 34% and 49% respectively. The mean
ratio of computed to observed peak discharge for 22 events was
0,96 with a standard deviation of 0,16. The results are
summarised in Table 2.2 (catchments 22 and 23). The parameters
were obtained by calibration and some of the remaining error
could be attributed to spatial non-uniformity of rainfall.

Water quality algorithms of the US EPA's model SWMM have been

adapted for ILLUDAS in a version known as QUAL-ILLUDAS. This is
a single-event model and was reported on by Terstriep et al
(1978).

The routing computations of ILLUDAS have been improved since

its inception. Initially an explicit solution to the continuity
equation was used whereas a more accurate method using an
 - 16 -

implicit solution is now available. For many reaches routing is

not significant and a simpler time-shift method is also available.

ILLUDAS has had fairly widespread use in the USA and Canada since
its inception. Its use in Canada has led to the following re-
commendations (Wisner et al, 1979) regarding practical application
to design:

Table 2.3 : Applicability of ILLUDAS

Applicability of
Use
ILLUDAS
Rural areas Fair
Preliminary analysis Very good to excellent
Detailed analysis of free surface peak flows Good
Detailed analysis of valley storage Fair
Surcharged flow Poor

2.4 DISCUSSION
ILLUDAS is a logical extension of the TRRL method to account for
pervious area runoff. Its use for design seems reasonable because
of its logical accounting for losses during severe events. The
test results presented in this chapter do not, however, show any
real improvement over the TRRL method in its capability of
reproducing observed events. This could be partly due to the fact
that most observed events are not sufficiently intense to produce
significant runoff from pervious areas. It does seem, however,
that the major cause could be the presence of errors
in the data and the different methods of assessment adopted in
the various studies.

Data errors can be due ,to many causes including spatial non-
uniformity of rainfall, discharge rating errors, drowned
weir, leakage or blockage of pipes and gauge malfunctions. Some
of these difficulties are reported both by Watkins (1962) and
Terstriep and Stall (1974) in the original assessments of the
two models. The different approaches adopted by these re-
 - 17 -

searchers are significant when comparing the results. Watkins

corrected some observations and discarded others of dubious
quality. Terstriep and Stall, on the other hand, retained all
data uncorrected and merely acknowledged the possibility of data
errors.

The use of calibrated parameters in some studies also complicates

comparisons. Over half of the tests on the TRRL method were based
on the use of calibrated parameters. In contrast over
90% of the ILLUDAS tests were based on estimated parameters.

On average the models give good estimates of peak discharge.

The mean ratio of computed to observed peak discharge is 0,99
for the TRRL tests and 1,03 for ILLUDAS. The corresponding mean
absolute errors are 21% and 27% respectively, showing that in some
cases large errors are present. Many of these are probably due to
poor data rather than inherent inadequacies of the models.
 - 18 -

CHAPTER 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the principles of the ILLUDAS model as well

as the features of the version of the computer program made
available by the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) during the
early part of 1980. The description is based largely on the
original ILLUDAS report (Terstriep and Stall, 1974), while the
section on routing options is drawn from a note received from ISWS
with the program.

3.2 AN OVERVIEW OF THE MODEL

In order to apply ILLUDAS the catchment to be studied is broken

down into sub-catchments. A sub-catchment is generally defined as
a homogeneous portion of the catchment draining to a single inlet
or set of inlets that constitutes a specified node in the
drainage network.

Fig. 3.1 illustrates a typical subdivision. The points A through H

represent design points in the sy"stem. A to G. are groups of
inlets but could equally well be manholes, changes in grade or
changes in cross-section. Point H is the __ outfall. These points
are connected by reaches which may be circular pipes, closed
rectangular channels or open trapezoidal channels.

Inlet hydrographs are computed for each sub-catchment by con-

sidering the paved and unpaved (or grassed) areas separately.
The inlet hydrographs from each sub-catchment are accumulated
in downstream order proceeding through the· catchment. This
accumulation of inflow hydrographs is routed through each reach to
account for temporary storage. The result is a computed outflow
hydrograph from each reach, and ultimately a hydrograph at the
outlet of the entire catchment. The program can be used for the
hydrological design of new drainage systems or for the evaluation
of existing systems.

A flow chart for the program is given in Fig. 3.2.

 - 19 -

Fig. 3.1 Typical subdivision

 - 20 -

Fig. 3.2 Flow chart for ILLUDAS

 - 21 -
3. 3 PAVED AREA RUNOFF

Paved areas are considered to be completely impervious and are

divided into two types; those which are directly connected to
the stormwater drainage system and those which drain onto
pervious areas. The first type generally includes roads,
paved parking areas and buildings that discharge runoff directly
onto the streets or into the stormwater drains. The second type
is assumed to supplement the runoff from pervious areas and is
considered in section 3.4.

The steps involved in developing a runoff hydrograph from the

directly connected paved area are illustrated in Fig. 3.3. Ex-
tending down the middle of the sub-catchment in Fig. 3.3a is
a street with a- pair of inlets at its lower end. Also shown
are rooftops and driveways. The directly connected area is
shown shaded.

Assuming runoff to flow at a constant velocity, travel times can

be determined for runoff from various parts of the paved area to
reach the inlets. These travel times are plotted on the paved
area, and by connecting points of equal travel time a series of
isochrones are drawn on the paved area, as shown in Fig. 3.3a.
The directly connected paved areas between these isochrones are
measured and designated areas PAl, PA2, PA3, PA4 and PAS. These
various areas are accumulated and plotted against travel time to
the inlet as shown in Fig. 3.3b. This time-area curve shows the
extent of paved area within the subcatchment that is contributing
water at the storm drain inlet at any time after the beginning of
runoff. In the computer program the time-area curve is assumed to
be a straight line connecting the origin and the end-point of the
curve.

Rainfall is input as a series of intensities of equal duration,

as shown in Fig. 3.3c. The time increment should be the same as
the time interval between the isochrones. Losses due to initial
wetting and depressions are combined and treated as an initial
loss to be subtracted from the beginning of the rainfall (Fig.
3.3d). The excess rainfall is referred to as the paved area
supply rate (PASR) and is shown in Fig. 3.3e.
 - 22 -

Fig. 3.3 Development of the paved area hydrograph

 - 23 -

The ordinates of the paved area hydrograph are computed by

applying the supply rate to the time-area diagram as shown in
Fig. 3.3f.

3.4 GRASSED AREA RUNOFF

Unpaved portions of the catchment are termed grassed areas.

Computations for grassed-area hydrographs closely parallel those
for paved-area hydrographs. Fig. 3.4a represents the same sub-
catchment used to illustrate the paved area runoff. The shaded
area represents the contributing grassed area which in this case
is assumed to include only front gardens. Additional grassed area
could contribute to runoff, but for the example in Fig. 3.4 it is
assumed that the contribution from the neglected areas would be
~ufficiently delayed so that its contribution would be
insignificant.

Construction of the time-area diagram is similar to that for

the paved area and is illustrated in Fig. 3.4b. In the com-
puter program the time-area diagram is again assumed to be a
straight line.

The rainfall input is the same as that for the paved area and
is shown in Fig. 3.4c. Runoff from the paved area draining onto
the grassed area is shown in Fig. 3.4d and is termed
supplementary paved area runoff (SPARO). This runoff is assumed
to be instantly and uniformly distributed over the grassed area
and is added to the rainfall input.

The losses illustrated in Fig. 3.4e include an initial loss to

account for depression storage plus infiltration. The grassed-
area supply rate in Fig. 3.4f is obtained by subtracting these
losses from the sum of rainfall and supplementary paved area
runoff.

The ordinates of the grassed-area hydrograph are computed by

applying the grassed area supply rate to the time-area curve
as shown in Fig. 3.4g.
 - 24 -

Fig. 3.4 Development of the grassed area hydrograph

 - 25 -

3.5 ENTRY TIME

The travel time for runoff from the hydraulically-most-remotepoint in

the sub-catchment to the entrance of the stormwa~er drainage system
is termed the entry time. This can either be supplied by the user or
can be determined by the program if it is sup-
plied with length and slope of the flow path. The methods used
by the program are simplistic but do give order of magnitude
estimates which are usually adequate for design.

For the paved area the program uses Manning's equation to compute
the travel time in the gutter assuming a hydraulic radius of 60
rom and a retardance coefficient, n, of 0,02. The n value of 0,02
is reasonable for street gutters while the assumed hydraulic
radius implies an average flow depth of about 70 rom for a 1 in
10 cross-slope gutter - a reasonable value for minor road drains.
The overland flow time for runoff to reach the gutter is assumed
equal to 2 minutes. This is added to the gutter travel time to
obtain the entry time.

For the grassed area an equation based on the empirical equation

by Izzard (1946) for time to equilibrium of overland flow is used.
In metric units the equation can be written as

where i = supply rate' (rom/h)

c = retardance coefficient
L = length of overland flow (m) S
= slope (%)

The program assumes a retardance coefficient for bluegrass turf

of 0,05 and a supply rate of 25 mm/h. Eq. (3.1) gives overland
flow travel time e~timates which are generally 30% smaller than
that from the equation of Izzard. These travel times are added to
the paved area entry time to obtain the grassed area entry time.
 - 26 -

3.6 INFILTRATION

The runoff that is absorbed by the soil is termed infiltration.

This loss varies with the nature of the soil and its surface
cover as well as the soil moisture conditions. The U.S. Soil
Conservation Service describes the four hydrologic soil groups as
follows:

A - Low runoff potential, high infiltration rates

(consist of sand and gravel)

B - Moderate infiltration rates and moderately well

drained

C - Slow infiltration rates (may have layers that

impede, downward movement of water)

D - High runoff potential, very slow infiltration

rates, (consist of clays with a permanent high
water table and a high swelling potential).

Standard infiltration capacity curves have been devised for use

in ILLUDAS for soils of hydrologic groups A, B, C, and D with
lawn cover. These curves are based on the Horton equation

where fo = initial infiltration rate (rom/h) f

= final infiltration rate (rom/h)

c
k =a shape factor (h-l), selected as k =2 h-l
t = time from start of rainfall (minutes)

Corrections are made for the rainfall being less than the in-
filtration capacity and the equation is solved by the Newton-
Raphson technique.

Fig. 3.5 shows these infiltration capacity curves with initial

infiltration capacities assumed for different soil types and
antecedent moisture conditions.
 - 27 -

Fig. 3.5 Infiltration capacity curves showing starting

points for each antecedent moisture condition
(after Wenzel and Terstriep, 1976)
In order to use the standard infiltration curves it is necessary
to evaluate the antecedent moisture conditions actually
prevailing at the time of a particular storrn~ An arbitrary
selection of antecedent moisture conditions (AMC) which were
used in the original testing of ILLUDAS is shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1 : Antecedent moisture conditions

Total rainfall during

ILLUDAS 5 days-preceding storm
number Description (mm)
1 Completely dry 0
2 Rather dry 0 to 12,5
3 Rather \vet 12,5 to 25
4 Saturated over 25
,
 - 28 -

3.7 COMBINING OF HYDROGRAPHS

The paved and grassed area hydrographs determined for each sub-
catchment are combined to become an inlet hydrograph to the
drainage system. If the sub-catchment is at the uppermost end of
a series of pipes or open channels, the inlet hydrograph is
entered into the system by routing it downstream to the next
input point. If the sub-catchment occurs somewhere below the
upper end, its inlet hydrograph is combined with the upstream
hydrograph and the resulting combined hydrograph is routed
downstream to the next input point. If the sub-catchment is
located at the confluence of two or more pipes, the inlet
hydrograph is combined with the converging hydrographs before
routing downstream.

3.8 ROUTING PROCEDURE

A simple routing technique is used to transfer hydrographs from

one input point to the next. Two routing options are available:

(I) a lag (or time shift) of the entire hydrograph

without storage considerations, and
(2) storage routing using an implicit solution of
the continuity equation.

The first is the more economical of the two from the point of
view of computing time and is adequate in many instances. The
second is based on a sounder theoretical approach. Neither
method considers non-uniform flow, dynamic effects or the effect
of increased head due to surcharge.

Lag routing is performed by computing the velocity of the inflow

hydrograph peak (after discharge limiting due to pipe surcharging
and/or user-supplied discharge limiting for both pipes and
channels). This velocity is used to determine the time lag to be
applied to the inflow hydrograph.

In the implicit method lag routing is used to obtain an initial

estimate of outflows. The continuity equation is solved using a
linear approximation:
 - 29 -

where 11 and 01 are the initial inflow and outflow; 12 and 02 are
the final inflow and outflow; CAREA is the cross-sectional flow-
area function in which the kinematic wave assumption that Sf=So
and Manning's equation are used, where Sf is the friction slope
and S is the reach slope; and L is the reach length. Eqs. (3.3)
and (3.4) can be combined to yield:

Eq. (3.6) must be solved for 02 and thus requires an implicit

solution.

The flow-area function (CAREA) is determined for each cross-

section by dimensionless flow-area versus dimensionless dis-
charge tabulated within the program. This non-dimensional
function is computed for the channel geometry. For the case of
trapezoidal open channels, a Newton-Raphson implicit solution
of the Manning's equation must be performed to develop this
dimensionless function. Parabolic interpolation between two-
percent intervals of the dimensionless area is performed by a
function sub-routine.

Eq. (3.6) is solved by an accelerated bracketing technique by

obtaining successive estimates of 02 by the equation
 - 30 -

where 021 is the new estimate of 02 (the solution) and 020 is

the initial estimate; also

Eq. (3.8) is the zeroed continuity equation from eq. (3.6); F

equals zero at the solution for 02, and α is the acceleration/
deceleration factor.

In the implicit solution of eq. (3.6) certain conditions can

cause unreasonable solutions; these are corrected by the pro-
gram, for example as follows:

1) When 02 is greater than just-full pipe flow, 02

is set equal to just-full pipe flow.
2) When 02 is less than zero, 02 is set equal to
zero, with a subsequent change in routed hydrograph
volume.

If the computed travel time is less than the user-specified

time increment, the inflow hydrograph is interpolated at time
increments equal to the time of travel of the peak of the in-
flow hydrograph through the reach. This interpolation elimi-
nates instabilities in the hydrologic routing and obviates
"discharge lumping". After routing, the outflow hydrograph is
back-interpolated to the user-specified time increment
for subsequent computations by the program.

3.9 FLOOD CONTROL PONDS

One of the most promising methods of reducing urban drainage

costs embodies the use of storage ponds. Temporary detention of
runoff not only significantly reduces the cost of downstream
stormwater pipes and channels but also arrests sediment and
debris, thus helping to keep streams clear.

Depending on their function and location in the drainage system,

ponds are classified as either retention or detention, onstream
 - 31 -

or offstream. Retention ponds differ from detention ponds in

having dead storage which is commonly used for recreation.
Onstream storage is where an embankment or wall is built across
the channel in contrast to off stream storage where the channel
overflows into storage during high discharge. A typical
onstream pond is illustrated in Fig. 3.6.

Fig. 3.6 Schematic diagram of a typical onstream

storage pond

ILLUDAS assists in the design of these ponds by providing

estimates of

(i) the volume of detention storage required to

ensure flows do not exceed pipe capacities or
user-specified discharge limits;

(ii) the outlet capacity to make effective use of

available storage.
The program operates with the storage equation:

∆s = I - 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(3.9)

where ∆s = change in storage

I = inflow

O = outflow
 - 32 -

The outflow rate is assumed to be constant and the storage

requirement for (i), above, is determined explicitly from eq.
(3.9). The outlet capacity in (ii) is determined by a trial and
error procedure using increasing estimates of outflow discharge.

The adequacy of the constant outflow assumption is dependent

on the predominant flow type. Orifice flow is proportional
to the square root of head, causing only moderate changes in
discharge as the pond fills. Weir flow is proportional to head
raised to the power of 1,5 (or 2,5 for a V-notch) causing
discharge to vary greatly with head. The constant outflow
assumption would be realistic for the former flow type but
not for the latter.

An orifice acts as a weir until it is submerged. Before sub-

mergence discharges are less than capacity and the constant
outflow assumption will underestimate storage requirement as
illustrated in Fig. 3.7. The significance of this error depends
on the proportion of pond volume filled before orifice flow
occurs. In SOIne cases it may be appropriate to assume this
volume to be dead storage.

Fig. 3.7 Hydrographs for storage pond computations

 - 33 -

CHAPTER 4 LOCAL VERIFICATION

4.1 GENERAL

In order to ascertain whether reasonable simulations could be

achieved on local catchments using the ISWS recommendations for
parameter estimation (Terstriep and Stall, 1974) a study was
conducted using local data. Data for one catchment in Pinetown,
Natal, were obtained from the National Institute for Water
Research, Durban. Further data were obtained from
instrumentation by the author of a catchment in Johannesburg.

4.2 PINETOWN CATCHMENT

The Pinetown catchment (Fig. 4.1) is situated in the shopping

centre of Pinetown, which is approximately 20 km inland from
Durban. The catchment is monitored by the National Institute
for Water Research, Durban.

The catchment boundaries and the stormwater drainage system

are shown in Fig. 4.2. The total area is 11,9 ha of which
9,0 ha (75%) is directly-connected impervious surface, com-
prising roads, sidewalks, car parks, office blocks and shopping
complexes. The remaining area comprises lawns, unpaved parking
areas and small buildings that discharge onto pervious areas.
The ground slopes are moderately steep (up to 5%} and
approximate ground level contours are shown in Fig. 4.2. The
soils are sandy.

Rainfall was measured by two Casella siphon recorders, one

located within the catchment and the other immediately outside
the boundary near the outfall (Fig. 4.2). Water level was
measured in the outfall pipe by a Wesmar ultrasonic level
detector. The rainfall and runoff data at the outfall were
recorded on a punched tape. The raingauge within the catchment
recorded rainfall depth on a weekly drum chart and was used to
correct rainfall recorded at the outfall, the mean total depth
being used.
- 34 -
 - 35 -

Fig. 4.2 Plan of the Pinetown catchment

Fig. 4.3 Discretization of the Pinetown catchment

 - 36 -

The stage:discharge relationship was obtained by salt dilution

gauging (Simpson et al, 1980). A curve based on uniform flow
assumptions was fitted to the data and used in subsequent
calculations (Fig. 4.4).

Fig. 4.4 Rating curve for depth measurements in

the outfall pipe of the Pinetown catchment
 - 37 -

For purposes of modelling the catchment was subdivided by

the author into 18 subcatchments as shown in Fig. 4.3.
The estimated subcatchment parameters are given in Table 4.1.
The pervious area depression storage was assumed to be 5 mm, as
recommended by ISWS, and the soils were classified as type B.
The impervious area depression storage was reduced from the
recommended 2,5 mm to 1,2 mm in order to improve agreement
between computed and observed hydrographs.

Pipe slopes were unavailable except at the outfall, and had to

be assumed on the basis of ground slope. The reach data used
for modelling are given in Table 4.2. A Manning roughness
coefficient, n, of 0,012 was assumed for all reaches. Time
steps of one and two minutes were used for simulation.

The three largest recorded storms were chosen to test the

model. A summary of the results is given in Table 4.3 and
observed and computed hydrographs are compared in Figs. 4.5,
4.6 and 4.7. Tabulations of the recorded data are given in
Appendix D.

The results are excellent considering that all parameters,

except paved area depression storage, were estimated. Adjustment
of the parameters would improve the results. In particular, an
increase in the subcatchment entry times and a decrease in
directly connected paved area would improve results by lagging
and attenuating the simulated hydrograph and by decreasing
runoff volume.

Due to the relatively steep catchment slopes pipe routing had

an insignificant influence on the computed hydrographs.
On this basis the assumed pipe slopes are considered adequate.
For larger discharges, however, further data would be required
to determine when the system surcharges.
 - 38 -
Table 4.1 : Pinetown sub catchment data

Paved area Grassed area

% Supplemen-
Subcatchment % Paved % Grassed
Reach tary paved
area (ha) area Length Slope Entry time area Length Slope Entry time
area
(m) (%) (min) (m) (%) (min)

1 – 0 0,71 100 140 3 ,0 3,7

1 – 1 0,66 100 120 3,0 3,5
1 – 2 0,56 100 80 3,0 3,0
2 – 0 0,70 100 120 2,0 3,8
1 – 3 0,00
3 – 0 1,42 70 5 210 2,5 4,9 25 70 2,5 35,6
3 – 1 0,82 95 80 2,5 3,1 5 25 2,5 23,4
3 – 2 0,54 15 40 2,5 2,5 85 90 4,5 30,S
3 – 3 0,85 50 100 2,0 3,5 50 40 5,0 23,0
4 – 0 0,70 25 20 40 0,5 3,2 55 100 3,0 36,5
4 - 1 0,49 25 20 80 1,0 3,7 55 80 1,0 47,7
4 – 2 0,72 100 130 1,5 4;3
1 – 4 0,00
1 – 5 1,02 60 180 1,0 5,9 40 12 2,0 22,2
1 – 6 0,34 100 110 2,0 3,7
5 – 0 0,83 90 180 3,0 4,2 10 10 1,0 23,4
1 - 7 0,39 100 110 2,5 3,5
6 - 0 0,25 100 105 4,0 ].1
6 - 1 0,54 65 20 80 3,0 3,0 15 35 4,0 22,9
1 - 8 0,39 100 90 2,0 3,4

Table 4.2 : Pinetown reach data

Travel
Length Slope Diameter Height Width Lateral Discharge
Reach Section* time
(m) (%) (mm) (m) (m) slope capacity (m3/s)
(min)

1 – 0 50 3,5 C 457 0,6 0,2

1 – 1 70 2,5 C 457 0,5 0,4
1 – 2 40 2,5 C 457 0,5 0,2
2 – 0 40 2,0 C 457 0,5 0,2
1 – 3 90 1,2 C 610 0,8 0,6
3 – 0 60 3,0 C 450 0,5 0,3
3 – 1 75 3,0 C 610 1,2 0,3
3 – 2 60 1,8 C 610 0,9 0,3
3 – 3 40 1,8 C 610 0,9 0,2
4 – 0 50 2,2 C 375 0,3 0,3
4 – 1 70 1,8 C 381 0,3 0,5
4 – 2 30 1,5 C 381 0,2 0,2
1 – 4 90 2,9 C 610 1,2 0,4
1 – 5 45 2,9 C 610 1,2 0,2
1 – 6 45 3,2 C 610 1,2 0,2
5 – 0 90 4,0 T 0,3 0,5 0,1 5,2 0,3
1 - 7 45 3,2 C 610 1,2 0,2
6 - 0 40 2,5 C 300 0,2 0,3
6 - 1 70 2,5 C 457 0,5 0,4
1 - 8 45 3,73 C 762 2,4 0,1

* C = circular; T = trapezoidal
- 39 -
- 40 -
 - 41 -

Fig. 4.6 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 29.9.79 on the Pinetown catchment

Fig. 4.7 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 4.11.79 on the Pinetown catchment
 - 42 -

4.3 KEW CATCHMENT

The Kew catchment (Fig. 4.8), situated in the northern suburbs

of Johannesburg, has an area of 143 ha. The ground slopes are
moderately steep (up to 8%) and soils are residual granodiorite.
Although mainly residential, a significant part of the area is
occupied by industrial and commercial development. The
distribution of land use is shown in Fig. 4.9. The residential
sector occupies eighty percent of the area, industrial ten
percent, commercial five percent and open areas five percent.
The contrasting land uses are illustrated in Fig. 4.10 and 4.11.

The houses are generally on 0,2 ha lots. Most roofs drain on to

the gardens which are not graded and slope according to the
natural contours. Roads are paved and most have concrete kerbing.
The drainage system, consisting of concrete pipes, channels and a
natural stream, is shown in Fig. 4.9.

Rainfall and runoff were measured continuously from January to

May 1980. The rainfall recorder was a W. Lambrecht type 1509-20
with a 31-day strip chart propelled at 20 mm/h and recording
depth of rainfall at a scale of 1:0,125. Discharge was obtained
from stage measurements at a V-form Crump weir (Fig. 4.12)
placed in a culvert. Stage was measured by means of an Ott
pneumatic water level transducer and recorded by an Ott R20
strip chart recorder, with a 32-day chart propelled at 20 mm/h
and recording stage at a scale of 1:5.

The relationship between stage and discharge was affected by

large quantities of silt and debris washed down during storms.
Velocity-area measurements, recorded on two occasions, indicated
that the height of the crest above the upstream bed was
effectively zero. Crump weir rating curves are shown in Fig.
4.13(a) for no siltation and (b) for the case of zero upstream
depth. Also shown are the values obtained from velocity-area
measurements. It is evident that the latter rating would depart
from the measurements because of high approach velocities. A
means of extrapolation, therefore, had to be sought. For a given
discharge stage can be established if the relationship of depth
to critical depth is known. Critical depth can be
 - 43 -

calculated for a given discharge for the channel geometry in

the vicinity of the control. Extrapolation based on a ratio
of depth to critical depth of 0,97 was found to fit the observed
data reasonably well. The extrapolated curve is also shown in Fig.
4.13.and the equations are summarised in Table 4.4.

Table 4.4 : Stage-discharge relationships

* (Ackers et al, 1978)

where Q = discharge (m3/s)
g = acceleration due to gravity (9,81 m/s2)
B = channel breadth (m)
Pv = difference between highest and lowest crest
levels (m)
H = total head (m)
= h + Q2
2
2gB (h+P)2
h = height of water surface above the crest (m)
P = upstream depth of channel bed below the crest (m)
hc = critical depth (m), and assumed equal to h/O,97

The runoff records were screened for large events and ten were
selected for further analysis. Three consecutive events had
hydrographs truncated at a discharge well below the maximum
observed. This was probably due to a temporary pipe blockage and
the records of these events had to be discarded. The remaining
seven events are tabulated in Appendix E.
 - 44 -

Fig. 4.8 Aerial photograph of the Kew catchment

(Photo: Aircraft Operating Co., Jan. 1980)
Fig. 4.9 Kew catchment land use and stormwater
drainage system
 - 46 -

Fig. 4.10 A view of the residential sector of

the Kew catchment

Fig. 4.11 A view of an industrial area in

the Kew catchment
Fig. 4.12 The V-form Crump weir at the outfall of
the Kew catchment (dimensions shown are in mm)

Fig. 4.13 Rating curve for the weir at the Kew

catchment
 - 48 -

For the purpose of modelling, the catchment was subdivided

into 24 subcatchments as shown in Fig. 4.14. The subcatchment
parameters, shown in Table 4.5, were estimated largely from an
areal photograph and a topographic map. The subcatchment bound-
aries and the proportion of houses draining directly into the
streets were confirmed by a site inspection. The soils in the
industrial areas were generally well compacted and classified
as type D. For the remainder of the catchment the soils were
classified as type B. A figure of 5,0 mm was employed for
grassed area depression storage as recommended by the program
developers. Paved area depression storage was adjusted to
agree with observations and a value of 1,0 mm was used for all
except one storm. For the storm on the 15.3.80 rainfall in
the antecedent three hours was considered to have filled de-
pression storage. A one-minute time step was used for all
simulations.

Difficulties were experienced in distinguishing between contri-

buting and non-contributing grassed area. There seemed in fact to
be no clear distinction. In America where gardens are" generally
graded, one can consider the backyard to be noncontributing
because of the longer flow path. To avoid subjectivity in
estimating the contributing area the computations for the grassed
area hydrograph were modified, viz. losses (infiltration and
depression storage) were subtracted from the computed depth of
water on the surface. The original program computed excess
rainfall which it routed over the surface without loss. The
modification allowed all grassed areas to be considered as
contributing.

The verification results are summarised in Table 4.7, and com-

puted hydrographs are compared with observed hydrographs in
Figs. 4.15 to 4.21. The mean ratio of computed peak discharge to
observed is 1,09 with a standard deviation of 0,35. Exclusion of
three poorly simulated peaks (two on the 15.3.80 and the low
peak on the 17.3.80) lowers the mean to 1,02 and the standard
deviation to 0,13. The discrepancies for these events are most
likely due to spatial non-uniformity of the rainfall.
Fig. 1.14 Discretisation of Kew catchment
- 50 -
- 51 -
- 52 -
 - 53 -

Runoff volumes were generally underestimated. The mean ratio

of predicted volume to observed was 0,83 with a standard
deviation of 0,13. Underestimation occurred mainly on the re-
cession limb of the hydrograph and could be due to subsurface
flow or runoff from some less pervious areas such as
driveways. The error is, however, not critical as far as
design calculations are concerned.

No checks could be made on the timing of peak discharge due

to difficulties in correlating times on the separate
recording charts for rainfall and runoff. The rain chart was
prone to slipping after adjustment, thus causing rainfall
records to lag behind those for runoff. When comparing
computed with observed hydrog~aphs time shifts were applied
to the computed hydrographs as indicated in the figures.

Only two storms showed significant runoff from grassed areas.

Hydrographs simulated with the new loss routine are compared
with those simulated by the original program in Fig. 4.15 and
4.16. It was assumed that all the grassed area was
contributing. The new routine is markedly better for one event
(18.3.80). Comparable results could, however, be achieved using
the original program with a calibrated contributing grassed
area.

The results are not as good as for the Pinetown catchment

partly due" to the increased complexity of the Kew catchment
and difficulties with estimation of the parameters. The
enlarged errors, however, seem to be due to spatial non-
uniformity of rainfall. The presence of this type of sampling
error is emphasised by the results for the storm of 15.3.80
for which no amount of adjusting of parameters could explain
the observed hydrograph.
 - 54 -

Fig. 4.15 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 18.3.80 on the Kew catchment
 - 55 -

Fig. 4.16 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 22.3.80 on the Kew catchment
 - 56 -

Fig. 4.17 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 15.3.80 on the Kew catchment

Fig. 4.18 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 17.3.30 on the Kew catchment
 - 57 -

Fig. 4.19 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 19.2.80 on the Kew catchment

Fig. 4.20 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 19.3.80 on the Kew catchment
 - 58 -

Fig. 4.21 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 10.4.80 on the Kew catchment

4.4 DISCUSSION

The simulation results are highly satisfactory, considering

that all parameters except paved area depression storage were
estimated. The average ratio of computed to observed peak discharge
for both catchments is 1,08 (16 events) with a standard deviation
of 0,31. If at Kew three peak events that seem to be affected by
spatial non-uniformity of rainfall are neglected (i.e. two peaks on
15.3.80 and the first peak on 17.3.80), the ratio would be 1,04
with a standard deviation of 0,17. The calibrated depression
storage, though reasonably significant for the events considered,
would generally not be significant for design.

For the catchments and rainfall events considered the parameters

recommended by ISWS for entry time, grassed area depression
storage and infiltration capacity proved to be adequate. The
paved area depression storage (2,5 mm) was too large, and
a value closer to 1,0 mm was more appropriate. The routine
for determining grassed area losses was found to be inadequate
for one of the events. A more logical accounting for losses,
viz. subtracting from flow depth instead of from rainfall, was
found to markedly improve the simulation results.
 - 59 -

CHAPTER 5 STORM INPUTS FOR DESIGN

5.1 GENERAL

It is a relatively straightforward task to predict runoff for a

specific storm. In practice, however, one is usually concerned
with the prediction of peak discharge or runoff volume with a
certain frequency of exceedance. Frequency analysis of a long
record of flows is the most rewarding approach, but for small
catchments adequate flow data are seldom available for this type
of analysis. In urban oatchments there is the added difficulty
of land use change which can invalidate a simple flow frequency
analysis. One must resort to other methods of frequency
estimation.

One approach is to simulate flows from a continuous record of

rainfall and perform a frequency analysis on the simulated
flows. The simulation model can be adjusted to cater for land
use change and if flow data are available they can be effec-
tively used to calibrate the model. For urban catchments it
is quite feasible to simplify the rainfall analysis by approxi-
mating the continuous record with a set of discrete events.
High costs and lack of readily available rainfall data, however,
make this approach unpopular.

A simpler approach, which is commonly used in practice, is to use

a design storm. From an analysis of rainfall records a
representative temporal distribution is developed and total storm
rainfall is varied with recurrence interval. The simulated flood
is assumed to have the same frequency of exceedance as that of
the rainfall. The storm duration is often chosen on the basis of
maximising the simulated flood. Implicit in this approach is the
assumption that the variation in total rainfall is more
significant than the variation in antecedent soil moisture (AMC)
or the variation in temporal distribution of rainfall. The
assumption is more likely to hold good for urban catchments than
for their rural counterparts because of their lower sensitivity
to AMC.
 - 60 -

Many different types of design storm are currently in use.

Some require a trial-and-error approach to determine the critical
storm duration while others do not. The choice of a design storm
for local use depends mainly on the availability of data and its
ability to approximate flood flows.

The median first quartile distribution developed by Huff (1967)

was recommended by Terstriep and Stall (1974) for use with ILLUDAS
in Illinois, USA. This distribution is based on an analysis of US
rainfall data. Applicability to local conditions has not been
confirmed. Although a one-hour storm duration is suggested
(Terstriep and Stall, 1974) there is some doubt as to its
appropriateness. For a conservative design, the critical duration
should be determined by trial and error.

HRU Report 1/72 provides two techniques for synthesizing design

storms. One method (Fig. C8, HRU 1/72) gives mass plots of
lower envelopes of percentage rainfall versus percentage duration
for storms of various durations. This is based on an analysis of
hourly precipitation data (Wiederhold, 1969). The shorter critical
times for urban runoff makes these curves inapplicable to urban
catchments. The other method presented (Fig. C5, HRU 1/72) considers
only the most intense part of the storm and gives no guidance as to
the storm duration and quantity of rainfall antecedent to the peak
intensity. Though valuable in an analysis of probable maximum floods
this method is not readily applicable to the prediction of flood
frequencies.

Schulze (1979) has recommended the use of the US Soil Conser-

vation Service (SCS) design hyetographs for use on local rural
catchments. These hyetographs are based on US intensity--
duration-frequency (IDF) relationships and, although Schulze
indicates these to be reasonably applicable to South Africa a
similar but simpler approach is possible. The suggested approach
makes use of readily available IDF data and was reported by
Keifer and Chu (1957) for stormwater drainage design in the City
of Chicago, USA.

This synthetic distribution has had fairly widespread usage and has
become known as the Chicago design storm. It can read-
 - 61 -

ily incorporate local data and application is simple. The

purpose of this chapter is to present the theory of this tech-
nique, to evaluate its adequacy and to provide a basis for its
local use.

5.2 THE CHICAGO DESIGN STORM

The Chicago storm is based on IDF curves and the distribution is

such that for any time interval the maximum average intensity is
equal to that from the IDF curves. This means that when one
applies the storm to a catchment the critical intensity for all
sub-catchments is used and the necessity of determining the
critical duration for each part of the catchment is eliminated.
The position of the peak intensity within the storm is based on
local storm characteristics.

Using an IDF equation of the form:

where I is the average rainfall intensity for duration t, and

a, b and c are parameters dependent upon the locality and de-
sign frequency, the equation for the Chicago design storm can
be derived as follows:

This is the equation for an advanced storm pattern, i.e. the

peak occurs at the beginning of the storm. If the peak occurs at
some later time, then the storm can be described by considering
the duration, t, as being composed of a time tb before, and a
time ta after the peak, i.e.
 - 62 -

Fig. 5.1 The Chicago design storm

 - 63 -

t = tb + ta

Now if r is the ratio of the time-to-peak, tp, to the total

duration of the storm, td, then

Substituting for t from eqs (5.4) and (5.5) in eq. (5.3) gives the
following relationships for intensities before and after the peak:

To use the Chicago design storm in ILLUDAS it is necessary to

reduce the storm-hyetograph to a set of discrete values. This
can be done as follows:

(i) Select the time step ∆t (eg. 5 minutes).

(ii) Compute the discrete point representing the peak rain-

fall from the equation:

(iii) Distribute the time interval selected (∆t) around the

peak as r∆t before the peak and (l-r) ∆t after the peak.

(iv) Compute the points before and after the peak by inte-
grating the design curve and calculating the discrete
 - 64 -

intensity ordinate from the volumes for each increment

of t.

The general integral form of the hyetograph before the peak is

given by:

and after the peak by:

5.3 EVALUATION OF THE CHICAGO STORM

The Chicago storm has received the following criticism based

on theoretical considerations:
(i) It assumes the runoff frequency to be the same as the
A rainfall frequency.

(i) It is more peaked than real storms, i.e. a greater

proportion of rainfall occurs at peak intensity than
for real storms.

(ii) It makes incorrect use of IDF relationships. Maximum

intensities do not occur for all durations in real
storms.

(i) is a limitation of all design storms and (ii) and (iii)

supposedly result in overestimation of peak discharge.

To assess the adequacy of the Chicago storm for design calcula-

tions a comparison with flood frequency data is necessary. Syn-
thetic flood frequency data can be generated through real event
 - 65 -

simulation. Marsalek (1978) used this approach and compared flood

frequency predictions for an actual catchment and several
hypothetical catchments patterned after typical urban develop-
ments in Canada. The comparisons indicated that the Chicago storm
overestimated peak discharges by approximately 75% and was
unsatisfactory for sizing of storage ponds.

Clarke and Bishop (J.F. MacLaren Ltd, 1979) conducted a similar

study, comparing simulation results for three interconnected
catchments in Edmonton, Canada. The Chicago storm predictions
agreed closely with those based on real storms. A similar study
was conducted in Winnipeg, Canada, (J.F. MacLaren Ltd, 1977) and
again it was concluded that the theoretical storms resulted in
runoff frequencies similar to those of the historical storms.

A further study was conducted by the author to assess the perfor-

mance of the method with local data. From rainfall data provided by
the Johannesburg City Engineer's Department for the Norwood rain
gauge, 54 events were selected and discretized at 5-minute
intervals from an effective record of 16 years. These events had
average intensities for durations of 5,,15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes
greater than arbitrarily chosen base levels and are listed in
Appendix F. The storms were then ranked according to maximum
average intensity for each duration. The top 16 storms for each
duration were selected for the analysis, making 28 storms in all.

In an IDF analysis the log-Gumbel frequency relationship was

found to fit the data adequately. An equation of the following
form was fitted to the log-Gumbel frequency estimates for re-
currence intervals between 2 and 100 years

where a, γ, b and c are coefficients and I is the maximum average

rainfall intensity (mm/h) for duration, t (minutes), and recurrence
interval, T (years). The coefficients obtained from this analysis
were:
 - 66 -

a = 3930
γ = 0,12
b = 21
c = 1,1

The resulting equation gave predictions which differed from

those of the log-Gumbel analysis by less than 7%.

The time-to-peak ratio was determined in the manner described

in section 5.4. A 2-hour duration storm was chosen and a
corresponding r value of 0,28 resulted.

Antecedent moisture conditions (AMC) were established using the

ISWS recommendations outlined in chapter 3. An average AMC value
of 3 was used in conjunction with the Chicago storms.

Peak discharges were simulated using the models described in

chapter 4 for Pinetown and Kew. Design mode of the program was
used so that the program resized pipes such that they would be
adequate to accommodate the flows. The predicted peak
discharges thus represent the values one would adopt for design
if one did not want the system to be surcharged. Soil types
were varied for the Kew catchment to establish whether this
would influence results. Computations were conducted at a one-
minute time step, though rainfall data was averaged over 5-
minute increments.

Peak discharge predictions based on real and Chicago storms are

compared in Fig. 5.2 for the Pinetown catchment. A method-of-
moments fit to the peaks based on real storms is shown together
with 95% confidence bands, assuming normality of sampling
error (Adamson, 1978). The Chicago storm predictions agree
closely with those based on historical data.

Figs. 5.3 to 5.6 compare predictions of peak discharge from the

Kew catchment for different assumed soil types. The agreement
between predictions based on real and synthetic storms is not as
good as for the Pinetown catchment. They are nevertheless
satisfactory as indicated by the 95% confidence bands
 - 67 -

embracing the predictions based on real storms. The greater

deviation of predictions is due to the high proportion of
grassed area runoff which makes discharge sensitive to assumed
AMC. The general under-prediction of the Chicago storm is
contrary to normal expectations but can be accounted for by the
occurrence of high AMC associated with some:of the more severe
real storms.

To assess whether all critical real storms had been considered,

flows were simulated for Kew (soil type C) for the 26 storms
eliminated earlier. The results were identical except for an
insignificant increase in predicted peak discharge for recurrence
intervals less than 1,3 years.

Fig. 5.2 Comparison of peak discharge estimates

for the Pinetown catchment
 - 68 -

Fig. 5.3 Comparison of peak discharge estimates

for the Kew catchment assuming soils to
be type A

Fig. 5.4 Comparison of peak discharge estimates

for the Kew catchment assuming soils to
be type B
 - 69 -

Fig. 5.5 Comparison of peak discharge estimates

for the Kew catchment assuming soils to
be type C

Fig. 5.6 Comparison of peak discharge estimates

for the Kew catchment assuming soils to
be type D
 - 70 -

A comparison of synthetic with real storms shows the significance

of the assumed AMC. In Figs. 5.7 and 5.8 two real storms causing
maximum peak discharge at Kew are compared with the 20-year
Chicago storm that gave a similar peak discharge. The storm of
11.1.76 shown in Fig. 5.7 is very similar to the Chicago storm,
while that of 27.9.77 in Fig. 5.8 is much less peaked. The high
AMC value (=4) on 27.9.77 accounts for high peak discharge
prediction.

The sensitivity of the simplified pond sizing routine in ILLUDAS

to storm profiles was also tested. A similar analysis to
establish sensitivity of storage requirement was conducted for
the Kew catchment, assuming soils of type B; further tests were
omitted because of the similarity in the results for
peak discharge.

Peak discharge at the outfall was to be restricted by pondage

first to 4 m3/s and then to 8 m3/s. A frequency analysis of
storage requirement was carried out for real storms and com-
pared with values derived by Chicago predictions. Results are
shown in Figs. 5.9 and 5.10. Also shown is the Chicago
prediction based on the next higher AMC.

From the results it is evident that predictions of storage

requirement are highly sensitive to assumed AMC and the best
the Chicago storm can do in this situation is predict upper
and lower bounds.
 - 71 -

Fig. 5.7 Comparison of storm recorded at Norwood on

11.1.76 with the 20-year Chicago design storm

Fig. 5.8 Comparison of storm recorded at Norwood on

27.9.77 with the 20-year Chicago design storm
 - 72 -

Fig. 5.9 Comparison of storage requirement estimates

for an outflow rate of 4m3/s
 - 73 -

Fig. 5.10 Comparison of storage requirement estimates

for an outflow rate of 8m3/s
 - 74 -

5.4 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS

Many organizations have accumulated IDF relationships from which

the coefficients a, band c in eq. (5.1) can be evaluated by
regression analysis. For instance by rewriting eq. (5.1) as

and with an assumed value of c one can solve for the constants
(a1/c) and (-b) by linear regression using (I-l/c) as the abscissa
and t as the ordinate. This is repeated using a different value
of c until an acceptable fit has been achieved. Alternatively eq.
(5.1) can be written as

lnI = ln a - c ln (t+b) . . . . . . . . . (5.12)

In this case b is estimated, then the equation is solved for the

constants (-c) and (ln a), using ln(t+b) as abscissa and ln I as
ordinate.

Values of c usually fall between 0,5 and 1,5 and values of b

between 0 and 30 minutes. Pocket calculator programs for per-
forming this analysis are given by Watson (1980).

In the absence of local IDF relationships, the coefficients given

by Midgley and Pitman (1978) can be used. These coefficients, in
units compatible with those used in this work, are given in Table
5.1. The values of a are determined from Fig. 4 of HRU 2/78 by
rewriting eg. (5.1) as

For t equal to 60 minutes, the values of γ are given in Table 5.1.

 - 75 -

Table 5.1 : Regional intensity-duration-frequency coefficients

Region b c γ60
Inland 14,4 0,883 44,9
Coastal 12,6 0,737 23,5

Alternatively, the following approximation has been found

satisfactory for mean annual precipitation (MAP) less than 1 000
mm:

where γR is a regional coefficient equal to 241 for

inland regions and to 84 for coastal regions
MAP = mean annual precipitation (mm)
T = recurrence interval (years)

For MAP greater than 1 000 mm, eq. (5.14) gives results differing by
up to 20% from those derived from the curves in Fig. 4 of
HRU 2/78. The maximum difference for MAP less than 1 000 mm
is 6%.

The time-to-peak ratio, r, determines the depletion of initial

losses and the depth of surface and pipe flow prior to the peak
intensity. The ratio can be determined from an analysis of local
storm distributions and depends on the depth of rainfall that can be
expected antecedent to the peak intensity. It can be calculated as
follows:

where d = depth of rainfall (mm), antecedent to the peak a

intensity, of duration t (minutes)
td = total storm duration (minutes)
It = maximum average intensity (mm/h) for duration t
Itd = average intensity (mm/h) for total storm duration
 - 76 -

From eq. (5.1)

Eq. (5.16) is employed to determine r from the average ratio of

(da/dt) obtained from an analysis of significant storms. The
IDF coefficients band c should be those corresponding to the
recurrence interval of the average maximum depth dt.

Until local data have been analysed the time-to-peak ratios

obtained in other localities can provide guidance. Table 5.2
gives r values obtained in four overseas studies and from the
local analysis discussed in section 5.3.

Table 5.2 : Time-to-peak ratios

(td = 3 hours)

City Country r Reference

Chicago USA 0,386 Keifer and Chu, 1957
Winnipeg Canada 0,31 J.F. MacLaren Ltd, 1974
Burlington Canada 0,46 M.M. Dillon Ltdr 1977
Gauhati India 0,37 Bandyopadhyay, 1972
Norwood (Jhb) RSA 0,22 Section 5.3

Coogan (1951) analysed two Johannesburg rainfall records for a

period of 42 years and found that 64% of the severe storms had
 - 77 -

their 30-minute peak intensities occurring during the first half

of the storm. Smith (1951) analysed 164 severe storms in Durban
and found that although the peak occurred randomly within the
storm, there was a tendency for more severe storms to peak
early.

From the above data it seems that values for r will generally be
less than 0,5. Higher values will probably be more appropriate for
coastal regions and lower values for inland regions. However, due
to the limited data it is suggested that a value of 0,4 be used
for all localities until further data become available.

In some cases computations will not be highly sensitive to

choice of r. An analysis of variations in peak discharge from
the Kew catchment for changes in the value of r showed a maximum
difference of 16% when r was varied from 0,4 to zero and then to
0,8.

The storm duration will depend on the longest time of concentration

to be considered for design and should be slightly longer than this.
Once a duration has been chosen it should be used for all areas.
Durations of 2 or 3 hours will generally be adequate.

5.5 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

Design storms are merely approximations of actual rainfall and

cannot be expected to perform adequately in all situations.
In fact, in different situations different design storms may be
appropriate. The limited extent of testing so far performed
shows the Chicago storm to be an adequate technique for
predicting peak discharge for the range of rainfall data and
catchment characteristics considered. There seems to be no
reason why it should not be adequate for a wider range of
situations but further testing is recommended when data become
available.

For detention pond sizing the great importance of AMC must be

recognised. It is suggested that the use of the Chicago storm
 - 78 -

with varying AMC might be used to generate envelopes. These

may, however, turn out to be very wide and serve merely to
emphasise the sensitivity of the results to a parameter that
cannot be accurately estimated.

Further analyses to evaluate storm parameters and AMC are

needed. In the absence of local data the regional parameters
provided in section 5.5 offer a reasonable basis for design.
 - 82 -

CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSIONS

Techniques presently used in South Africa for urban flood pre-

diction are inadequate in many respects. The commonly used
techniques are unverified and make inadequate use of readily
available catchment and rainfall data. Parameter estimation, too,
cannot be other than rather subjective. ILLUDAS is a considerable
improvement in all respects and yet is not much more complicated
to apply than the commonly used Rational Method. In fact when
alternative design options have to be evaluated it can prove to
be a much simpler and more efficient method (eg. evaluation of
the use of detention ponds or testing of alternative design
frequencies require changes to only one parameter).

ILLUDAS is a logical model of the runoff process. Published

verifications as well as the local tests reported here show the
model to be adequate for simulation of urban runoff. Much of the
discrepancy between recorded and computed hydrographs can be
attributed to sampling and data errors. Results show further that
the parameters can be estimated with reasonable accuracy.
Furthermore, because of the deterministic nature of the model,
parameter estimation can be improved as additional runoff data
become available. Uncertainties associated with parameter
estimation can be largely resolved by means of simple sensitivity
analyses which incidentally form a sound basis for design.

Although ILLUDAS can handle most stormwater drainage design

problems it can not deal with pressure flows associated with
pipe surcharging or backwater effects. Furthermore routing in
reaches with very flat slopes (eg. 0,05%) will be inaccurate.
Where these aspects are important a more sophisticated model
such as SWMM or HVM should be used (See Table 1.1).

Application of ILLUDAS to small rural catchments seems logical

but has not been thoroughly verified. Discretization will
possibly be more complicated than for urban catchments and some
adjustment will have to be made to enable the model to simulate
 - 83 -

overbank flows which are usually significant in rural catch-

ments. Moreover runoff from rural catchments is highly sensitive
to antecedent moisture conditions and therefore a continuous
simulation model may be more appropriate.

A major problem associated with single event models is the

selection of storm inputs. Use of a set of historically re-
corded severe storms is the most rewarding approach but is
likely to be costly and time-consuming. Use of synthetic design
storms is an alternative approach and the Chicago storm has
been shown to give satisfactory predictions of peak discharge.

Satisfactory performance of the model with local data has been

demonstrated and this commends it as a valuable design tool. The
model has been metricated and improved for local use.
 - 84 -

REFERENCES:

1. ACKERS, P., WHITE, W.R., PERKINS, J.A. and HARRISON,

A.J.M. Weirs and flumes for flow measurement. Wiley,
1978.

2. ADAMSON, P.T. The statistics of extreme values and the

analysis of floods in South Africa. Department of Water
Affairs, TR86, 1978, pp84.

3. AITKEN, A.P. The application of storage routing methods to

urban hydrology. J. Inst. Engrs. Australia, Jan - Feb. 1968.

4. AITKEN, A.P. Hydrologic investigation and design in

urban areas - a review. Australian Water Resources
Council Tech. paper No.5, Australian' 'Government Pub-
lishing Service, Canberra, 1973.

5. AITKEN, A.P. Hydrologic investigation and design of urban

stormwater drainage systems. Australian Water Resources
Council Tech. Paper No. 10, Australian Government
Publishing Service, Canberra, 1975.

6. American Society of Civil Engineers. Hydrology Handbook.

ASCE - Manuals of Engineering practice - No. 28, Jan.
1949, pp 48-49.

7. ARDIS, C.V., DUEKER, K.J. and LENZ, A.J. Storm drainage

practice of thirty-two cities. J. Hyd. Div., Amer. Soc.
Civ. Engrs., Vol. 95, No. HYl, Jan. 1969, pp 383-408.

8. BANDYOPADHYAY, M. Synthetic storm pattern and runoff for

Gauhati, India. J. Hyd. Div., Amer. Soc. Civ. Engrs., Vol.
98, No. HY5, May 1972, pp 845-857.

9. BRANDSTETTER, A., FIELD, R. and TORNO, H.C. Evaluation of

mathematical models for the simulation of time varying
runoff and water quality in storm and combined
 - 85 -

sewerage systems. Conf. on environmental modeling, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,
April 1976.

10. CLARK, C.O. Storage and the unit hydrograph. Proc.

Amer. Soc. Civ. Engrs, Vol. 69, Nov. 1943.

11. COLYER, P.J. and PETHICK, R.W. Storm drainage design

methods - a literature review. INT 154, 3rd impression,
Hydraulics Research Station, Wallingford, UK, Dec. 1976.

12. COOGAN, J.M. Stormwater drainage in urban areas with

particular reference to Pretoria. J. Instn. Mun. Engrs. S.
Afr., Yolo I, No.4, Jan. 1951, pp 143-162.

13. CORDERY, I. Some effects of urbanisation on streams.

Trans. Instn. Engrs., Australia, 1976, pp 7-11.

14. M.M. DILLION LTD. Storm drainage criteria manual for the
city of Burlington. Ontario, Canada, April 1977.

15. FORD, W.G. The adaptation of the RRL hydrograph method for
tropical conditions. Proc. Nairobi flood hydrology
symposium, Oct. 1975, Transport and Road Research La-
boratory SR259, pp 409-455.

16. HEEPS, D.P. and MEIN, R.G. An independent evaluation of

three urban stormwater models. Research Report No.4, Dept.
Civ. Eng., Monash University, 1973.

17. HEEPS, D.P. and MEIN, R.G. Independent comparison of

three urban runoff models. J. Hydr. Div., Amer. Soc.
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18. HICKS, W.I. A method of computing urban runoff. Trans.

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19. HUFF, F.A. Time distribution of rainfall in heavy storms.

Water Resources Research, Vol. 3, No.4, 1967, pp 1007-
1019.
 - 86 -

20. HYDROLOGICAL RESEARCH UNIT. Design flood determination

in South Africa. Report No. 1/72, Univ. of the Witwatersrand,
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21. ILLINOIS STATE WATER SURVEY. Routing options for

ILLUDAS update - fa l l ~ 19? 9. Urbana, Illinois, USA"
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22. IZZARD, C.F. Hydraulics of runoff from developed surfaces.

Proc. 26th Annual Meeting Highway Research Board, Vol.
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23. KEIFER, C.J. and CHU, H.H. Synthetic storm pattern for
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24. J.F. MACLAREN LTD. Drainage criteria manual for the

city of Winnipeg~ Nov. 1974.

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29. McPHERSON, M.B. Some notes on the Rational Method of storm

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 - 87 -

30. MIDGLEY, D.C. and PITMAN, W.V. A depth-duration-frequency

diagram for point rainfall in Southern Africa. Univ. of the
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32. PAPADAKIS, C.N. and PREUL, H.C. Testing of methods for

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33. PATRY, G., RAYMOND, L. and MARCHI, G. Description and

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35. READ, A.L. Hydraulic aspects of the West Lakes Development.

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36. SCHAAKE, J.C., GEYER, J.C. and KNAPP, J.W. Experimental

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 - 88 -

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 - 89 -

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 TIME-AREA METHOD OF FLOOD ESTIMATION

FOR SMALL CATCHMENTS

M D Watson

REPORT NO. 7/81

Hydrological Research Unit

University of the Witwatersrand
JOHANNESBURG 2001 July 1981
 (i)

PREFACE

The purpose of the research reported here was to establish whether

the simple time-area routing procedure is adequate for small
catchment flood estimation. The results were affirmative and
emphasized that improved means of estimating catchment parameters
should be sought before any more complex routing procedure ought
to be attempted.

The method is conceptually simple and promises to become

a valuable design tool. It supplements the work reported in HRU
Report 1/72 by providing a means of estimating flood
2
hydrographs for catchments smaller than 15 km. Complex
catchments can also readily be analysed and the estimation of
rainfall losses is enhanced by using a deterministic approach
which can be readily calibrated against short term rainfall/
runoff records.
 (ii)

ABSTRACT

The Time-Area Method of small catchment flood estimation

is adapted for use on programmable calculators. Detailed
algorithms are presented as well as programs for the
Hewlett Packard HP-97 and HP-41C(V) calculators.

The technique is verified against 60 observed runoff events

on 14 small catchments (8 urban and 6 rural). The maximum
catchment size is 140 ha. Results are pleasing and warrant
adoption of the method as a design tool.

Tentative recommendations are made for the estimation of

design parameters.
 (iii)

CONTENTS

Page
PREFACE (i)
ABSTRACT (ii)
CONTENTS (iii)
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD 3

2.1 Overview 3
2.2 Infiltration 5
2.3 Depression storage 11
2.4 Time-area diagram 11
2.5 Time-area routing 13
2.6 Design storm 13

2.7 Theoretical limitations 18

CHAPTER 3 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS 21

3.1 Introduction 21
3.2 Infiltration 21
3.3 Depression storage 25
3.4 Entry time and flow time 25

3.5 Chicago design storm 30

CHAPTER 4 VERIFICATION ON URBAN CATCHMENTS 33

4.1 Introduction 33
4.2 South Parking Lot 34
4.3 Newark Street 41
4.4 Oakdale Avenue 45
4.5 Gray Haven 51
4.6 Pinetown 55
4.7 Brucewood 62
4.8 Malvern 69
4.9 Kew 76
4.10 Discussion of results 84
 (iv)

CONTENTS - cont.

Page
CHAPTER 5 VERIFICATION ON RURAL CATCHMENTS 86
5. 1 Introduction 86
5.2 Hastings 2-H 87
5.3 Stillwater W-1 92
5.4 Riesel W-2 98
5.5 Zululand W1M17 102
5.6 Stillwater W-4 107
5.7 Riesel Y 113

5.8 Discussion of results 117

CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSIONS 119

REFERENCES 120

APPENDIX A RAINFALL DATA A.1

A.1 Urban catchments A.1

A.2 Rural catchments A.6

A.3 Antecedent rainfall A.9

APPENDIX B HEWLETT-PACKARD HP-97 CALCULATOR PROGRAMS B.1

B.1 Program I :Excess rainfall B.1

B.2 Program II :Isochronal areas B.7
B.3 Program III :Time-area routing B.11

B.4 Example applications B.14

APPENDIX C LIST OF VARIABLES C.1

APPENDIX D HEWLETT-PACKARD HP-41C CALCULATOR PROGRAM

by T. op ten Noort D.1
D.1 Program description D.1
D.2 Example applications D.13
 1

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Flood estimation is a vital early step in the design of a

wide range of civil engineering works. Techniques in common use,
however, do not provide the user with a sound understanding of the
rainfall/runoff process on which to base his design decisions.
Most techniques are of the handbook type and do little to instill
appreciation of the underlying principles and philosophies. This
report aims to make good this deficiency.

In South Africa at present the Rational Method and Unit Hydrograph

techniques are the most commonly used for estimating design floods
- the Rational Method for peak discharge and the Unit Hydrograph
Method for establishing the temporal distribution of runoff. The
former has the advantage of ease of application
and is therefore a valuable design tool. Unfortunately it has
many inadequacies, the most important being the poor manner in
which it accounts for rainfall losses.

Estimation of the runoff coefficient, C, is highly subjective

and cannot readily be improved by analysing available rainfall/
runoff data. The Unit Hydrograph Method though theoretically sounder
is more cumbersome to apply and is limited by availability of the
data needed for establishing unitgraphs. Application is therefore
restricted to fairly large rural catchments for which regional
unitgraphs may be available.

Computer modelling techniques have also recently been applied

in South Africa and these go a long way towards facilitating
appreciation of the runoff process. The U.S. Soil Conservation Service
(SCS) technique has been used in a research project in Natal (Cousens
and Burney, 1977) and has been strongly advocated by Schulze and
Arnold (1979) for design application. Application of the Illinois
Urban Drainage Area Simulator (ILLUDAS) to local urban catchments has
been investigated by Watson (1981a) with promising results. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) has
also been applied locally.
 2

No reliable desktop technique is available, however, for

estimating small catchment flood hydrographs. The present study
expands on a technique that had largely fallen into disuse and
demonstrates how it can be successfully applied to flood
estimation, namely the time-area method. Several variations of
the technique were in use in Britain during the inter-war period
(Colyer and Pethick, 1976) but the method was discredited by
Escritt (1977) on the grounds that it provided minimal
improvement in the estimation of peak discharge and moreover
involved excessive hand calculation. His criticism was valid in
that use was then still made of the runoff coefficient concept
for determining losses. The proposed method, however, considers
losses as an abstraction from rainfall and embodies a loss rate
that decays with time.

The main application of the time-area method at present is an

overland flow sub-routine in digital runoff models, e.g. the
Transport and Road Research Laboratory, TRLL, model (Watkins,
1962) and the Illinois Urban Drainage Area Simulator, ILLUDAS,
(Terstriep and Stall, 1974). As a desktop technique its use
seems to have declined.

With the widespread use of programmable calculators, however, the

technique takes on a new light. It is of moderate complexity and
easily adapted for use on programmable calculators. This report
demonstrates the adaptation of the method to Hewlett Packard HP-97
and HP-41C programmable calculators and shows how it can be a
convenient and reliable design tool. The method may easily be
programmed on other calculators, even some of those with
relatively small capacity. Detailed algorithms are presented to
assist the user in adapting the technique to suit his
own needs.
 3

CHAPTER 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD

2.1 Overview

Overland flow is assumed to be the sole source of storm runoff.

Surface losses are subtracted from rainfall to determine excess
rain which is routed over the catchment without further loss.
Heterogeneous catchment conditions are accounted for by dividing
the catchment into homogeneous zones. Runoff from each zone is
determined separately and the results combined at the outfall.
Routing assumes flow velocities to be constant with time.

The steps in computing the hydrograph resulting from a given

storm on a particular catchment follow:

(i) Divide the catchment into zones considered to be

subject to the same temporal distribution of excess
rain
(ii) For each zone:
(a) compute the temporal distribution of excess rain
(b) determine the time-area diagram
(c) route the excess rain through the time-area
diagram to obtain the contributing hydrograph
for the zone
(iii) Add these hydrographs to obtain the outfall hydrograph
for the total catchment.

The time-area diagram referred to is a convenient device for

flow routing. It is a curve that represents the cumulative
catchment area contributing flow to the outfall as a function
of time.

The basic steps in developing a hydrograph for a homogeneous

catchment (or zone) are described in Fig. 2.1. The catchment
shown in Fig. 2.1(a) is divided into subcatchments, each of
which is assumed to have a linear increase with time of contributing
area. The time taken for the total subcatchment area to contribute
runoff to the adjacent reach is termed the entry-time,
t. The subsequent travel time in the reach to the outfall is
e
termed the flow-time, tf. Each subcatchment time-area diagram
 4

Fig. 2.1 Description of the method

 5

is defined in terms of its area, entry time and flow time. The
time-area diagram for the whole catchment is obtained by
summating the subcatchment diagrams as illustrated in Fig.
2.1 (c).

Excess rain (Fig. 2.1 (d)) is obtained by subtracting losses

from the hyetograph (Fig. 2.1 (b)). Isochronal areas (~A1'
~A2' ... ) are determined from the time-area diagram and used
to route the excess rain to the outfall of the catchment as
described in Fig. 2.1 (e).

The homogeneous zones within a catchment need not be geographiC-

ally distinct, but can be very much intermingled. A typical
example of this is in an urban catchment where paved and
unpaved areas would be selected as distinct zones. In large
catchments where consideration of spatial non-uniformity of
rainfall becomes important, zones can be subdivided to create
sub-areas with an average rainfall input. Considerations of
accuracy, available data and computational effort will
determine the degree of subdivision.

The following sections describe the various elements of the

method in detail. Algorithms used in the calculator programs
are also presented.

2.2 Infiltration

Infiltration is the loss to runoff through absorption of water by

the soil. The rate of loss is governed by the availability of
surface water and the capacity of the soil to absorb this water
(i.e. its infiltration capacity). This is usually relatively
large at the onset of rainfall and decreases to a nearly constant
value as the ground becomes saturated.

Horton (1939) proposed an equation to describe the variation in

infiltration capacity with time, viz:

Fcap = foo + (fo -foo) e-kt .................... (2.1)

where fcap = infiltration capacity (mm/h)

fo = infiltration capacity at time t=O (mm/h)
foo = infiltration capacity at time t = 00 (mm/h)
l
k = recession constant (h- )
t = time (h)
 6

The equation is based, however, on the limiting assumption that

the available water is always equal to or greater than the
infiltration capacity. If water is supplied at a lower rate than
infiltration capacity eq. 2.1 will imply that infiltration
capacity decreases too rapidly. This is illustrated in Fig. 2.2
in which infiltration capacity according to eq. 2.1 is shown as
a solid line. As illustrated here, infiltration capacity
decreases even when no water is absorbed by the soil, i.e. during
periods of no rainfall. This is illogical as one should expect the
infiltration capacity to decrease only with increasing wetness of the
soil. A more reasonable distribution is shown by the dashed line, the
shaded area below which represents the total infiltration. The periods
of zero or low-intensity rainfall are assumed to be sufficiently short
to render insignificant any recovery infiltration capacity.

Fig. 2.2 Distribution of infiltration capacity with time

Horton's equation can be corrected to take account of this
defect. By letting the accumulated depth of infiltration equal
the integral of the infiltration capacity with respect to time,
the effective time along the capacity curve can then be deter-
mined. A numerical solution is described by Huber et al. (1977)
but is practicable only by digital computer since the solution
for time is implicit. A similar method is described by Watson
(1981a). Both techniques, however, are too time-consuming for
efficient handling by a programmable calculator.
 7

A simple explicit solution can be obtained as follows:

(i) split eq. 2.1 into two components, viz. a

diminishing component and a constant component

(ii) assume infiltration rate to be constant over

each computational time interval.

This assumption is not unreasonable as it is the same as that

for the discretization of rainfall.

The two components are:

where the subscripts d and c represent the diminishing and the

constant component respectively. Integrating eq. (2.2) to obtain
the diminishing infiltration capacity in terms of incremental
depth, ∆Fdcap,over the time interval, ∆t, gives

The accumulated diminishing infiltration capacity with respect

to time is :

Letting time t be adjusted such that the actual accumulated

diminishing infiltration, Fd, is equal to the accumulated
diminishing infiltration capacity, Fdcap ,then substituting
for e-kt in eq. (2.4) gives
 8
This equation gives the infiltration capacity of the diminishing
component for the next time increment. In order to obtain the
increment of total infiltration capacity, ∆Fcap, we must
add the constant component. Thus

The actual depth of infiltration during the time interval, 6t,

is either the available depth of rainfall or the infiltration
capacity, ∆Fcap, whichever is the lesser, i.e.

In order to determine the accumulated diminishing infiltration, Fd,

we must apportion the actual infiltration depth, ∆F, between the
diminishing and the constant component. Letting ∆Fd be the increase
in Fd and referring to Fig. 2.3 we have

Fig. 2.3 Incrementing accumulated diminishing infiltration

 9

Eqs. 2.8, 2.9 and 2.10 permit depth of infiltration for any time
interval, 6t, to be determined explicitly. The only restriction
on the use of these equations is that 6t must not be chosen so
large as to render unreasonable the assumption of a constant
infiltration rate over the interval.

Portions of catchments which are impervious but which drain

onto pervious areas can be accounted for by proportionately
increasing the rainfall on the pervious areas, i.e.

This approximation is adequate when the impervious areas have

relatively small response times. Examples of such areas are
rocky outcrops in rural catchments and houses with roof drains
discharging onto gardens in urban areas.

A flow chart for the computation of excess rain is presented

in Fig. 2.4. At first glance the method appears complex but
computationally it is highly efficient since iteration is
completely eliminated.

When simulating runoff from observed storms there is sometimes

a fair amount of rain falling at the beginning of the storm at an
intensity which is obviously lower than infiltration capacity. In
these cases it is often easier to sum the low intensity rainfall
and use this to determine the amount of accumulated diminishing
infiltration directly. This is done by determining the time
position on the infiltration curve for cumulative depth of
infiltration, Fo, equal to the total depth of low
intensity rainfall, P , as adjusted to account for supplementary
o
impervious-area runoff, i.e.
 10

Fig. 2.4 Flow chart for computation of excess rainfall

 11

The solution for time is by necessity implicit and can be con-

veniently obtained using the Newton-Raphson iterative technique,
i.e.

where in this case g(t) is the zeroed integral of eq. 2.1.

The solution for t is

The cumulated diminishing infiltration, Fd, is then determined

as
Fd = Fo - fc.t ............................... (2.15)

2.3 Depression storage

Depression storage is the loss to runoff caused by the ponding of

water in shallow surface depressions. In the calculator programs
this is considered as an initial loss to be subtracted from
rainfall in excess of infiltration (as shown in Fig. 2.4). No
regeneration of this loss is accounted for in periods where
rainfall is less than infiltration capacity. This is only
occasionally significant in single-event simulation and of no
consequence when using a typical design storm.

2.4 Time-area diagram

The catchment (or zone) time-area diagram represents the accumulated

contributing area with time and is determined by summating the linear
subcatchment curves as illustrated in Fig. 2.1. To facilitate program
computations the abscissae are rendered dimensionless by dividing
through by the computational time
step, ∆t. The linear subcatchment curves are then characterized
by a dimensionless flow-time, Γn = tf/∆t, a dimensionless entry-
time, Γe = te/∆t, and subcatchment area. This is illustrated in
Fig. 2. 5.
 12

The isochronal areas, ∆AΓ, for each subcatchment as determined

from the geometry of Fig. 2.5 can be computed as follows:
∆AΓ = AΓ - AΓ-1
= AΓ - (A/Γe) [Γ-l - Γf] ....................... (2.16)
where [Γ-1 - Γf]= 0 when Γ-1 - Γf < 0

These areas are determined for each subcatchment and summated at

each dimensionless time step to obtain the total catchment time-
area diagram.

Fig. 2.5 Dimensionless subcatchment time-area curve

 13

2.5 Time-area routing

The principles of the routing technique are shown in Fig.

2.1(e). For programming purposes it is convenient to consider
two arrays of size equal to the maximum dimensionless time
value, M, of the catchment time-area diagram, one array
containing the isochronal areas, ∆AΓ, and the other the

runoff, RΓ,t on each area at time t. The runoff to each

isochronal area from its upstream neighbour is computed by mass
balance for each time increment, i.e.

and for the area furthest from the outfall

For excess rain intensity, iet, in mm/h and area, ∆AΓ+1, in ha,
the outfall discharge at time t is

2.6 Design storm

Design storms are synthetic temporal distributions of rainfall

used by the engineer to facilitate the sizing of structures, and
are based on representative properties of real storms. For flood
peak prediction the three most important properties to consider
are the total volume of rainfall, the maximum average intensity
for the critical catchment response time, and the depth of
rainfall antecedent to the peak intensity.

These properties are taken into consideration in the convenient

Chicago design storm (Keifer and Chu, 1957) which is based on
intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves; the distribution is
such that for any time interval the maximum average intensity is
equal to that from the IDF curves. This means that when one
applies the storm to a catchment the critical intensity for all
possible sub-areas is used and the necessity of determining the
critical storm duration for the catchment is eliminated. The
position of the peak intensity within the storm is based on local
storm characteristics.
 14

Using an IDF equation of the form:

where I is the average rainfall intensity for duration, t, and a,

band c are parameters dependent upon the locality and desiqn
frequency, the equation for the Chicago design storm can be derived
as follows:

where i = rainfall intensity (mm/h) at time t (minutes)

P = depth of rainfall(mm)
= I.t/60
= ( a ) t/60
(t+b)c

This is the equation for an advanced storm pattern, i.e. the peak
occurs at the beginning of the storm. If the peak occurs
at some later time, then the storm can be described by considering the
duration, t, as being composed of a time tb before, and a
time ta after, the peak, i.e.

t = tb + ta

Now if r is the ratio of the time-to-peak, tp, to the total

duration of the storm, td, then

r = tp
td

= tb
t .........................(2.23)
= t-ta .........................(2.24)
t
 15

Substituting for t from eqs. 2.23 and 2.24 in eq. 2.22 gives the
following relationships for intensities before and after the
peak:

To use the Chicago storm it is necessary to reduce the stormhyetograph

to a set of discrete values. Use of eqs. 2.25 and 2.26 is inconvenient
since average intensities over each interval are required. A simple
method is as follows:
(i) Select the time step ∆t.

(ii) Compute the discrete point representing the peak rainfall

from the equation:

i = a .................................. (2.27)
c
(∆t + b)
(iii) Distribute the time interval selected (∆t) around the peak
as r∆t before the peak and (l-r) ∆t after the peak.
(iv) Compute the points before and after the peak by integrating
the design curve and calculating the discrete intensity
ordinates from the volumes for each increment of t.

The general integral form of the hyetograph before the peak is

given by:

and after the peak by:

 16

An algorithm based on this technique is presented in Fig. 2.7. The

variables used are illustrated in Fig. 2.6 and described in
Appendix C. So that intensities can be computed in order of
occurrence, the starting time, t0 , is first determined. Eq. 2.28
is then used to compute intensities up to the peak. The peak
intensity is computed using eq. 2.27 and intensities after the
peak using eq. 2.29. Calculations stop when ta = t0 + (l-r)td. d

Fig. 2.6 Discretization of the Chicago storm

 17

Fig. 2.7 Algorithm for discretizing Chicago storm

 18

2.7 Theoretical limitations

The method described in this chapter does not take account of
certain phenomena which may in some circumstances be important.
Only those factors felt to be most significant to small catchment
flood estimation have been considered. Factors relevant to the
determination of low flows (viz. subsurfaceflow,
evapotranspiration, interception and partial area contributions)
are largely ignored. Losses to runoff are allowed for by
decreasing rainfall input whereas it would be more nearly correct
to subtract losses from surface flow depths. The regeneration of
depression storage on pervious areas during low rainfall
intensities is not accounted for directly. Only discrete events
can be considered since recovery of infiltration capacity between
events is not taken into account.

Routing is rather simplistic since account is not taken of

changes in velocity with flow depth. A constant velocity rep-
resentative of the significant portion of the flow is assumed.
The types of resulting error that can be expected are illus-
trated in Fig. 2.8 for overland flow and Fig. 2.9 for pipe (or
channel) flow. The solid line in Fig. 2.8 is the observed
runoff hydrograph obtained in a laboratory study by Izzard
(1946) while the shaded area represents the simulated rainfall
input and the dashed line the computed hydrograph using the
time-area method. As can be seen the overall shape of the
hydrograph is reproduced fairly well, but the shapes of the
rising and recession limbs are not well mimicked. The computed
hydrograph initially underestimates surface detention on both
limbs. This is due to the constant velocity assumption. The
sharp peak on the observed hydrograph following termination of
rainfall input is due to decreased flow resistance upon
cessation of rain and is probably significant only in the
laboratory.

The effect of the constant flow assumption on channel flow can

be seen in Fig. 2.9 which illustrates attenuation of flow in a
circular pipe. The triangular hydrograph represents the inflow
and the other two hydrographs represent outflows for different
reach lengths. These were computed by MacLaren Ltd. (1976)
 19

Fig. 2.8 Simulation of Izzard's overland flow hydrograph

Fig. 2.9 Theoretical pipe flow routing (MacLaren Ltd., 1975)

 20

using the method of characteristics. The constant velocity

assumption used in the time-area method would generate outflow
hydrographs of the same shape as those of the inflow, but
displaced along the time axis. For the example illustrated, peak
discharge would have been overestimated by 23% for a reach length
of 5500 m and by 32% for a reach length of 9100 m.
 21

CHAPTER 3 ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS

3.1 Introduction

The time-area method presented here is very similar in principle

to ILLUDAS and parameter estimation is in many cases the same.
Tentative guides for the estimation of parameters for ILLUDAS have
been presented in HRU 1/81 (Watson, 1981a). Much of the material
presented there is repeated here for convenience. The form has,
however, often been changed to accommodate dissimilar program
input requirements.

Recommended parameter values have largely been selected from

available literature. Further rainfall/runoff monitoring and
analysis will no doubt result in improved values.

3.2 Infiltration

The absorption of water by the soil is termed infiltration.

Water enters the soil through cracks, pores or orifices in the
surface. Through the larger openings it may flow freely in
appreciable quantities under the influence of gravity. Through
fine pores movement is much slower and is governed principally
by capillary forces. Infiltration rate is usually high at the
onset of a storm and decreases to a nearly constant value with
lapse of time. The rate of decrease is a function of the volume
of water absorbed, the compaction of the surface due to the
impact of raindrops, and soil swelling in the case of clays. The
final constant infiltration rate is generally controlled by the
rate at which water can percolate through the soil profile.

Soil type is the most important factor determining infil-

tration capacity. Soils with a large percentage of well-
graded fines will have low infiltration capacities. In
contrast, poorly graded sandy soils will generally have high
infiltration capacities.
 22

Soil cover also plays an important role in determining

infiltration capacity. Vegetation tends to loosen the surface
soil and at the same time protects it from rainfall
compaction. Decaying roots create capillary channels which
facilitate the flow of water through the soil. In general, the
denser the vegetation cover the greater the infiltration
capacity. Compaction of the soil surface, e.g. in some urban
areas, also reduces infiltration capacity.

The wetter the soil profile at the onset of rainfall the lower
will be the initial infiltration rate. Rainfall on days prior
to the storm under consideration determines the antecedent
moisture condition (AMC) of the soil. It has been shown by
Hope (1980) for small catchments that rainfall occurring even
20 days prior to a storm event influences the amount of
surface runoff.

Other factors influencing infiltration include: surface

slope, depth and uniformity of the soil profile and, in the
case of clays, presence of surface cracks.

Horton's equation as modified in Section 2.2 allows for the

decrease in infiltration capacity with volume of water
absorbed by the soil. Three parameters have to be estimated,
viz:

initial infiltration capacity, f0 (mm/h)

final infiltration capacity, foo (mm/h)
recession constant, k (h-1)

All three parameters can vary from catchment to catchment,

while f can also vary considerably for different storms on
the same catchment, depending on the AMC. Values of f0 for
different soils and AMCs can range from virtually zero to
about 500mm/h. Typical values of foo fall between zero and
50 mm/h while the range of k is typically 1 h-l to 8 h-l.
The effect on infiltration capacity of variations in the
value of k is illustrated in Fig. 3.1
 23

Fig. 3.1 The influence of the parameter k on infiltration capacity

At the current state of knowledge the parameters recommended by

the Illinois State Water Survey for use with their urban runoff
model ILLUDAS (Terstriep and Stall, 1974) are perhaps the most
reasonable. These are described in Table 3.2 as functions of soil
type and AMC and are applicable to soils with lawn cover. The AMC
values adopted by Terstriep and Stall (1974) are described in
Table 3.2 while cover factors for adjusting final infiltration
rates are presented in Table 3.3 (ASCE, 1949). The soil types are
those defined by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (1972) and can
be briefly described as follows:

A - High infiltration, typically coarse textured soils (e.g.

sands and gravels)
B - Moderate infiltration rates and moderately well-drained,
typically moderately fine to moderately coarse textured
soils
C - Slow infiltration rates, typically moderately fine to fine
textured soils and soils with layers that impede the
downward movement of water
D - Very slow infiltration rates, typically clays or soils
with permanent high water tables.
A list of hydrological groupings for South African soil series is
presented by Schulze and Arnold (1979).
 24

Table 3.1 Infiltration parameters for use in Horton's equation

Soil fo (mm/h) for AMC: Foo K

type (mm/h) (h-l)
1 2 3 4
A 250 162 84 33 25 2
B 200 130 66 31 13 2
C 125 78 34 7 6 2
D 75 41 7 3 3 2

Table 3.2 Antecedent moisture conditions

Total rainfall during

AMC
Description 5 days preceding storm
number
(mm)
1 Completely dry 0
2 Rather dry 0 to 12,5
3 Rather wet 12,5 to 25
4 Saturated over 25

Table 3.3 Infiltration cover factors

Cover
Range in value
Type Condition1 of cover factor

Permanent forest and grass) good 1,5 - 3,8

medium 1,0 - 1,5
poor 0,6 - 0,9
Close growing crops good 1,2 - 1,5
medium 0,8 - 1,1
poor 0,5 - 0,7
Row crop good 0,7 - 0,8
medium 0,6 - 0,7
poor 0,5 - 0,6

good - high cover density

medium - cover density from 80% to 30% of that for
"good" areas
poor - sparse cover, less than 30% of the density
on "good" areas
 25

3.3 Depression storage

Rainfall that collects in small surface depressions and does not

become runoff is termed depression storage. This is usually des-
cribed in terms of an average depth over the whole surface. Typical
values range between 0,5 mm and 7,5 mm depending on land use and
ground slope. In special instances (e.g. contour-tilled land)
values as large as 75 mm are possible (Musgrave and Holtan, 1964).
In the particular case of contour-tilled land, however, smaller
values are more probable because of breakage of contour furrows.

Estimation of this parameter is usually not critical for design

since it generally forms a small percentage of the total rainfall.
Values of 1 mm and 5 mm are recommended for paved and unpaved areas
respectively.

3.4 Entry time and flow time

Entry time is the time taken for runoff from the hydraulically most
distant point in the sub-catchment to enter the reach. Flow time is
the subsequent travel time in the reach to the catchment outfall
assuming flow at a constant velocity. Both parameters are functions
of the depth of flow and therefore can vary both within a storm as
well as between storms. Assuming these parameters to be constant for
a particular storm greatly simplifies the analysis without
significantly affecting simulation of storm hydrograph
characteristics (see Chapters 4 and 5).

Combination of these two parameters for the hydraulically most

distant subcatchment is analogous to application of the time of
concentration in the Rational Method. The empirical formulae in
common use for estimating time of concentration, however,
are mutually inconsistent and of dubious value. Fig. 3.2 compares
four commonly-used estimation techniques with the theoretically-
based kinematic wave method for overland flow. The figure shows
a wide spread of the variation of time of concentration with the
ratio of length to square root of slope (L/√s). Only the U. S.
Soil Conservation Service (SCS) method and the Bransby-Williams
method show comparable relationships.
 26

Fig. 3.2 Comparison of time of concentration estimation techniques

The differences are mainly due to the use of different data bases in
deriving the formulae. Applicability of each formula, as for any
empirical method, is limited to the bounds of the data base.

The Ramser-Kirpich equation (Ramser, 1927, and Kirpich, 1940)

is based on average hydrograph rise times for storms on seven
agricultural catchments ranging in size from 0,5 to 45 ha with
average slopes ranging from 2,7 to 9,8%. The Bransby-Williams
formula, on the other hand, was published in a paper on spillway
design in India (Williams, 1922). No derivation is given, and
it can but be assumed that it was based on river flow measurements.
Both these formulae have been shown by French et al. (1974) to be
poor predictors of rise time. The SCS method is presented as a plot
of flow velocity versus slope for different land uses (SCS, 1972).
No empirical or theoretical basis is given for the plot.

Kerby's formula (Kerby, 1959, and Hathaway, 1945) is simply an

approximation of the semi-theoretical equation for overland flow
by Horton (1938). The kinematic wave equation is a theoretical
solution for time to equilibrium for a uniform rainfall intensity
 27

on a rectangular plane assuming flow velocity to be a function

of depth only. The kinematic equation is to be preferred to the
equations of either Horton or Kerby.

Though empirical techniques may be useful as a standard of

comparison, entry time and flow time should be determined on the
basis of hydraulic principles. For many catchments this is
not a simple matter and one is forced to make gross simplifications
of the hydraulic response of the catchment. The approach does
have the advantage, though, of forcing an awareness of the lack
of accuracy of one's estimates.

The velocity of unsteady, non-uniform flow is not the same as that

of steady uniform flow. Increments in discharge cause waves to
proceed downstream at velocities greater than the mean water
velocity. The wave velocity for upstream inflow can be approximated
as:

where Vw = wave velocity (celerity)

B = width of flow at the surface
dQ/dY = differential of discharge with respect to depth

This relationship was derived by Sneddon (1900) and was shown

by Pitman and Midgley (1966) to give reasonable estimates of flood
travel times in local rivers. The ratio of wave velocity to
uniform velocity varies from 1 to 5/3 for various trapezoidal
channel cross-sections as shown in Fig. 3.3.

For reaches with only lateral inflow the wave velocity is less than
in channels with only upstream inflow. For a wide rectangular channel
subject to a uniform lateral inflow the wave velocity is the same as
the uniform flow velocity at equilibrium discharge.

For overland flow the situation is the same as for wide rectangular
channels with lateral inflow. Travel time is conveniently computed
using the kinematic wave equation:
 28

Fig. 3.3 Ratio of wave velocity to uniform flow velocity

for flow in a trapezoidal channel

where t = travel time (minutes)

n = Manning's n
L = flow length (m)
s = slope (%)
ie = excess rain intensity (mm/h)
W = ratio of subcatchment width to flow width

The width ratio, W, is introduced to allow for the concentration

of runoff in small gullies or gutters. For channel flow Wi
e
would be equal to the lateral inflow rate per unit area of
channel. A nomograph for the solution of eq. 3.2 is presented by
Watson (1981a). Values of Manning's n for overland flow are
given in Table 3.4.
 29

Eq. 3.2 requires an estimate of excess rain intensity

representative for the whole storm. The average intensity for a
duration approximately equal to the catchment time of con-
centration would be adequate. Fig. 3.4 is provided to assist
in assessing the effect on travel time of variations in rainfall
intensity.

Fig. 3.4 Variation in entry time with variation in excess rain

Table 3.4 Manning's retardance coefficient, n, for overland flow

(adapted from Woolhiser, 1975)

Surface Range in n
Concrete or asphalt 0,010 - 0,013
Bare sand 0,010 - 0,016
Gravelled surface 0,012 - 0,030
Bare clay-loam soil (eroded) 0,012 - 0,033
Sparse vegetation 0,053 - 0,130
Veld 0,100 - 0,200
Lawns (and forest litter) 0,170 - 0,480
 30

3.5 Chicago design storm

The intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) coefficients in eq. 2.20 can

readily be evaluated for local conditions by regression analysis of
available IDF curves. Simple techniques are described by Watson
(1981a and 1981b). In the absence of local IDF relationships, the
coefficients given by Midgley and Pitman (1978) can be used. These
coefficients, in units compatible with those used in this work, are
given in Table 3.5 and Fig. 3.5. The parameters band c vary only
with region while the parameter a also varies with return period. An
equation for a in terms of
the average 60-minute intensity for a 10-year return period,
110,60, is

where YI = a regional constant given in Table 3.5

and T = the return period (years)
Alternatively, a can be expressed in terms of mean annual precip-
itation (MAP) as follows:

where YR is a different regional constant with values also given

in Table 3.5.
Table 3.5 Regional parameters for Chicago storm

Region b c r YI YR

Inland 14,4 0,883 0,40 22,5 241

Coastal 12,6 0,737 0,40 11,8 84

Eqs. 3.3 and 3.4 are both limited by the data base described in HRU
Report 2/78 (Midgley and Pitman, 1978), viz. 50mm < MAP < 1050 mm.
For MAP greater than 1050 mm HRU 2/78 uses a linear extrapolation
which can reflect values that differ by up to 20% from those given
by eq. 3.4 for MAP less than 2000 mm. Fig. 3.5 is based on this
linear extrapolation.
31
 34

4.2 South Parking Lotl

JohnsHopkins University South Parking Lot catchment no. 1 is

shown in Figs. 4.1 and 4.2. It has an area of 0,160 ha and a
mean ground slope of 1,8%. It is surfaced with asphalt
and bounded by an asphalt curb. Runoff was measured by means of
a stage recorder in a calibrated weir-box located in the storm
water inlet at the catchment outfall. Rainfall records were
obtained from a tipping bucket gauge recording every 0,25 mm
(0,01 inch) increment. This was located adjacent to the
catchment as shown in Fig. 4.2.

For purposes of simulation the catchment was assumed to have

an average depression storage capacity of 1 mm and to be
completely impervious. The catchment was discretized into
six subcatchments as shown in Fig. 4.3. Entry and flow times were
computed using eq. 3.2 with a Manning n of 0,02 and a width ratio
of 1,0 for overland flow and 10 for swale flow. An average
rainfall intensity of 50 mm/h was assumed for computing entry and
flow times for the simulated events. Subcatchment data are given
in Table 4.1 and the computed time-area diagram is shown in Fig.
4.4. A one-minute time increment was used for routing.

Fig. 4.1 General view of South Parking Lot no. 1

(Terstriep and Stall, 1974)

Rainfall and runoff data were available for six events. Computed
and observed hydrographs are compared in Figs. 4.5 to 4.10.

1 Sources of data: Grace and Eagleson, 1966

Harley, Perkins and Eagleson, 1970
 35

Observed runoff is unaccountably less than observed rainfall.

Harley et al (1970) consider this to be due to data errors
caused by faulty setting of recording equipment as well as
gauge malfunctions. Runoff volumes and peaks are generally
overestimated but computed and observed hydrographs are similar
in shape. The average ratio of computed to observed peak
discharge is 1,06 with a standard deviation of 0,14.

Fig. 4.2 Johns Hopkins University South Parking Lot no. 1

Fig. 4.3 Discretization of South Parking Lot

 36

Table 4.1 South Parking Lot subcatchment data

Entry Flow
Sub- Area
time time
catchment (ha)
(minutes) (minutes)
I 1 0,017 3,8 2,8
2 0,027 3,0 2,2
3 0,035 3,5 1,6
4 0,034 3,0 1,0
5 0,028 2,4 0,5
6 0,019 2,2 0,2

0,160

Fig. 4.4 South Parking Lot time-area diagram

 37

Comparisons with hydrographs computed using the more complex

kinematic wave routing (Figs. 4.6 and 4.7) are extemely
favourable and, generally speaking, the time-area method can
be considered to perform adequately on this catchment.

Fig. 4.5 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm No. 7 on the South Parking Lot catchment
 38

Fig. 4.6 Comparison of computed with observed and kinematic-wave

simulated hydrograph for the storm of 9/9/60 on the
South Parking Lot catchment

Fig. 4.7 Comparison of computed with observed and kinematic-wave

simulated hydrograph for Storm No. 6 on the South Parking
Lot catchment
 39

Pig. 4.8 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 6/8/61 on the South Parking Lot
catchment
 40

Fig. 4.9 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 10/8/61 on the South Parking Lot catchment

Fig. 4.10 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm No. 18 on the South Parking Lot catchment
 41

4.3 Newark Street1

A plan and profile of the Newark street section No. 9 are shown
in Fig. 4.11. Like the South Parking Lot catchment this area
was gauged as a part of the Storm Drainage Research Project at
the Johns Hopkins University. The area of catchment is 0,257 ha, all
of which is considered to be impervious. Runoff was estimated from
stage measurements in a 230 mm Parshall flume, while rainfall
records were obtained from a tipping-bucket gauge, located immed-
iately adjacent to the area, registering every 0,25 mm (0,01")
rainfall increment.

For simulation the area was divided into four subcatchments

separated from each other by the berm at the change in road
slope and the centre-line of the road (Fig. 4.11). An average
depression storage of 1 mm was assumed for the whole area. Entry
times were computed using eq. 3.2 with a Manning n of
0,02 and an average rainfall intensity of 75 mm/h. Flow width ratios of
1 and 10 were assumed for overland and swale flow respectively. Flow
times were estimated assuming full pipe flow velocities and
a Manning n of 0,013. Subcatchment data are summarised in Table
4.2 and the computed time-area diagram is shown in Fig. 4.12.

Two rainfall-runoff events by Harley et al (1970) are presented.

Computed runoff hydrographs for these events are compared with
observed in Figs. 4.13 and 4.14. Hydrographs compare favourably,
the average ratio of computed to observed peak discharges being
0,97 and standard deviation 0,02.

1 Source of data: Harley, Perkins and Eagleson, 1970

 42

(a) Plan

(b) Profile

Fig. 4.11 Newark Street section No.9

 43

Table 4.2 Newark Street subcatchment data

Entry Flow
Sub- Area
time time
catchment (ha)
(minutes) (minutes)

1 0,0597 3,7 0,7

2 0,0597 3,7 0,5
3 0,0690 4,6 0,2
4 0,0690 4,6 0,0

0,2574

Fig. 4.12 Newark Street time-area diagram

 44

Fig. 4.13 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for storm No. 15 on the Newark Street catchment

Fig. 4.14 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for storm No. 23 on the Newark Street catchment
 45

4.4 Oakdale Avenuel

The Oakdale Avenue catchment is located in a residential area

of Chicago, USA, and consists entirely of residential lots and
adjoining street. The catchment area is 5,22 ha, 39,8% of
which is paved and directly connected to the drainage system.
A further 5,6% supplements the runoff from unpaved areas.
Ground slopes range from 0,4 to 0,9%. Fig. 4.15 is
a plan of the catchment showing land use and sewer layout.

Runoff measurements were conducted using a 760 mm parabolic

flume located in a vault at the outfall. Rain was measured
by means of a tipping-bucket raingauge located on a school
roof about one block north of the catchment. Both flow
transducer and raingauge were connected to remote recorders
over leased telephone lines. Instrumentation operated only
during periods of rainfall.

The catchment discretization used by Brandstetter (1976) for

verification of SWMM is shown in Fig. 4.16 and for convenience
the same discretization has been used here. Subcatchment
characteristics are summarized in Table 4.3. Entry times were
assumed constant and equal to five and ten minutes for sub-
catchment paved and grassed areas respectively. Directly-
connected paved area was assumed to be 86% of the whole paved
area for each subcatchment. Time-area diagrams for the paved
and grassed zones are shown in Fig. 4.17. Loss parameters used
by Brandstetter (1976) were adopted, viz. dsp = 2 mm,
dsg = 5 mm, fo = 63,5 mm/h, foo = 11,4 mm/h and k = 4,14 h-1

The three more intense storms presented by Brandstetter (1976)

plus one presented by MacLaren Ltd., 1975 (i.e. 29/4/63) were
selected for analysis. One storm comprised of two events
separated by 54 min~tes and has been considered here as two
individual storms. The observed hydrograph for the storm of
2/7/60 is incomplete due to submergence of the measuring flume.
The

1 Source of data: Brandstetter (1976); MacLaren Ltd. (1975).

 46

Fig. 4.15 Oakdale Avenue catchment showing land use and

sewer layout

Fig. 4.16 Discretization of the Oakdale Avenue catchment

 47

SWMM simulated hydrograph by Brandstetter (1976) for this

event is presented as a basis for comparison (Fig. 4.18).
Computed and observed hydrographs for the remaining four events
are compared in Figs. 4.19 to 4.22.

The computed hydrograph for the larger runoff event, i.e. that
on 2/7/60, compares favourably with both observed and SWMM-
simulated hydrographs. Computed hydrographs for the remaining
events are reasonable but it seems that surface detention is
underestimated and longer travel times would be appropriate.
The average ratio of computed to observed peak discharge is
1,11 with a standard deviation of 0,15.
Table 4.3 Oakdale Avenue subcatchment data

Sub- Total Grassed Flow

catchment paved area area time
(ha) (ha) (minutes)
1 0,285 0,363 6,1
2 0,150 0,190 5,8
3 0,268 0,250 5,7
4 0,112 0,090 5,3
5 0,152 0,233 4,6
6 0,199 0,278 3,8
7 0,149 0,219 3,2
8 0,194 0,166 2,6
9 0,135 0,104 2,5
10 0,226 0,251 2,6
11 0,156 0,228 1,8
12 0,199 0,291 1,1
13 0,143 0,189 0,6
2,368 2,852

Fig. 4.17 Oakdale Avenue time-area diagram

48
 49

Fig. 4.19 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 19/5/59 on the Oakdale Avenue catchment

Fig. 4.20 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 29/4/63 on the Oakdale Avenue catchment
 50

Fig. 4.21 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 2/8/63 (1) on the Oakdale Avenue catchm

Fig. 4.22 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 2/8/63 (2) on the Oakdale Avenue catchment
 51

4.5 Gray Haven)

The Gray Haven catchment is a homogeneous residential area of

9,43 ha in Baltimore, USA. The total area of paved surface is
4,90 ha (52%) of which 4,17 ha (44%) is directly connected to
the drainage system. Ground slopes are gentle, averaging about
0,5%. The soils are generally of the U S Sassafras series and
are classified as hydrological soil type B. Fig. 4.23 is a
plan of the catchment with a schematic diagram of the drainage
system.

Stage measurements at a Parshall flume at the outfall were

recorded synchronously with rainfall measurements from a nearby
tipping-bucket gauge. Data for three events were available from
the quoted sources.

The distribution of paved area within the catchment was not

described in the quoted sources. Linear time-area diagrams Were
therefore assumed for both the paved and the grassed zones. The
time bases of these diagrams were computed by assuming entry
times of 5 and 10 minutes for the paved and grassed

areas respectively. Pipe flow velocities were assumed equal to 2

m/s and a flow time of 3 minutes was obtained for flow from the
top of the catchment. Runoff from the grassed area was assumed to
flow on to the paved area before entering the drainage system.
The time bases computed in this simple fashion were 8 minutes for
the paved area and 18 minutes for the grassed area.

Depression storage was assumed equal to 1 rom for the paved area
and 5 rom for the grassed area. The infiltration parameters given
in Table 3.1 for soil type B were used. AMC values were available
for two of the three storms, viz. AMC = 3 for the storm of 1/8/63
and AMC = 2 for the storm of 14/8/63. For the remaining storm
(14/6/63) an AMC of 2 was assumed. A computational time increment
of 1 minute was uqed for calculation of runoff from paved areas
and 2 minutes for that from grassed areas.

1 Sources of data: MacLaren Ltd., 1975;

Patry et al., 1979;
Terstriep and Stall, 1974.
52
 53

Computed and observed hydrographs for the three events are

compared in Figs. 4.24 to 4.26. The results are fair and could
no doubt be improved if more data were available for con-
structing the time area diagrams. The average ratio of computed
to observed peak is 0,91 with a standard deviation of 0,11.

Fig. 4.24 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 1/8/63 on the Gray Haven catchment
 54

Fig. 4.25 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 14/6/63 on the Gray Haven catchment

Fig. 4.26 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 14/8/63 on the Gray Haven catchment
 55

4.6 Pinetown I

The catchment is situated in the shopping centre of Pinetown,

approximately 20 km inland from Durban, and is monitored by the
National Institute for Water Research (NIWR) Durban, South
Africa. Fig. 4.27 is a typical view of the catchment while Fig.
4.28 is a plan of the area showing the boundaries and
the stormwater drainage system. The total area is 11,9 ha
of which 9,0 ha (75%) is directly-connected impervious surface,
comprising roads, sidewalks, car parks, office blocks and shopping
complexes. The remaining area comprises lawns, unpaved parking
areas and small buildings that discharge on
to pervious areas. The ground slopes are moderately steep
(up to 5%); approximate ground level contours are shown in
Fig. 4.28. The soils are sandy.

Fig. 4.27 A typical view of the Pinetown catchment (looking

up Crompton Street from raingauge no. 2)

1 Sources of data: Simpson et al., 1980;

Simpson, 1981;
Watson, 1981a.
 56

Fig. 4.28 plan of the Pinetown catchment

Fig. 4.29 Discretization of the Pinetown catchment showing

reach travel times (minutes)
 57

Rainfall was measured by two Casella siphon recorders, one

located within the catchment and the other immediately beyond the
boundary near the outfall (Fig. 4.28). Water level was measured
in the outfall pipe by a Wesmar ultrasonic level detector and
rated by salt dilution gauging. The rainfall and runoff data at
the outfall were recorded on a punched tape. The raingauge within
the catchment recorded rainfall depth on a weekly drum chart and
was used to correct rainfall recorded at the outfall. The average
total depth was accepted.

The paved and grassed areas were assumed to have average

depression storages of 1 mm and 5 mm respectively. Soils were
classed as type B and assigned the relevant infiltration para-
meters from Table 3.1. The supplementary paved area is not
significant and was considered as part of the grassed area. For
the events considered no grassed-area runoff was computed.

The catchment was discretized into ten subcatchments as shown

in Fig. 4.29 and described in Table 4.4. Paved-area entry
time was assumed to be 5 minutes for all subcatchments. The
time-area diagram for the paved area is shown in Fig. 4.30. A
computational time interval of 2 minutes was used for all
events except the storm of 4/11/79 for which a 1 minute
interval was used.

The three storms used in HRU Report 1/81 (Watson, 1981a), plus
another two for which data were made available by the NIWR
during 1981, were selected for analysis. These storms represent
the more severe of the recorded storms on this catchment during
the study period.

Comparisons of computed with observed hydrographs are shown in

Figs. 4.31 to 4.35~ The results are good: computed hydrographs
follow the shapes of the observed hydrographs well and the
average ratio of computed to observed peak discharge is 1,12,
with a standard deviation of 0,15.

For the two events on the 22/5/79 depression storage was

considered to have been completely filled by prior rainfall.
If partial depletion of storage space had been assumed the
 58

Table 4.4 Pinetown subcatchment data

Paved Grassed Flow

Sub-
area area time
catchment
(ha) (ha) (minutes)

1 1,37 nil 2,4

2 1,26 nil 1,7

3 1,15 0,43 1,1
4 0,99 0,43 2,2
5 0,86 0,50 1,8
6 0,30 0,89 1,9
7 0,60 0,42 0,7
8 1,14 0,08 0,3
9 0,73 nil 0,3
10 0,60 0,19 0,7

9,00 2,94

Fig. 4.30 Pinetown time-area diagram

 59

results would have been noticeably improved. This suggests that

depression storage is regenerated through slow outflows from
surface ponding. For the first event, antecedent rainfall was
only slightly larger than the average depression storage and
could therefore not completely fill the depression storage
where this was larger than the average.

For the second event on the 22/5/79 the low magnitude peaks
during the earlier part of the storm are overestimated. This
is due to an underestimation of surface detention and can be
corrected by increasing flow travel times. The blue line shown
in Fig. 4.33 was computed after doubling of the travel times.
This corresponds to a rainfall intensity ratio of
0, 2 in Fig. 3. 3 .

The discrepancy for the event of 29/9/79 cannot be explained

in thi_s fashion. The volume is overestimated and this could
be due to rainfall sampling errors.

Fig. 4.31 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 4/11/79 on the Pinetown catchment
 60

Fig. 4.32 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 22/5/79 (1) on the Pinetown catchment

Fig. 4.33 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 22/5/79 (2) on the Pinetown catchment
 61

Fig. 4.34 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 29/9/79 on the Pinetown catchment

Fig. 4.35 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 18/2/80 on the Pinetown catchment
 62

4.7 Brucewood1

The Brucewood catchment is a 19,5 ha residential subdivision

in Toronto, Canada. The area is fully developed and has 169
single-family and 43 detached residences. An aerial view of
the catchment is shown in Fig. 4.36. Roof drains from all
buildings are connected directly to the storm sewer system.
Surface slopes are moderate, in the order of 3%. Fig. 4.37 is
a topographic map showing the sewer system.

Rainfall quantity and quality were monitored for about two years
by J.F. MacLaren Ltd. (1980) as part of a computer modelling
feasibility study for Environment Canada. Rainfall was measured
by a tipping-bucket gauge located on the roof of a school
approximately 0,4 km from the centre of the catchment. The gauge
registered every 0,25 rnm (0,01 inch) increment of rainfall. The
first bucket tip initiated the operation of the recorder. This
had a chart speed of 152 rnm/h (6inchjh) giving a chart
resolution of one minute.

Discharge was determined from stage measurements at a sharp-

crested weir, rated in a laboratory. Depth was recorded on a
chart operating at the same speed as that for the rainfall
measurements - this facilitated synchronization of rainfall/
runoff data. The flow recorder was set in operation by the
first bucket tip of the raingauge and ran for two hours after
the last bucket tip.

The paved area was assumed to have an average depression storage of

1 min. Soil data were not available for estimating infiltration
loss parameters. However, for the events considered, computed paved
area runoff was approximately equal in volume to observed runoff.
It was therefore reasonable to ignore any contribution from the
grassed areas.

The catchment was divided into 17 subcatchments as shown in Fig.

4.38. The subcatchments were chosen to coincide approximately
with those used in the SWMM study by MacLaren Ltd, 1980 (see
Fig. 4.37). This proved convenient since subcatchment data were
readily available. The subcatchment data used

1 Source of data: MacLaren Ltd., 1980.

63
64
 65

appear in Table 4.5. Paved-area entry times were assumed to be

5 minutes for all subcatchments and the computed timearea
diagram is shown in Fig. 4.39. A computational time increment
of 2,5 minutes was used throughout.

Fig. 4.38 Discretization of the Brucewood catchment

Five rainfall/runoff events are presented by MacLaren Ltd

(1980) and the three most severe ones were selected for this
study. Comparisons of computed with observed hydrographs
and with those simulated by MacLaren Ltd. using SWMM are
presented in Figs. 4.40 to 4.42. The results are not as good as
for other catchments. In fact, the computed hydrographs differ
markedly from the observed. The average ratio of estimated to
observed peak discharge is 1,18 with a high standard deviation
of 0,28. The SWMM simulations fare no better, with an average
ratio of 1,02 and a standard deviation of 0,30. Errors must be
largely ascribed to poor rainfall sampling.

The jumpiness in computed hydrographs for low flows is due

to underestimation of surface detention. To correct this,
longer entry times and flow times would have to be used for
the low flows.
 66

Table 4.5 Brucewood subcatchment data

Paved Grassed
Sub- Flow-time
area area
catchment (minutes)
(ha) (ha)
1 0,19 0.30 7,9
I 2 0,48 1,30 6,6
3 0,65 0,60 5,5
4 0,40 1,09 5,4
5 0,58 0,98 5,7
6 0,52 0,52 5,1
7 0,17 0,46 4,0
8 0,33 0,36 3,6
9 0,90 1,00 2,2
10 0,29 0,14 7,5
11 0,84 0,44 6,0
12 0,66 0,46 3,9
13 1,01 0,41 2,3
14 0,76 0,58 5,5
15 0,37 0,27 4,4
16 0,71 0,63 3,2
17 0,57 0,55 2,0
9,43 10,09

Fig. 4.39 Brucewood time-area diagram

 67

Fig. 4.40 Comparison of computed with observed and SWWM-simu1ated

hydrograph for the storm of 14/5/74 on the Brucewood
catchment

Fig. 4.41 Comparison of computed with observed and SWMM-simu1ated

hydrograpy for the storm of 20/11/74 on the Brucewood
catchment
 68

Fig. 4.42 Comparison of computed with observed and SWMM-simulated

hydrograph for the storm of 11/9/75 on the Brucewood
catchment
 69

9 4.8 Malvernl

The Malvern urban test catchment is located in a residential area

of Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The catchment is monitored by the
Hydraulics Research Division of the Canadian Centre for Inland
Waters in Burlington. Fig. 4.43 is a typical view of the catchment
and Fig. 4.44 a plan of the area. The total catchment area is 23,3
ha, of which 31% is paved and directly connected to the sewer
system. A further 3% is paved and drains on to pervious areas. The
paved area consists of roofs (3,28 ha), roads (2,70 ha), driveways
(1,26 ha) and sidewalks (0,66 ha).

The catchment is gently sloping from the north corner towards the
drainage outfall located in the southwest corner (Fig. 4.44). The
average catchment slope is 1%, but local slopes depend on lot
gradings. Typically, front yards slope towards the street, with
slopes varying from 2% to 10%. Backyards slope away from the street
(2 - 3%) towards drainage swales. Road slopes are on average 1%.
Soils are well-drained sandy loams.

The area is served by a tree-type, converging,separate sewer system

(Fig. 4.45). All sewers are made of standard concrete pipes which
are in good condition. All roof drains are directly connected to
the separate sewer system.

Rainfall and runoff were monitored continuously at the outfall of

the catchment. Rainfall was measured by a tipping-bucket gauge
which tipped at every 0,25 mm (0,01 inch). Runoff was monitored by
means of stage measurements at a rectangular weir. The rating curve
was obtained by laboratory experiments. Recording chart speeds were
such as to allow a one minute discretization of both rainfall and
runoff records.

For convenience Marsalek's catchment discretization for simulation

with SWMM was used (Fig. 4.46). The 3% supplementary paved area was
considered insignificant and accordingly incorporated into the
paved area. Subcatchment data are summarised in Table 4.6. Paved
entry times were assumed to be
1. Sources of data: Marsa1ek, 1977 and 1979.
 70

5 minutes for all subcatchments. Flow times were computed

assuminq full pipe flow and a Manning roughness coefficient of
0,013. Individual reach flow times are shown in Fig. 4.4.6
and Fig. 4.47 is the time-area diagram for the paved area.

Soil type B and a 5 mm depression storage was assumed for com-

putation of losses. Since a complete record of antecedent
rainfall was not available an AMC of 3 was assumed for all
events. On this basis no grassed area runoff was computed. For
the paved area an average depression storage of 1 mm was
assumed. A time interval of 2 minutes was used for all
computations.

Six of the larger rainfall/runoff events presented by Marsalek

(1977 and 1979) were chosen for this study. Computed and
observed hydrographs are compared in Figs. 4.48 and 4.50.
Except for a small time shift, which is ascribed by Marsalek
to synchronization errors, the results are good. The average
ratio of computed to observed peak discharge is 0,93 with a
standard deviation of 0,16. This compares favourably with the
SWMM simulations by Marsalek in which he obtained an average
ratio of 1,01 with a standard deviation of 0,21 for the same
events. The higher average is partly due to rainfall
corrections made by Marsalek (1979) to account for unrecorded
rainfall during bucket tips. The corrections are generally
small and were not made in this study.

Fig· 4.43 Street scene typical of the Malvern catchment

(October, 1979)
 71

Fig. 4.44 Malvern urban test catchment

72
 73

Table 4.6 Malvern subcatchment data

Sub- Paved Pervious Flow

catchment area area time
number (ha) (ha) (minutes)

1 0,77 1,52 6,5

2 0,89 1,63 5,1
3 0,67 0,89 4,5
4 1,14 1,29 5,7
5 0,77 1,71 3,3
6 0,49 0,87 1,9
7 I,ll 2,72 6,9
8 0,85 1,83 2,2
9 0,76 2,54 1,9
10 0,43 0,43 0,4
7,88 15,43

Fig. 4.47 Malvern time-area diagram

 74

Fig. 4.48 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 22/9/73 on the Malvern catchment

Fig. 4.49 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 23/9/73 on the Malvern catchment
 75

Fig. 4.50 Comparison of computed with observed hydrographs for

storms on the Malvern catchment
 76

4.9 Kew

The Kew catchment, situated in the northern suburbs of Johannes-

burg, has an area of 143 ha. Ground slopes are moderately
steep (up to 8%) and soils are residual granodiorite. Although
mainly residential, a significant part of the area is occupied
by industrial and commercial buildings. The residential sector
occupies about 80% of the area, the industrial 10%, the
commercial 5% and the remaining 5% open. About 30% of the
area is paved though a third of this is estimated to supplement
grassed area runoff. The drainage system consists of concrete
pipes, concrete channels and a natural stream. A typical
residential street scene is shown in Fig. 4.51 while Fig.
4.52 is a topographical map showing the distribution of
land use and the storm sewer system.

Fig. 4.51 Street scene in the residential portion

of the Kew catchment (May 1979)
 71

The catchment was monitored by the author for the 1979/80

rainy season during which rainfall and runoff were measured
continuously. The rainfall recorder was a W. Lambrecht type
1509-20 with a 31-day strip chart. This was propelled at 20
mm/h and recorded depth to a scale of 1 : 0,125. The
raingauge was located close to the outfall. Discharge was
obtained from stage measurements at a V-form Crump weir
placed in a culvert. Stage was measured by means of an Ott
pneumatic water level transducer and recorded by an Ott R20
strip chart recorder. This had a 32-day chart propelled at
20 mm/h and recorded stage at a scale of 1 : 5. Silting of
the weir upset the theoretical rating but corrections were
made on the basis of velocity - area measurements.

Rainfall and runoff data are available for seven of the larger
recorded storms (Watson, 1981a) but the rainfall data for one
of the storms were not representative of the average catchment
rainfall. The remaining six events were analysed.

The catchment was discretized into 8 subcatchments as illus-

trated in Fig. 4.53 and described in Table 4.7. Soils were
assumed to be type B and relevant infiltration parameters
from Table 3.1 were used. The average depression storage of
the paved area was assumed to be 1 mm and of the grassed area
5 mm. Supplementary paved area was found to be fairly
uniformly distributed within the grassed area. The catchment
was divided into two zones, viz. paved and unpaved. For the
events considered paved-area entry times were estimated to be
in the order of 10 minutes for most subcatchments. For the
sake of simplicity a value of 10 minutes was used throughout.
Grassed-area entry times were assigned the value 40 minutes
which was the typical value found in a previous study using
ILLUDAS (Watson, 1981a). Flow times were estimated assuming
uniform flow with Manning n values of 0,012 for pipes, 0,014
for concrete channels and 0,040 for the stream. The resultant
time-area diagrams are shown in Fig. 4.54. A computational
time increment of 5 minutes was used for simulating all
events except that of 18/3/80. For this event a 2-minute time
increment was necessary to avoid truncating the peak of the
hydrograph.
78
 79

As shown in Figs. 4.55 to 4.60 simulation of peak discharge

is very good; the mean ratio of computed to observed peak is
0,99 with a standard deviation of 0,16. Reproduction of hydrograph
shapes is not as good as that of peaks. Discrepancies are due
largely to rainfall sampling errors and the simplified manner of
accounting for pervious area losses.

Table 4.7 Kew subcatchment data

Supple-
Sub- Paved Grassed Flow
mentary
catchment area area time
area
number (ha) (ha) (minutes)
(ha)
1 5,3 12,5 2,0 3,0
2 2,5 13,0 2,0 3,3
3 1,5 12,7 1,7 1,8
4 9,2 9,5 1,1 2,5
5 0,6 9,5 1,2 0,5
6 5,1 23,7 3,9 3,3
7 1,4 15,8 2,2 2,0
8 2,5 3,6 0,7 0,9
28,1 100,3 14,8

Fig. 4.54 Kew time-area diagrams

 80

The pervious areas were assumed to be uniform with respect to

infiltration and depression storage. This is patently untrue,
however, as unpaved surfaces in the commercial and industrial areas
are often compacted and have reduced infiltration capacity. The
same can be said for unpaved driveways in the residential areas.
Neglect of this can cause runoff volume to be underestimated and is
a major cause of the too-rapid recession of the computed hydrograph
for the storm of 22/3/80 (Fig. 4.57).

The large bulge in the recession of the computed hydrograph for the
storm of 18/3/80 (Fig. 4.56) is ascribed to subtraction of losses
from rainfall instead of from surface runoff. The correct
accounting for losses would result in a much improved runoff
distribution, as shown by Watson (1981a) in a verification study of
ILLUDAS. This type of discrepancy becomes increasingly important
when overland flow occurs over long distances. It loses
significance, however, for design events where overprediction of
grassed area runoff affects a small proportion of the total runoff.

Fig. 4.55 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 17/3/80 on the Kew catchment
 81

Fig. 4.56 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 18/3/80 on the Kew catchment
 84

4.10 Discussion of results

The catchments studied range in size from 0,2 ha to 143 ha with

percentages of paved area ranging from 20 to 100. Average ground
slopes varied from about 0,5% to 5% and computed concentration
times ranged from 5 minutes to 45 minutes.

Comparisons of computed with observed hydrographs were in most cases

highly satisfactory. Estimations of peak discharge were good, the
average ratio of estimated to observed for all 36 events considered
being 1,04 with a standard deviation of 0,17. The results are
summarized in Table 4.8.

Comparisons were also made with hydrographs derived by SWMM and

kinematic wave simulations and in all cases the results were
favourable. These models did, however, take better account of the
low runoff portions of the hydrographs. The favourable comparisons
are very significant since kinematic wave is recognised as being
the best computational technique for overland flow. SWMM on the
other hand takes detailed account of pipe flow routing.

Table 4.8 Summary of urban catchment verification results

Paved Number
Area
Catchment area of λ s
(ha)
% events

l.South parking lot 0,2 100 6 1,06 0,14

2.Newart Street 0,3 100 2 0,97 0,02
3.Oakdale Avenue 5,2 45 5 1,11 0,15
4.Gray Haven 9,4 52 3 0,91 0,11
5.Pinetown 12 80 5 1,12 0,15
6.Brucewood 20 48 3 1,18 0,28
7.Malvern 23 34 6 0,93 0,16
8.Kew 143 30 6 0,99 0,16
Overall performance 36 1,04 0,17

Λ = mean ratio of computed to observed peak discharge

s = standard deviation of the individual values about A
 85

Grassed area runoff was computed for only three storms, viz.
Oakdale Avenue 2/7/60, Gray Haven 1/8/63 and Kew 18/3/80. The
results in all cases were good and served to demonstrate the
adequacy of treating paved and grassed areas as two separate
zones. The computed hydrograph for Kew (18/3/80) also demonstrated
the over-estimation of runoff resulting from subtraction of losses
from rainfall instead of from runoff.
 86

CHAPTER 5 VERIFICATION ON RURAL CATCHMENTS

5.1 Introduction

Data have been assembled for 24 storms on 6 rural catchments.

The catchments range in sixe from 1,4 ha to 125 ha. Most data
came from two publications of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(Hobbs, 1963 and USDA, 1957). Reference was also had to the
Ph.D. dissertation of Singh (1974) for soil descriptions and for
three storm events. Data for the only local catchment considered
(Zululand WIM17) was obtained from the Agricultural Catchments
Research Unit of the Universities of Natal and Zululand. Data
were selected on the basis of availability of significant runoff
events.

Time-area routing parameters were in all cases estimated.

Overland flow travel-times were determined from eg. 3.2 with
an assumed width ratio, W, of unity. Manning n was assumed
to be 0,15 for grasslands and 0,10 for cultivated areas. Channel
flow travel times were computed assuming uniform flow in a
triangular channel with side slopes of 30% (i.e. z = 2). A channel
roughness coefficient of 0,04 was assumed throughout. In cases
where it was found necessary to compute more than one time-area
diagram - because of large differences in excess rainfall
intensities between storms - only entry times were varied. Flow
times were held constant because of the uncertainty involved in
estimating and because of their lesser significance for the
catchments considered.

The loss parameters could not be accurately estimated,

particularly the initial infiltration parameter, fo , which
p
varies widely with AMC. The parameters f00 , k and ds were kept
constant for the particular catchment and fo was allowed to
vary between storms. No attempt was made to relate fo to the
depth of antecedent rainfall due to the small sample of events
available.
Antecedent rainfalls for the selected events are, however, listed
in Appendix A.3.
 87

5.2 Hastings 2-H

The USDA experimental catchment 2-H is situated near Hastings,

Nebraska (USA). The catchment is 1,38 ha in area and has an
average ground slope of 10%. Fig. 5.1 is a contour plan of the
area. The topsoil is generally a mixture of silt and clay with
silt predominating. Internal drainage is medium, and
permeability of the subsoil is moderate. Land use is native
grass meadow and surface drainage is good. Rainfall is recorded
by a gauge situated about 300 m northwest of the catchment.

Fig. 5.1 USDA 2-H catchment near Hastings, Nebraska (USA)

Five storm events were selected for simulation. Data for two
events (12/6/58 and 3/7/59) were obtained from the USDA pub-
lication (Hobbs 1963). Data for the remaining three events
were interpolated from figures presented by Singh (1974).
 88

The catchment was divided into three subcatchments as shown in

Fig. 5.1. The estimated subcatchment characteristics are
presented in Table 5.1 and the computed time-area diagram in
g 5.2. Values of the loss parameters foo , k and ds were
Fi.
chosen as 13 mm/h, 6h-1 and 6 mm respectively. Selected values
of fo ranged from 105 mm/h to 190 mm/h for the different
storms. The values chosen for each storm are given in Figs.
5.3 to 5.7. A computational time increment of 5 minutes was
used throughout.

Table 5.1 Hastings 2-H subcatchment data

Sub- Area Entry time1 Flow time2

catchment (ha) (minutes) (minutes)
1 0,54 20 2
2 0,48 15 1
3 0,36 10 1

1,38

1 i = 50 mm/h
2 Q = 0,1 m3/s

Fig. 5.2 Hastings 2-H time-area diagram

 89

A major portion of the rainfall was absorbed by the soil and as a

result of this computed hydrographs were highly sensitive to
estimation of the loss parameters. This was particularly so for the
multiple-peak events. After calibrating loss parameters, reasonable
comparisons of computed with observed hydrographs were obtained
(Figs. 5.3 to 5.7). The storm on 26/6/52 was treated as two
separate events to allow for regeneration of depression storage. If
the recession constant k had been varied between events markedly
better results would have been achieved for the storm of 13/7/52 (a
k value of about 2 would have been more appropriate for this
storm).

To demonstrate the relative significance of loss estimation to

routing computations, the computed hydrograph of 15/5/60 is
compared with the kinematic wave simulated hydrograph by Singh
(1974). The hydrographs are shown in Fig. 5.7. The error in the
kinematic wave solution is due to unsatisfactory temporal
distribution of losses.

The overall simulation results for this catchment are quite

reasonable. The average ratio of estimated to observed peak
discharge for the five events is 0,93 with a standard deviation
of 0,19.

Fig. 5.3 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 26/6/52 on the Hastings 2-H catchment
 90

Fig. 5.4 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 13/7/52 on the Hastings 2-H catchment

Fig. 5.5 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 12/6/58 on the Hastings 2-H catchment
 91

Fig. 5.6 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 3/7/59 on the Hastings 2-H catchment

Fig. 5.7 Comparison of computed with observed and kinematic-wave

simulated hydrograph for the storm of 15/5/60 on the
Hastings 2-H catchment
 92

5.3 Stillwater W-l

The Stillwater W-l catchment is situated in Oklahoma, USA. It is

part of a co-operative research project of the Agricultural
Research Service of the USDA and the Oklahoma Agricultural
Experiment Station. The catchment is 6,76 ha in area and typical
ground slopes are 4%. Fig. 5.8 is a contour map of the catchment.
Topsoil is fine-textured with a weak granular structure. The
subsoil, which begins at a depth of between 200 and 350 mm, is a
silty-clay loam with poor internal drainage and very low
permeability.

The catchment was divided into 5 subcatchments as shown in Fig.

5.8. Estimated subcatchment characteristics are shown in Table
5.2. Four storms were available from the USDA publication (Hobbs,
1963). Due to large variations in excess rainfall intensities
between storms two time-area diagrams were computed (Fig. 5.9).
For the storm of 18/4/57 an average intensity of 100 mm/h was
used in eq. 3.2 for determining entry times. For the remaining
storms an average intensity of 50 mm/h was used. The loss
parameters foo , k and ds were selected as 2 mm/h, 2h-1 and 5 mm
respectively. A computational time increment of 5 minutes was
used throughout.

Table 5.2 Stillwater W-l subcatchment data

Entry time
Sub- Area (minutes) Flow timel
catchment (ha) (minutes)
50 mm/h 100mm/h I
1 1,35 23 18 2
2 1,08 28 21 2
3 0,56 16 12 2
4 2,62 18 14 1
5 1,15 24 18 1

6,76
~

1
Q = 1,0 m3/s
 93

Fig. 5.8 Stillwater catchment W-l, Oklahoma (USA)

 94

Fig. 5.9 Stillwater W-l time-area diagrams

Computed and observed hydrographs are compared in Figs. 5.10

to 5.13. Peaks are generally underestimated and the average
ratio of computed to observed peak discharge is 0,85 with a
standard deviation of 0,17. The high observed peaks could,
however, be subject to data errors since the observed peak
runoff intensity for the storm of 18/4/57 (Fig. 5.10) was
greater than the peak rainfall intensity.
 95

Fig. 5.10 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 18/4/57 on the Stillwater W-l catchment
 96

Fig. 5.11 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for the

storm of 27/6/57 on the Stillwater W-l catchment

Fig. 5.12 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 2/10/59(1) on the Stillwater W-l
catchment
 97

Fig. 5.13 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 2/10/59(1) on the Stillwater w-l catchment

5.4 Riesel W-2

The Riesel W-2 catchment is situated in Riesel (Waco), Texas,

USA. It is part of a co-operative research project of USDA and
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The catchment is 52,6 ha
in area and has an average ground slope of 2,5%. Fig. 5.14 is a
contour map of the area. The soils are deep, finetextured,
granular, of low permeability and alkaline. The internal
drainage of the soils is slow. Houston black clay is dominant
and the soils are noted for the formation of large extensive
cracks upon drying. Approximately 65% of the area is under row
crops, 6% native grass pasture, 24% Bermuda grass pasture and
5% gravel roads. The grass pastures are generally located along
the waterways.
 98

Fig. 5.14 Riesel catchment W-2

The catchment was divided into six subcatchments as shown in

Fig. 5.14 and described in Table 5.3. An n value of 0,10 was
assumed for overland flow and the computed time-area diagram
is presented in Fig. 5.15. The loss parameters foo, k and ds
were set equal to 1 mm/h, 2h-1 and 5 mm respectively. Values
for fo varied between 10 mm/h and 65 mm/h for the different
storm events.

Three storms were available from the USDA publication (Hobbs,

1963). Computed and observed hydrographs are compared in Figs.
5.16 to 5.18. There seems to be a synchronization error in the
observed data and computed hydrographs had to be shifted about
10 minutes to correspond with observations. A time increment of
5 minutes was used for all computations.
 99

Table 5.3 Riesel W-2 subcatchment data

Sub- Area Entry timel Flow time2

catchment (ha) (minutes) (minutes)
1 17,1 28 7
2 10,3 26 2
3 7,8 27 2
4 8,0 36 4
5 4,5 20 3
6 4,9 18 1
52,6

1
i = 50 mm/h
2
Q = 2m3/s

Fig. 5.15 Riesel W-2 time-area diagram

 100

The average ratio of computed to observed peak discharge was 1,17

with a standard deviation of 0,04. The overprediction of peak
discharge is due to an underestimation of detention. The Manning n
in eq. 3.2 should perhaps have been chosen higher than is typical
for row crops, i.e. 0,10, since most of the runoff must pass over
the grassed area before reaching the stream. The Manning n for
Bermuda grass, which is predominant, is in the range 0,1 to 0,5.
Too low a value adopted here could easily account for the
increased detention observed.

Fig. 5.16 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 24/4/57 on the Riesel W-2 catchment
 101

Fig. 5.17 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 13/5/57 on the Riesel W-2 catchment

Fig. 5.18 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 23/6/59 on the Riesel W-2 catchment
 102

5.5 Zululand W1M17

The Zululand W1M17 catchment is one of a number of rural catchments

monitored by the University of Zululand over the past few years.
The catchments are situated to the northwest of Mtunzini in the
Natal coastal belt. Catchment data came from a publication of the
University of Zululand (Hope and Mulder, 1979) and rainfall/runoff
values were abstracted from the data bank of the Department of
Agricultural Engineering of the University of Natal.

The catchment is 66,9 ha in area with typical ground slopes of 12%.

Approximately 80% of the surface cover is Ngongoni veld. Most of
the remaining area is afforested. The catchment has a rather
complex distribution of soil types as illustrated in Fig. 5.20.
Rainfall was measured by autographic raingauge located just within
the catchment boundary (Fig. 5.19). Runoff was determined from
stage measurements at a sharp-crested V-notch.

The complex soil distribution could have been modelled by dividing

the catchment into different zones. For simplicity, however, a
uniform distribution of losses was assumed throughout the
catchment. The loss parameters foo , k and ds were set equal to 3
mm/h, 2h-l and 5 mm respectively, while the values of fo ranged from
3 mm/h to 85 mm/h.

To keep routing assumptions consistent with the simplistic loss

assumptions a linear time-area diagram was used. The catchment
response time was estimated as 50 minutes.

Five of the larger recorded storms were selected for simulation.

Rainfall data were available at 15-minute intervals and for con-
venience this interval was retained for the computations. Computed
and observed hydrographs are compared in Figs. 5.21 to 5.25.
Results are pleasing especially considering the gross assumptions
made in the analysis. High discharge portions of the hydrographs
are well simulated and the average ratio of computed to observed
peak discharge is 1,04 with a standard deviation 0,14. The low
discharge portions are not particularly well modelled, largely
because of neglect of the partial area contribution implicit in
 103

Fig. 5.19 Topography cfZululand catchment W1M17

Fig. 5.20 Distribution of soil types for Zululand catchment W1M17

104
 105

Fig. 5.22 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 7/2/77 on the Zululand WIM17 catchment

Fig. 5.23 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 8/2/77 on the Zululand WIM17 catchment
 106

Fig. 5.24 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 9/11/77 on the Zu1u1and W1M17 catchment

Fig. 5.25 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 21/1/78 on the Zu1u1and W1M17 catchment
 107

the assumption of uniform loss parameters. The storm of 8/2/77 had to

be treated as two separate events to allow for recovery of depression
storage.

Synchronization errors are immediately evident in the manner in which

rainfall peaks lag behind observed runoff peaks. An average time shift
of 40 minutes had to be made to allow for this error.

5.6 Stillwater W-4

The stillwater W-4 catchment is monitored as part of the same research

project as the Stillwater W-l catchment (section 5.3) and is located
in the same vicinity. The area of the catchment is 83,4 ha and typical
ground slopes are 5%. Topsoils are fine to medium textured and range
from 50 to 300 mm in depth. Subsoils are silty loams and silty clay
loams with generally low permeabilities. Surface cover is native
grassland which, during the storms analysed, was in poor to fair
condition.

The catchment was divided into 10 subcatchments as shown in Fig. 5.26.

Estimated subcatchment characteristics are given in Table 5.4 and the
computed time-area diagrams are shown in Fig. 5.27. An excess rainfall
intensity of 50 mm/h was used in eq. 3.2 for computing entry times for
the storms of 18/4/57 and 2/10/59(1). Entry times for the remaining
two events were computed assuming an excess rainfall intensity to be
20 mm/h. The loss parameters foo , k and ds were set ewual to 3 mm/h,
2h-l and 5 mm respectively. Values for the parameter fo varied between
3 mm/h and 33 mm/h for the various storm events. A time step of 10
minutes was used for all computations.

Computed and observed hydrographs are compared in Figs. 5.28 to 5.31.

Once again high discharges are well simulated but not low flows. The
average ratio of computed to observed peak discharges is 1,08 with a
standard deviation of 0,09.
 108

Fig. 5.26 Stillwater catchment W-4, Oklahoma (USA)

 109

Table 5.4 Stillwater W-4 subcatchment data

Entry time
Sub- Area (minutes) Flow time
catchment (ha) (minutes)
20 mm/h 50 mm/h

1 14,2 58 40 12
2 7,3 38 26 12
3 7,5 44 30 10
4 4,5 35 24 8
5 10,2 37 25 8
6 9,6 45 31 8
7 4,6 42 29 5
8 11,4 35 24 5
9 6,3 61 42 2
10 7,8 52 36 2
83,4

Fig. 5.27 Stillwater W-4 time-area diagram

 110

Fig. 5.28 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph

for the storm of 18/4/57 on the Stillwater W-4
catchment
 111

Fig. 5.29 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 27/6/57 on the Stillwater W-4 catchment

Fig. 5.30 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 2/10/59(2) on the Stillwater W-4 catchment
 112

Fig. 5.31 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for the

storm of 2/10/59(1) on the Stillwater W-4 catchment
 113

5.7 Riesel Y

The Riesel Y catchment is monitored as part of the same research

project as the Riesel W-2 catchment and is in the same vicinity. The
area of the catchment is 125,1 ha and average ground slopes are
2,4%. Soils are the same as for the W-2 catchment and land use is
predominantly agricultural. About 65% of the area is under crops and
the remainder given over to Bermuda and native grass pasture. The
cultivated land is terraced and contour-tilled. The grasslands are
concentrated along the waterways.

The area was divided into ten subcatchments as shown in Fig. 5.32.
The estimated subcatchment characteristics are listed in Table 5.5.
Manning n was set at 0,10 for overland flow. Because of significant
differences in excess rainfall intensities two time-area diagrams
were computed. An average intensity of 20 mm/h

was used in eq. 3.2 for determining entry times for the event of
23/6/59, while 50 mm/h was assumed for the other events. The loss
parameters foo , k and ds were set equal to 1 mm/h, 2h-1 and 5 mm
respectively. Values of fo varied between 10 mm/h and 80 mm/h for
the various storm events. A 5-minute time step was adopted for
computing the excess rainfall and a 10-minute step for the routing
computations. For the storm of 23/6/59 depression storage was
assumed to have been filled by antecedent rain.

Three events were selected from the USDA publication (Hobbs, 1963).
Computed hydrographs compare reasonably well with observed and are
shown in Figs. 5.34 to 5.36. Low flows are underestimated on the
recessions of the hydrographs. This could, however be attributable
to data errors. For the storm of 24/4/57 recorded runoff is greater
than observed rainfall and it is suspected that the error is in the
unnaturally long recession of the hydrograph. Peaks are nevertheless
well reproduced - the average ratio of computed to observed peaks is
0,96 with a standard deviation of 0,06.
 114

Fig. 5.32 Riesel catchment Y

 115

Table 5.5 Riesel Y subcatchment data

Entry time
Sub- Area (minutes) Flow time
catchment (ha) (minutes)
20 mm/h 50 mm/h

1 13,8 46 32 9
2 12,8 68 47 7
3 10,5 39 27 5
4 17,6 69 48 5
5 16,5 48 33 9
6 10,5 65 45 7
7 8,6 45 31 7
8 6,0 35 24 4
9 11,8 49 34 2
10 17,0 69 48 2

125,1

Fig. 5.33 Riesel Y time-area diagrams

 116

Fig. 5.34 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 24/4/57 on the Riesel Y catchment

Fig. 5.35 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 23/6/59 on the Riesel Y catchment
 117

Fig. 5.36 Comparison of computed with observed hydrograph for

the storm of 4/6/57 on the Riesel Y catchment

5.8 Discussion of results

The catchments studied range in size from 1,4 ha to 125 ha with

average slopes ranging from about 2% to 12%. All four
hydrological soil types were present and land use was basically
either grassland or crops. Catchment concentration times ranged
from 25 minutes to 75 minutes.

The comparisons of computed with observed hydrographs were

generally satisfactory. The average ratio of computed to
observed peak discharge for the 24 events considered was
1,00 with a standard deviation of 0,16. The results for
each catchment are summarized in Table 5.6. The results
must, however, be viewed with caution as they are based on
calibrations of rainfall loss parameters.

Estimated values of the loss parameters k and ds of 2h-1 and 5

mm respectively were found adequate for all catchments except
one. The Hastings 2-H catchment exhibited large
 118

initial losses values of ds and and k had to be increased to 6 mm and

6h-l respectively. Values of the initial infiltration rate, fo , had
to be calibrated for each storm. The values obtained ranged from 3
mm/h to 190 mm/h.

Table 5.6 Summary of rural catchment verification results

Final
Area Soil Predominant No of
Catchment infiltration λ s
(ha) type cover events
rate (mm/h)

Native grass
l. Hastings 2-H 1,4 C 13 5 0,93 0,19
meadow
Native grass
2. Stillwater W-l 6,8 D 2 4 0,85 0,17
pasture
3. Riesel W-2 53 D 1 Row crops 3 1,17 0,04
4. Zululand W1M17 67 A,B,C 3 Ngongoni veld 5 1,04 0,14
Native grass
5. Stillwater W-4 83 D 3 4 1,08 0,09
pasture
6. Riesel Y 125 D 1 Row crops 3 0,96 0,06

Overall performance 24 1,00 0,16

Establishment of the final infiltration rate, foo , from the latter

parts of storms with high AMCs was generally straightforward. Only
the Hasting’s catchment presented difficulties in the form of
interdependence of parameter values. The adopted values of foo are
listed in Table 5.6 alongside the catchment soil types and generally
do not differ appreciably from the values recommended in section 3.2.
The value adopted for Zululand W1M17, however, is unexpectedly low
but could be due to parts of the catchment not contributing to
runoff.
 119

CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSIONS

The general lack of small catchment runoff data makes the use of process
models essential for flood estimation. Models of this type permit land
use changes to be analysed and facilitate assessment of errors due to
uncertainty in parameter estimation. They also form a sound basis for
the transfer of experience from one locality to another.

The time-area method is a simple process model, convenient for desktop

application. It has been shown to be capable of reproducing runoff
hydrographs for both urban and rural catchments up to 1,5 km2.
Application of the.method to larger catchments is mainly limited by
the simplifications of its channel routing procedure. As shown in
section 2.7 the lag-routing procedure employed over-estimates peak
discharge, the error being intensified for wide flood plains and flat
channel slopes. In all cases, however, the error will be on the
conservative side and in many instances will not be as significant as
the uncertainties in other design assumptions. Pitman and Basson
(1979), for example, found lag-routing adequate for flood prediction
for the 4000 km2 Hartebeespoort dam catchment.

Though this study has highlighted difficulties in the estimation of

loss parameters for pervious areas, this should not deter one from
using the technique since this problem is common to all methods.
Improvement of parameter estimates is, however, feasible from short
term rainfall/runoff measurements.

In summary, the method is applicable under the following conditions:

(1) that the catchment can be divided into a manageable number
of zones subject to the same excess rainfall
(2) that partial area contribution to runoff within a zone is
negligible
(3) that channel storage can be accounted for by simple lag-routing
(4) that continuous accounting for soil moisture between events
is not required
(5) that subsurface storm-flow is an insignificant proportion
of total runoff.
 120

REFERENCES
1. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. Hydrology Handbook.
ASCE - Manuals of Engineering practice - No. 28
Jan. 1949, pp. 48-49.

2. BRANDSTETTER, A. Assessment of mathematical models for

storm and combined sewer management. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, EPA-600/2-76-175a,
Aug. 1976.

3. COLYER, P.J. and PETHICK R.W. Storm drainage design methods a

literature review. INT 154, 3rd impression, Hydraulics
Research Station, Wallingford, U.K.,
Dec. 1976.

4. CONSTANTINIDES,C.A. and STEPHENSON, D. Two-dimensional kinematic

overland flow modelling. Presented at the Second
International Conference on Urban Storm Drainage, Univ.
Illinois, U.S.A., June 1981.

5. COUSENS, D.W.H. and BURNEY, J.R. Modelling of small catchment

flood hydrographs. Agricultural Catchment Research Unit,
Report No.2, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1977.

6. ESCRITT, L.B. Public health engineering practice, Vol. II:

Sewerage and sewage disposal. MacDonald and Evans Ltd.,
London, 1977.

7. GRACE, R.A. and EAGLESON, P.S. Construction and use of a physical

model of the runoff process. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Technical Note No. 11, June 1966.

8. HATHAWAY, G.A. Design of drainage facilities. Amer. Soc. Civ.

Engrs. Trans. Vol. 110, 1945, pp. 697-730.

9. HARLEY, B.M., PERKINS, F.E. and EAGLESON, P.S. A modular

distributed model of catchment dynamics. Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Report No. 133, Dec. 1970.

10. HOBBS, H. Hydrologic data fop experimental agricultural

watersheds in the United States 1956-59. Misc. Publ. 945,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Nov. 1963.

11. HOPE, A.S. Estimation of catchment moisture status for the

SCS stormflow model. M.Sc. dissertation, Univ. Natal,
1980.

12. HOPE, A.S. and MULDER, G.J. Hydrological investigation of

small catchments in the Natal coastal belt and the pole
or physiography and land use in the rainfall-runoff
process. University of Zululand, Publication series B,
No.2, 1979.

13. HORTON, R.E. The interpretation and application of runoff plc)f;

experiments with reference to soil erosion problems.
Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. AmeL., 1938 pp. 340-349.
 121

REFERENCES - cont.

14. HORTON, R.E. Approach towards a physical interpretation of

infiltration capacity. Proc. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer.,
5, 1939, pp.399-417.
15. HUBER, W.C., HEANEY, J.P., PELTZ, W.A., NIX, S.J. and
SMOLENYAK, K.J. Interim documentation November 1977 release of
EPA SWMM. National Environmental Research Centre, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1977.
16. IZZARD, C.F. Hydraulics of runoff from developed surfaces.
Proc. Highway Research Board, National Research Council,
U.S.A., Dec. 1946, pp. 129-150.
17. KERBY, W.S. Time of concentration for overland flow.
Civ. Engg., Vol. 29, March 1959.

18. KEIFER, C.J. and CHU, H.H. Synthetic storm pattern for
drainage design. J. Hyd. Div., Amer. Soc. Civ. Engrs.,
Vol. 83, No. HY4, Aug. 1957, paper No. 1332.

19. KIRPICH, Z.P. Time of concentration of small agricultural

watersheds. Civ. Engg., Vol. 10, 1940, p.362.

20. J.F. MACLAREN LTD. Review of Canadian design practice and

comparison of urban hydrological models. Research Report
No. 26, Ministry of the Environment, Ontario, Canada, Oct.
1975.

21. J.F. MACLAREN LTD. Brucewood urban test catchment. Research

Report No. 100, Ministry of the Environment, Ontario,
Canada, 1980.

22. MARSALEK, J. Malvern urban test catchment, Vol. l. Research

Report No. 57, Ministry of the Environment, Ontario,
Canada, 1977.

23. MARSALEK, J. Malvern urban test catchment, Vol. II. Research

Report No. 95, Ministry of the Environment, Ontario,
Canada, 1979.

24. MIDGLEY, D.C. and PITMAN, W.V. A depth-duration-frequency

diagram for point rainfall in Southern Africa. Report
No. 2/78, Hydrological Research Unit, Univ. Witwatersrand,
Aug. 1978.

25. MUSGRAVE, G.W. and HOLTAN, H.N. Infiltration. Section 12,

Handbook of Applied Hydrology, Ed. Ven te Chow, 1964,
pp. 12-22 - 12-25.

26. PATRY, G., RAYMOND, L. and MARCHI, G. Description and

application of an interactive mini-computer version of
the ILLUDAS model. Proc. SWMM Users Group Meeting, May,
1979, pp. 242-274.

27. PITMAN, W.V. and BASSON, M.S. Flood forecasting for

reservoir operation - with specific reference t6
Hartbeespoortdam. Report No. 1/79, Hydrological
Research Unit, Univ. Witwatersrand, July 1979, p. 2.5.
 122

REFERENCES - cont.

28. PITMAN, W.V. and MIDGLEY, D.C. Development of the Lag-

Muskingham method of flood routing. Civ. Engr. S.Afr.,
Vol. 8, No.1, Jan. 1966, pp. 15-28.
29. RAMSER, C.E. Runoff from small agricultural areas. J.Agri.
Res., Vol. 34, No.9, May 1927, pp. 797-823.

30. SCHULZE, R.E. and ARNOLD, H. Estimation of volume and rate of

runoff in small catchments in South African based
on the SCS technique. Agricultural Catchments Research
Unit, Report No.8, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg,
1979.

31. SIMPSON, D.E., STONE, V.C. and HEMENS, J. Water pollution

aspects of stormwater runoff from a commercial land
use catchment in Pinetown~ Natal. Inst. Wat. Poll.
Control (S.Afr.Branch) ,Pretoria, June 1980.
32. SIMPSON, D.E. Personal communication 1981.

33. SINGH, V.P. A non-linear kinematic wave model of surface

runoff. Colorado State University, Ph.D., 1974.
34. SNEDDON, J.A. River hydraulics. Trans. Amer. Soc. Civ.
Engrs., Vol. 43, 1900.

35. SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE. Hydrology. National Engineering

Handbook, Section 4, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1972. (NTIS No. PB244 463).

36. TERSTRIEP, M.L. and STALL, J.B. The Illinois Urban Drainage
Area Simulator ILLUDAS. Illinois State Water Survey,
Urbana, U.S.A., Bulletin 58, 1974.
37. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Monthly precipitation and
runoff for small agricultural watersheds in the United
States. Soil and Water Conservation Research Branch,
691 pp., June 1957.

38. WATKINS, L.H. The design of urban sewer systems. Road Research
Laboratory, Technical Paper No. 55, HMSO, 1962.

39. WATSON, M.D. Application of ILLUDAS to stormwater drainage

design in South Africa. Report 1/81, Hydrological
Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand,
April, 1981.
40. WATSON, M.D. Sizing of urban flood control ponds. Civ.
Engr.S.Afr.,Vol. 23, May 1981, pp. 183-189.

41. WILLIAMS, G.B. Flood discharge and the dimensions of spillways

in India. The Engineer, 29 Sept. 1972, pp.321-322.
42. WOOLHISER,D.A. Simulation of unsteady overland flow. Unsteady
flow in open channels, Vol. II, Ed. Mahmood K. and
Yevjevich V., Water Resources Publications, USA,1975,502pp.
 A.l

APPENDIX A

RAINFALL DATA

A.l Urban catchments

SOUTH PARKING-LOT

Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 1 minute

intervals Storm no. 6

14,3 45,2 62,4 49,7 99,9 59,0 45,2

58,6 44,5 31,1 43,7 30,8 16,5 30,8
44,7 44,7 16,5 16,5 16,5 16,5 45,4
45,4 31,1 59,8 45,4 31,1 45,4 31,1
9,1 9,1 4,8 4,8 4,8 4,8 4,8
Storm no. 7

o 44 57 16 44 44 74
31 43 30 30 14 14 8
8 5 5 5 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 0
2
Storm no. 8 (10/8/61)

13,7 10,7 13,7 39,6 53,3 35,1 42,7

50,3 44,2 44,2 J6,6 41,1 65,5 30,5
16,8 10,7 16,8 4,6 6,1 4,6 1,5
1,5 1,5 1,5 1,5 1,5 1,5 1,5
4,6 33,5 44,2 27,4 22,9 36,6 24,4
6,1
Storm no. 9 (9/9/60)

61,0 76,2 61,0 91,4 76,2 61,0 30,5

45,7 45,7 30,5 30,S 61,0 61,0 45,7
45,7 30,S 7,6 7,6 7,6 7,6 15,2
7,6 7,6 7,6 7,6 3,0 1,5 3,0
3,0 1,5 3,0
Storm no. 13 (6/8/61)

26 38 35 41 85 99 47
55 142 178 166 85 40 81
102 102 76 75 78 67 32
29 9 3
Storm no. 18

27,4 24,4 22,9 22,9 13,7 7,6 18,3

44,2 77,7 73,2 59,4 30,5 4,6
 A.2

NEWARK STREET
Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 1 minute intervals
Storm no. 15

77 107 107 91 107 46 61

15
Storm no. 23

31 31 15 15 31 31 46
61 61 91 91 61 61 61
46 46 61 15 46 77 46
61 77 77 77 137 61 91
107 46 31 15 0 15

OAKDALE AVENUE
Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 2 minute intervals
19/5/59

7,6 7,6 22,8 45,S 68,4 61,0 22,9

30,S 15,2 30,S 7,6 22,9 15,2 7,6
7,6 0,0 0,0 7,6 7,6 0,0 0,0
7,6
2/7/60 '

7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6

7,6 7,6 7,6 0,0 7,6 7,6 0,0
38,1 30,S 15,2 7,6 15,2 30,S 68,6
76,2 76,2 68,6 53,3 45,S 30,S 30,S
22,9 15,2 30,S 22,9 15,2 7,6 15,2
53,3 68,6 7,6 7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0
7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6
0,0
29/4/63

15,2 38,1 22,9 7,6 0,0 0,0 7,6

7,6 0,0 15,2 22,9 22,9 45,7 38,1
15,2 15,2 7,6 7,6 7,6 7,6 7,6
7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6
2/8/63 (1)

15,2 15,2 15,2 22,8 30,5 30,5 30,5

22,8 0,0 7,6
2/8/63 (2)

38,0 53,2 15,2 7,6 22,8 30,5 38,0

45,S 22,8 22,8 15,2 7,6 7,6
 A.3

GRAY HAVEN
Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 1 minute

intervals 14/6/63

15 15 15 31 46 46 61
61 76 61 31 76 61 61
61 91 76 61 76 76 61
31 46 46 31 31 31 31
46 31 61 61 31 31 31
31 46 46 76 91 61 31
31 15 0 0 15 0 0
o 0 0 15 0 0 0
o 15
1/8/63

102 117 112 119 125 135 142

86 127 163 168 86 31 38
56 109 117 102 91 58
14/8/63

27 33 66 81 97 109 48
58 84 66 89 107 114 97
23 10 8 8 28 112 152
109 43 18 5 8 5 5
8 3 8 8 20 25 28
23 8 33 46 38 33 48
56 43 41 36 20 13 8
10 20 18 20 13 15 8
15 13 5 5 ...
PINETOWN

Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 2 minute

intervals 22/5/79 (1)

4,8 2,0 53,0 15,0 7,6 15,0 7,6

7,6 7,4 7,6 7,6 7,6 7,4 1,8
1,8 1,8 1,8 2,6 2,6 2,6 0,4
0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4
0,4 0,4 .....
22/5/79 (2)

7,4 22,6 7,6 3,8 3,8 2,6 2,6

2,6 22,4 22,6 3,8 3,8 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 15,0 3,8 3,8 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
15,0 3,8 3,8 0,6 0,6 0,6 0,6
0,6 0,6 0,6 0,6 0,6 0,6 0,6
0,6 0,6 0,6 45,0 52,6 22,6 15,0
22,4 15,0 30,0 52,6

Data for the storms of 29/09/79, 4/11/79 and 18/02/80

are given in Appendix D of HRU Report 1/81 (Watson
1981).
 A.4

BRUCEWOOD
Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 2,5 minute intervals

14/5/74

3,05 3,05 3,05 3,05 3,05 3,05 3,05

3,05 0,00 0,00 3,05 3,05 3,05 3,05
0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 3,05 3,05 3,05
3,05 0,00 0,00 3,05 3,05 3,05 3,05
3,05 3,05 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00 0,00
0,00 0,00 0,00 3,05 3,05 6,10 6,10
6,10 6,10 15,24 15,24 9,14 9,14

20/11/74

3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 9,1 9,1 9,1

9,1 3,1 3,1 0,0 0,0 9,1 9,1
15,2 15,2 12,2 12,2 6,1 6,1 0,0
0,0 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1
3,1 3,1
11/9/75

3,1 3,1 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 3,1

3,1 0,0 0,0 3,1 3,1 0,0 0,0
9,1 9,1 9,1 9,1 24,4 24,4 27,4
27,4 21,3 21,3 21,3 21,3 6,1 6,1
24,4 24,4 18,3 18,3 3,1 3,1 3,1
3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1
9,1 9,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1 3,1
3,1 6,1 6,1 9,1 9,1 3,1 3,1
3,1 3,1 6,1 6,1

MALVERN

Rainfall intensity (mm/h) at 2 minute intervals

22/9/73

7,6 0,0 7,6 15,2 7,6 7,6 0,0

7,6 7,6 15,2 7,6 7,6 0,0 0,0
0,0 7,6 49,5 49,5 49,5 49,5 0,0
0,0 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0 53,3
7,6 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 0,0 7,6 0,0 0,0 0,0
0,0 7,6 7,6 0,0 7,6 15,2 22,9
22,9 0,0 7,6 0,0 30,5 0,0 7,6
7,6 7,6 7,6 0,0 7,6
 A.5

MALVERN - cant

23/9/73

7,6 7,6 7,6 7,6 0,0 0,0 0,0

0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 7,6 0,0
0,0 0,0 26,7 26,7 0,0 0,0 0,0
0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
7,6 0,0 0,0 7,6 0,0 7,6 0,0
7,6 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 7,6 15,2
15,2 41,9 41,9 15,2 7,6 0,0 7,6

31/5/74

15,2 61,0 38,1 7,6 7,6 15,2 7,6

22,9 7,6 15,2 7,6 45,7 45,7 68,6
22,9 22,9 7,6 0,0 7,6 7,6
21/6/74

7,6 7,6 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0

7,6 30,5 61,0 22,9 0,0 15,2 22,9
15,2 7,6 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0
7,6
4/7/74

38,1 45,7 45,7 15,2 7,6 7,6 7,6

7,6
19/7/74

15,2 15,2 15,2 38,1 22,9 15,2

KEW

Data for all storms are given in Appendix E of HRU

Report 1/81 (Watson, 1981a).
 MAP
V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, Civil
Designer, on the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
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purposes, reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the
software, nor to communicate the software to any third party
other than the Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior
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4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any
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property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the
software shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor
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6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
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8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
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9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s
employees and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage
(including in particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and
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whatsoever in connection with the Civil Designer program or the
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other cause and whether or not this contract is at any time
cancelled by the Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in
connection with the Civil Designer program or the use thereof
whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents
WELCOME
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3

MAP BASICS
Overview 2-2
Definitions 2-3
Geographical Index 2-4
Predefined Fields 2-5
Predefined Tables 2-6
Theme Data 2-7
Theme Tables 2-8

FILE MENU
Import 3-2
Import from CAD 3-2
Import from GIS 3-5
Export 3-9
Export to CAD 3-9
Export to GIS 3-11

EDIT MENU
Edit CAD IDs 4-2
GIS Properties 4-3

UTILITIES MENU
Re-GIndex 5-2
Whole Project 5-2
Single Theme 5-3
Add Legend 5-4
Browse Grid 5-5
Theme View 5-8
Query by Example 5-10
Buffer Theme 5-12
Merge Themes 5-13
Theme Join 5-15
Consistency Check 5-17
Transform Themes 5-19
Clarke 1880 -> WGS84 5-22
Transform Themes 5-22
 Create Theme 5-25
Modify Theme 5-26
Remove Theme 5-28

OPERATIONS MENU
Build Topology 6-2
Shortest Route 6-4

SETTINGS MENU
Display Object References 7-2
Display Graphical Index 7-3
GIS ID Mode 7-4
Display Settings 7-5

MAP TUTORIAL
Create a new MAP project 8-2
Import CAD data to Create a Theme 8-8
Road Centrelines (a Line Theme) 8-13
Road Sections (a Line theme) 8-14
Road Signs (a Point theme) 8-16
Set up theme displays 8-18
Querying and Generating themes 8-25
Merge Themes 8-30
Theme Join 8-32
Exporting Themes 8-35
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil
engineers for civil engineers - to save you time, effort and money.
Now you can work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience
with the program, and the Beyond the Basics section shows you how
to complete advanced tasks.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to create and setup a MAP database
• How to edit and query themes

Welcome 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a
command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose
by opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing
the Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse
button is required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 MAP Reference

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to
Fridays excluding public holidays by email from our Customer
Support Centre at [email protected].
You can also get telephonic support at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software
programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have
about features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program.
The help items can be printed using the Print icon on the toolbar.

Welcome 1-3
1-4 MAP Reference
MAP Basics
This section will explain the basic concepts used by MAP to display
and manipulate spatial data.

MAP Basics 2-1

Overview
Each project is connected to one ODBC data source. This data
source consists of a number of themes and other data.

There are three basic types of themes:

• Point (0D) themes e.g. manholes in a sewer network, or borehole
sites
• Line (1D) themes e.g. a road or sewer network
• Region (2D) themes e.g. residential stands, or flood-plain data
Themes can also either be fundamental (the theme contains all its
own data), or derived (by using an SQL query from another theme).
Fundamental themes are faster to process as derived themes must
be regenerated each time, but derived themes have more flexibility as
to the data to be displayed from its parent theme and require less
storage space in the data source as their data is extracted from the
parent theme as and when required.
MAP generated data in the data source is stored as Microsoft Access
(97 or 2000) .mdb files. User data can be added to the data source in
the form of a link to an external ODBC compliant database, and
associated with the MAP generated data.

2-2 MAP Reference

Definitions

GIS Geographic Information System - a database system

where data items have an associated physical
location.
CAD Computer Aided Drawing.
ODBC Open Data Base Connectivity - a Microsoft initiative
for standardised access to disparate database types.
SQL Structured Query Language - a data manipulation
language used to process ODBC data sources.
Projection A systematic representation of a round body (such
as the earth) on a flat or plane surface. Each type of
projection has specific properties that make it useful
for specific objectives.
Ellipsoid A mathematical function that describes the shape of
the earth.
Datum A region-specific setting of the ellipsoid to be used
for a projection as well as the datum shifts from the
WGS84 ellipsoid.
Theme A view of the data stored in a data source. All data
in a theme must be consistent (of the same type)
and unique (duplicate data entries are not
permitted).
GG_ID A field automatically added to all records in a theme
that contains a unique sequence number within
that theme.

MAP Basics 2-3

Geographical Index
MAP uses a geographical index in order to quickly locate records in a
graphical context. This is the case when, for example, you are using
the GIS Properties function and you have indicated some point on
the current CAD display.
The coordinates of the indicated point are converted to a start and
end mask and only coordinate records that match that start and end
mask are processed. Of those records actually processed, the record
with a reference point closest to the indicated point is selected as the
correct record. The value stored in the ID field of that record is then
used to find the attribute record with a matching GG_ID value. This
then is the attribute record nearest to the indicated point.
Without the use of the graphical index MAP would have to search all
the coordinate records of all the visible themes in order to locate the
correct record.
Due to the importance of the graphical index, and the relative
slowness of accessing data in the project database, MAP stores the
graphical index for records as a binary file in the system defined
TEMP directory. This file can however become outdated from time to
time. If you suspect that this is the case then use the Re-Gindex ►
Single Theme or Re-Gindex ► Whole Project functions to recalculate the
index.
If this fails to rectify problems you are experiencing then you will
need to delete the binary files that store the index data. These files
are named {KbG} followed by the project name followed by the theme
name and some other characters and have the extension .tmp.
Delete either the single index file for the theme you are interested in,
all the index files for the project you are interested in, or all index
files for all projects.
The next time MAP attempts to access the binary index file it will
rewrite the missing file and, in that way, bring it up to date.

2-4 MAP Reference

Predefined Fields
MAP reserves certain field names for its own use. These fields either
contain data that will be calculated during theme classification, is
used when displaying database text in the view, or that defines an
associated file that can be opened when viewing the data for a
record.
The predefined field names and uses are as follows:
Name Type Used for
AREA Double Calculated area of Region theme records.
PERIM Double Calculated perimeter of Region theme records.
LENGTH Double Calculated length of Line theme records.
TX_ANGLE Integer Angle of text entity in 10ths of a degree.
TX_PEN Integer Pen for text entity.
TX_LORG Integer Origin of text entity.
TX_HEIGHT Double Height of text entity in 10ths of a mm.
TX_LINEF Double Linefeed between successive text entities in 10ths of a
mm.
MM_MEDIA Text Optional path and name of an associated file that has a
Windows registration for its file type in order to open
the file or which is a file type that can be handled by
the CAD directly (DRG, DWG, DXF, CEX).
Can also be used to run an executable program with
parameters and, in addition, the parameter value can
be replaced by text in any of the record fields.
MM_MEDIA_n Text Additional fields with the same use as the standard
MM_MEDIA field. This allows for more than one of
such a field per record. The n in the name is replaced
by the number of the field (i.e. MM_MEDIA_1,
MM_MEDIA_2, etc.).

The first three fields will, if present, be updated during classification

of themes or can be updated using the functions on the Select Grid
dialog.
The following five fields will, if present, override any settings made for
text display in the Legend dialog.
The final fields will, if present, enable the relevant button on the
Properties and Query By Example dialogs.

MAP Basics 2-5

Predefined Tables

MAP keeps three predefined tables in the project. These tables are as
follows:
Table Name Used for
GGData Stores the global project definitions.
Themes Stores details of all defined themes.
SQLList Stores extra details for themes that are created as views of
other themes.

Do not remove these tables from the database as you will most
certainly cause MAP to stop working with the project from which
they are removed.

2-6 MAP Reference

Theme Data
In addition to the tables required for the theme, there is a set of data
files that are stored as ASCII data. These data files are stored in a
subdirectory of the current user directory (i.e. Guest) that has the
same name as the project. For example, if you are the user Guest
and you have a project called TownData, then you would have a
directory structure something like the following:

CivDes64

Users

Guest

TownData

In the TownData directory would be stored the theme display

characteristics and redraw order, the list of fields required for
display, any defined range tables and various other data.
All the files are stored as comma-delimited files with the extension
.CSV. These files are not vitally important to the functioning of MAP
so they may be deleted if the space they take up on the hard drive is
required for other uses. They will however be recreated when the
relevant project is next reopened.

MAP Basics 2-7

Theme Tables
Theme data is stored as a pair of attribute and coordinate tables in
the project database. The name of the attribute table is generally the
theme name followed by an underscore followed by the letters Atr
(i.e. Erven_Atr). The name of the coordinate table is generally the
theme name followed by an underscore followed by the letters Crd
(i.e. Erven_Crd).
The attribute tables have at least a single field called GG_ID as the
first field in the table. This field stores a unique number for each
record in the table and is added to tables automatically when the
table is created from within MAP. The rest of the fields are user
defined and can include the predefined fields that MAP uses.
The coordinate tables consist of the fields ID, SEQUENCE,
LONGITUDE, LATITUDE, STARTMASK and ENDMASK. These fields
are used to store the attribute tie value, the coordinates of the text
reference point (SEQUENCE = 0), the theme definition (SEQUENCE =
1...?), and an index value (in STARTMASK and ENDMASK) that
enables quick graphical searching for relevant records.
As can be seen from the field names, all coordinates are stored
internally in longitude and latitude and are projected, using the
current project settings, for display in the CAD view.
The attribute and coordinate tables are linked by the value in the
GG_ID and ID fields. In other words, an attribute record with GG_ID
= 21 will have a set of coordinate table records with ID = 21.
There are a minimum of two coordinate records for each attribute
record. Point themes will only have one SEQUENCE point in addition
to the text reference point, while Line and Region themes can contain
multiple SEQUENCE points (currently up to 2100). Region themes
will automatically close themselves by joining the final SEQUENCE
point (SEQUENCE = ?) back to the first SEQUENCE definition point
(SEQUENCE = 1).

2-8 MAP Reference

The MAP mode allows you to create, edit and manipulate the MAP
themes. The functions are:
File Menu
New Project Create a new project
Open Project Open an existing project
Edit Project Edit the current project
Save Project Save the current project
Save Project As Save the current project to another name
Close Project Close the current project
Import
Import from CAD Import CAD entites as a MAP theme
Import from GIS Import various GIS formats as MAP themes
Import from CSV Import comma separated data into a Point theme
Export
Export to CAD Export a MAP theme to CAD entities
Export to GIS Export MAP themes in various GIS formats
Export to CSV Export a Point Theme as comma-separated data
Publish to Web Publish the current map to MapServer (University of
Minnesota)
Output Manager Set output defaults
Spool Output Spool current print buffer
Option Settings Set various options that control the operation of Civil
Designer
Security
Authorise Authorize the program
Check Network Dongles Toggle network security on/off
Direct Transfer Transfer disk security directly to another system
Floppy Reg Transfer Prepare a diskette for disk security transfer
Floppy Transfer Out Transfer disk security onto diskette from system
Floppy Transfer In Transfer disk security onto system from diskette
Exit Exit Civil Designer

MAP Basics 2-9

Edit Menu
Edit CAD IDs Edit the ID’s assigned to CAD entities
GIS Properties View the attribute table data for selected theme
objects
Locate via Lat/Long Pan to a point entered as latitude and longitude in
decimal degrees rather than as LO coordinates
Change Datum Change the datum assigned to the project and
update all themes. This is a potentially dangerous
option and should only be used as a last resort.

Utilities Menu
Re-Gindex
Whole Project Recalculate the geographical index for all themes in
the project
Single Theme Recalculate the geographical index for a selected
theme
Add Legend Add the theme legend to the current drawing as
CAD entities
Browse Grid Browse attribute table data for a theme in grid format
Theme View Create a view of an existing theme
Query by Example Browse attribute table data based on selection
criteria
Buffer Theme Construct a theme as a buffer around an existing
theme
Merge Themes Combine the data of two identical themes
Theme Join Join a table to an existing theme to extend the
column set
Consistency Check Check theme data for correctness
Transform Themes Apply a Helmert transformation to selected themes
Clarke 1880 -> WGS84
Transform Themes Transform selected themes from Clarke 1880 to
WGS84 utilising KNB files.
Create Theme Create a new empty theme
Modify Theme Change the field structure of the attribute table for a
theme
Remove Theme Remove a theme from the project
Rename Theme Change the name of an existing theme

Operations Menu

2-10 MAP Reference

Build Topology Calculate the topology of a theme for spatial
processing
Shortest Route Calculate the shortest route between two line theme
objects

Settings Menu
Display Object References Toggle the display of theme object reference points
Display Graphical Index Display the index grid used to manage theme
objects
GIS ID Mode Toggle the entry of ID's for new CAD entities
Display Settings Set WYSIWYG options
Set all Themes
Visible Display all themes
Hidden Hide all themes

Plot Menu
Generate Generate a plot
Sheet File Editor Create/edit plot sheets

Mode Menu
Survey Change to Survey mode
Terrain Change to Terrain mode
Road Change to Road mode
Sewer Change to Sewer mode
Stormwater Change to Storm mode
Water Change to Water mode
Design Centre Change to CAD mode

MAP Basics 2-11

2-12 MAP Reference
File Menu
The File Menu contains all the
functions to create, load and save
projects as well as import and export
CAD and GIS data. In addition it also
includes options to set up the
security.

File Menu 3-1

Import
The import functions allow you to convert a drawing or a GIS model
created by another system into MAP.

Import from CAD

Import a CAD layer to a GIS theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISImportFromCAD

This option allows you to create/update a theme with data from CAD
elements. The full range of point, line and region themes is
supported.

Procedure
The import procedure is carried out by means of a wizard. The
second and subsequent pages of the wizard change depending on the
import option chosen on the first page. Consequently only one
possible path through the wizard is shown here.
The Import from CAD dialog is displayed:

Layer selection - Visible Select this option to import data from all visible layers.
layers
Layer selection - Single Select this option (and select the required layer) in order
layer to limit import data to that contained on the selected

3-2 MAP Reference

 layer.
Text layer Check this option if the text references are stored on a
CAD layer different to that being imported from. You
must also select the correct layer.
Existing theme Select this option and select the existing theme to
update that theme with the imported data.
New theme Select this option and enter the name of the theme to be
created to import data into a new theme.
Theme type Select the type of theme to be created if creating a new
theme.
Next Button Click this button to display the next page in the wizard.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to proceed.
If you selected to create a new theme then the Create Table page is
displayed:

Name Column Enter the names of the fields to be created in the new
theme.
Type Column Select the data type of the fields. The options here are
Text, Numeric Integer (a number with no decimal places)
or Numeric Double (a number with decimal places).
Selecting a type will automatically set the Width column
to a default value suitable for the selected type.
Size Column Enter the storage space to be assigned to the field. This
field is only available if the selected Type is Text and
should be set to the maximum length in characters of the
text to be accommodated.

File Menu 3-3

Add Calculated Button Click this button to add the predefined field(s) LENGTH
(for line themes) or AREA and PERIMITER (for region
themes). The contents of these fields are calculated
when data is imported into this theme. This button is not
available for Point themes.
Add Text Button Click this button to add the predefined text control fields.
The contents of these fields are updated when data is
imported into this theme. The fields control the display of
text from themes.
Add Multimedia Button Click this button to add the predefined multimedia field.
The contents of this field control the loading of external
programs.
Back Button Click this button to return to the previous page in the
wizard (Import from CAD).
Next Button Click this button to display the next page in the wizard
(Select Raw or Polyline).
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to proceed.
The Select Raw or Polyline dialog is displayed:

Raw data Normal data or layer to be imported.

Polylines with Ids To be used when Polylines were created in cad mode.
Process visible portion of Only data visible on the screen will be imported.
drawing only

Fill in the relevant data and click the Finish button to proceed.

3-4 MAP Reference

The CAD Text dialog is displayed:

Combo Box Select the field in the attribute table in which to store the
CAD text.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to proceed.

Import from GIS

Import a file from another GIS system

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISImport

This option allows you to import data from other GIS systems into
the current project. The GIS systems currently supported are:
• DOS AllyMAP Boundary
• DOS AllyMAP Link ID (with an associated drawing)
• DOS AllyMAP Segment ID (with an associated drawing)
• DOS AllyMAP Object (with an associated drawing)
• DOS AllyMAP Point
• ReGIS Feature File
• ArcView ShapeFile
• MapInfo Interchange File

Procedure
The import procedure is carried out by means of a wizard. The
second and subsequent pages of the wizard change depending on the
import option chosen on the first page. Consequently only one
possible path through the wizard is shown here.
The GIS Import Type dialog page is displayed:

File Menu 3-5

Combo Box Select the type of GIS data you wish to import. Options
include:
DOS AllyMAP Boundary
DOS AllyMAP Link ID (with an associated drawing)
DOS AllyMAP Segment ID (with an associated
drawing)
DOS AllyMAP Object (with an associated drawing)
DOS AllyMAP Point
ReGIS Feature File
ArcView ShapeFile
MapInfo Interchange File
Next Button Click this button to display the next page in the wizard
(Select Data Source).
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Select the required data type and click the Next button to proceed.
The Import File dialog page is displayed:

3-6 MAP Reference

Click on the Browse button and select the file to import. Click the
Next button to proceed.
The Import Theme page is displayed:

Input - Table The name of the file containing the GIS data to import is
displayed here.
Input - Coordinate format Only available for ArcView Shape import. Select the
format of the Shape file coordinates. The import routine
attempts to determine the format by analysing the
header of the selected Shape file.

File Menu 3-7

Output - Theme name Enter the name to be assigned to the new theme created
as a result of this import. The name is given a suitable
default which you can change if you wish.
Output - Theme type This is normally preset and depends on the file being
imported.
Output - Attribute table Enter the name to be assigned to the attribute (data)
name table of the new theme. The name defaults to that of the
theme with the addition of "_Atr".
Output - Coordinate table Enter the name to be assigned to the coordinate table of
name the new theme. The name defaults to that of the theme
with the addition of "_Crd".
Back Button Click this button to return to the previous page of the
wizard.
Finish Button Click this button to accept the import settings.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Finish button to proceed. If the
name of the new theme is the same as that of an existing theme then
the following message is displayed:

Click the OK button to return to the Import Theme page and change
the name of the theme to be created.

3-8 MAP Reference

Export
The export functions allow you to export an existing theme as Cad
entities or as a GIS model.

Export to CAD
Export a GIS theme to a CAD layer
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
GISExportToCAD

This option allows you to export an existing theme as CAD elements

to a new CAD layer. Note that only the data from the selected theme
that is currently visible on the screen will be exported. In other
words, if you have zoomed in such that some of the theme data is
actually off the screen, then that data will not be exported.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the OK button to proceed, or click the Cancel button to cancel

the function.
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the required theme and then click the OK button to continue.

File Menu 3-9

You will be prompted for the layer name on which to write the
exported data:
Enter CAD layer name for theme
The default name is related to the name of the theme being exported.
Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to proceed.
Data from the selected theme is exported to the selected CAD layer,
and then the standard Windows File Save As dialog is displayed to
give you an opportunity to save the drawing.

3-10 MAP Reference

Export to GIS
Export themes to another GIS system
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
GISExport

This option allows you to export theme data from the current project
into other GIS systems.
The GIS systems currently supported are:
• ReGIS Feature File
• ArcView ShapeFile
You can select multiple themes for a single export. There is however
a difference in how export files are handled.
When exporting a ReGIS Feature File, all themes are written into the
named export file. With ArcView ShapeFile export however, if you
select a single theme to export then the named export file is used. If
you select multiple themes to export then the file names consist of
the original export file name, an underscore, and the name of the
theme.

Procedure
The Export Type dialog is displayed:

ReGIS Feature File Select this option to export a ReGIS data file. You must
also select the display level for the exported data.
ArcView Shape File Select this option to export ArcView shape and data
files. You must also select the number of decimal places
for numeric data.
MapInfo Interchange File Not yet implemented.
Export latitude/longitude Check this option to have theme coordinates exported in
coordinates raw latitude and longitude form rather than projected
form.

File Menu 3-11

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.
The standard Windows Save dialog is shown. Enter the name of the
export file and click the Save button to continue.
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select one or more themes to be exported and click the OK button to

continue (use Shift and Left click to select/deselect a range, or
Control and Left click to select/deselect individual themes).
The export is then carried out.

3-12 MAP Reference

Edit Menu
The Edit menu allows you to edit the Cad IDs
assigned to different entities, to view and edit the
GIS data, to locate a position using geographical
coordinates, and to change the datum of the current
Map project.

Edit Menu 4-1

Edit CAD IDs
Change ID's on CAD entities

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISNewID

This option allows you to edit the ID's that have been assigned to
CAD entities. This option is normally used after exporting a MAP
theme to CAD.
During the export procedure the unique ID of the attribute data for
each theme entity is assigned to the CAD entity as a ID. If you now
re-import the CAD data to MAP (after possibly editing the CAD
entities) using the Previously Exported Polylines option, the CAD ID's
are used to tie the CAD entities back to the themes attribute table.
This option can be used to change the ID assigned to any CAD entity
in order to affect the way the tie back to the attribute table is
processed.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Select entity for key change
Click on a CAD item and the following prompt is displayed:
Enter new key for entity
The current ID of the selected entity is displayed for editing. Make
your changes and click on the tick icon (or press Enter) to change
the ID of the selected entity.
The function will continue prompting for an entity until you press
Escape.

4-2 MAP Reference

GIS Properties
Display the attribute data for any item in the displayed themes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISProperties

This option allows you to view (and optionally edit) the attribute data
for any item in the currently displayed themes.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Select object you want properties from
The cursor changes to an object indication mode. Click on the MAP
object you want the properties from. If objects from more than one
theme are located near the clicked position then the Select Theme
dialog is displayed:

Select the theme you want to process and click the OK button. The
Properties dialog is displayed:

Edit Menu 4-3

Field column Displays the names of the columns in the attribute table.
Value column Displays the value of the row in the attribute table.

The icons at the top of the dialog can be used for editing and/or
manipulating the displayed data.
Edit Field Toggle editing mode on the grid. Edit mode is turned off by
default. MAP View users cannot change the edit mode.
Select Fields Define the field filter. The filter restricts the fields that are
displayed in the grid. The Select Fields dialog is displayed.
Print Click this button to print the current data. The print format
depends on the dialog. Single item dialogs or dialogs in
vertical orientation are printed with one field per line. Multiple
item dialogs or dialogs in horizontal orientation are printed in
columns with one record per line.
Toggle Toggle the data grid layout between a column layout and a
Orientation row layout.
MultiMedia Access the multimedia object defined for this object. Only
available if the table contains the pre-defined MM_MEDIA
fields. The Choose File dialog is displayed.

The function continues prompting for an object and displaying data

until you press [Esc] to cancel the function, or you use some other
function.

4-4 MAP Reference

Locate via Lat/Long
Pan to a geographical coordinate position

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISFindLatLong

This option allows you to position the cursor at a geographical

coordinate. The drawing is panned such that the entered position is
in the centre of the screen.
This would normally be used where you are given a geographical
coordinate (from a GPS for example) and wish to find the location on
the display.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Enter Latitude (E) and Longitude (N) as DD.DDD separated by
a space
Enter the latitude (or easting) and longitude (or northing) values in
decimal degrees with a space separating the two values. Note that
latitudes west and longitudes south must be negative values. Click
the Accept button (or press Enter) and the drawing will be panned to
the required position.

Edit Menu 4-5

Change Datum
Change the project datum.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISFixDatum

This is a potentially dangerous operation and should not be

undertaken lightly. It will affect all coordinate values for all objects
of all themes and could cause erroneous results if used incorrectly.

This option allows you to change the project datum in which themes
have been created. It would be used, for example, where the project
has been set up as a Cape datum but the coordinates of the theme
objects were actually WGS84 datum. This function will correct the
themes by projecting the internal geographical coordinates to LO
coordinates using the original datum and then projecting back to
geographical coordinates using the new datum.

This function is NOT to be used to convert actual Cape datum

coordinates to WGS84 coordinates (use the Clarke 1880 -> WGS84
function for that) or indeed to convert between any two datum. That
requires a far more rigorous calculation in order to get the correct
values. This function simply corrects the error where the project
was set to one datum but the coordinates used were for another
datum.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to continue, or the No button to cancel the

function. The following dialog is displayed:

4-6 MAP Reference

Enter the new central LO and select the required datum. Click the
OK button to continue, or click the Cancel button to cancel the
function.
The following message is displayed:

Click the OK button to remove the message.

You MUST now close and re-open the project for the changed
settings to be stored correctly.

Failure to close and re-open the project at this point could cause
invalid coordinates to be stored in the database.

Once the project has been re-opened the internal coordinate values
will be correct for the selected datum, and the project datum would
have been changed to the new datum.

Edit Menu 4-7

Utilities Menu
The Utilities Menu contains the bulk of
functions that allow you to query, edit and
manipulate the data set.

Operations Menu 5-1

Re-GIndex
The Graphical Index allows MAP to access data more quickly than
searching through the entire database. Sometimes it may be
necessary to re-index the project or theme.

Whole Project
Reconstruct the graphical index for all themes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISGindexProject

This option allows you to recalculate the geographical index for all
themes in the project. Note that this function can take an
appreciable time on a project with many themes and lots of records
in themes.
In order to speed up access to theme records, all the records in a
theme are assigned an index based on the geographical location of
the theme. When, for example, the record for an indicated theme
object must be retrieved, the index of the indicated position is first
calculated. Then only those records with a matching index are
searched to retrieve the required record.
The indexes for themes are stored in temporary files on the hard
drive. These files can become outdated due to various updates and
deletions within themes. Using this function will recreate the indexes
based on the current records in the themes.

Procedure
The graphical indexes for all themes in the project are recalculated.
No dialogs or prompts are displayed, but the re-index progress is
displayed on the progress bar at the bottom of the screen.

5-2 MAP Reference

Single Theme
Reconstruct the graphical index for a selected theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISGindexTheme

This option allows you to recalculate the geographical index for a

selected theme. In order to speed up access to theme records, all the
records in a theme are assigned an index based on the geographical
location of the theme. When, for example, the record for an indicated
theme object must be retrieved, the index of the indicated position is
first calculated. Then only those records with a matching index are
searched to retrieve the required record.
The index for a theme is stored in a temporary file on the hard drive.
This file can become outdated due to various updates and deletions
within a theme. Using this function will recreate the index based on
the current records in the theme.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the theme to be reindexed and click the OK button to

continue. The geographical index for the selected theme will then be
recalculated.

Operations Menu 5-3

Add Legend
Add a legend as a CAD entity to the drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISAddLegend

This option allows you to create the legend for the currently
displayed themes as CAD entities. Note that this CAD legend is static
and will not be updated as the MAP legend changes.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Enter top left point of legend
Click on the desired position in the view and the legend will be
placed such that its top left corner is at the indicated position.

5-4 MAP Reference

Browse Grid
Browse theme attribute table in a grid

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISSelectGridQuery

This option displays all the records for a selected theme and allows
you to manipulate them. These manipulations include, amongst
others, the ability to edit records, to select a subset of the records,
and to create a new theme from selected records.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the required theme and click the OK button to continue.

The Browse Grid dialog is displayed:

Operations Menu 5-5

The theme data is displayed in the dialog. Use the dialog buttons to
manipulate the theme data.
Select in An existing theme object (with optional buffering) or a
Polygon polygon indicated in the view is used to create a polygon and
then the selection status of all the theme records within the
indicated polygon is toggled. If a selection already exists then
the Process New Selection dialog is displayed.
Select in Circle Asks for a centre point and a point on the circumference of a
circle to be indicated in the view and then toggles the
selection status of all the theme records within the indicated
circle. If a selection already exists then the Process New
Selection dialog is displayed.
Select by SQL Prompts for an SQL Where clause and then toggles the
selection status of those records that match the Where filter.
If a selection already exists then the Process New Selection
dialog is displayed.
Select by Asks for displayed theme records to be indicated in the view
Cursor and toggles the selection status of those that are indicated.
Invert Toggles the current selection status of all records. Those
records that were selected will now be deselected, and those
records that were not selected will now be selected.
Show Selected Toggles the record display between all records and only
selected records.
Zoom Zooms the view such that all selected records are displayed
Selected at the maximum possible magnification.
Clear Selected Clears the selection status of all selected records.

Edit Record Toggle editing mode on the grid. Edit mode is turned off by
default. MAP View users cannot change the edit mode.
Select Fields Set the visible fields filter. The filter restricts the fields that
are displayed in the grid.
Print Click this button to print the current data. The print format
depends on the dialog. Single item dialogs or dialogs in
vertical orientation are printed with one field per line. Multiple
item dialogs or dialogs in horizontal orientation are printed in
columns with one record per line.
Summarise Prints the sum, average, standard deviation, minimum and
maximum values for all numeric fields of the selected
records.
Replace Replaces current text in a selected field with entered text, or
CAD text from a selected layer, for all currently selected
records. The Replace Fields dialog is displayed.
Update Allows the entry or update of reference and/or boundary
records for certain records. The records to be updated are
selected sequentially from a starting GG_ID value. The
Coordinate Update dialog is displayed.

5-6 MAP Reference

 Manual Makes it possible to manually enter or edit the origin and
Classification boundaries of any object.
Add Blank Adds blank records to the database
Record
Delete Prompts for confirmation of the action and then deletes all
Selected selected records.
New Theme Creates a new theme that contains the currently selected
records from this theme. The Copy Selected dialog is
displayed.

Operations Menu 5-7

Theme View
Create a view theme based on an SQL Query on an existing theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISQuery

This option allows you to create a view theme from an existing

theme. The view uses an SQL Where clause to specify the records
from the base theme that will be contained in the view theme.
View themes do not physically contain the records from the base
theme, they merely store references to the original records. This
means that updating the base theme data will automatically update
the view themes data.
View themes are reliant on their base themes for data. Do not delete
a base theme before deleting a view theme as the view theme will no
longer work.

Procedure
The Query Theme dialog is displayed:

Existing theme Select an existing theme from which the view theme
should be created.
New theme Enter the name to be given to the view theme.
( Button Click this button to add an opening parenthesis to the
query.
Field Button Click this button to display a menu from which you can
select a particular field to add to the query.
Comparison Button Click this button to display a menu of comparisons to

5-8 MAP Reference

 add to the query.
Value Button Click this button to display a menu of value entries
available in the query. Selecting an item from this menu
will display a further dialog that allows the entry of the
particular value to add to the query.
) Button Click this button to add a closing parenthesis to the
query.
Operator Button Click this button to display a menu from which you can
select a particular operator to add to the query.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If no

errors are encountered then the new theme is constructed and added
to the project.

Operations Menu 5-9

Query by Example
View theme records that match certain criteria

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISQueryByExample

This option allows you to specify certain criteria for text fields in the
attribute table of a selected theme, and then to view all records
which match those criteria.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the required theme and click the OK button to continue. The
Query By Example dialog is displayed:

5-10 MAP Reference

The data from the first record in the attribute table of the selected
theme is displayed. Use the dialog buttons to manipulate the data in
the dialog.
Field Column Displays the field names of the record.
Value Column Displays the values for each field in the record.

Operations Menu 5-11

Buffer Theme
Create a new view of a theme as a geographically expanded view of the selected
theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISBuffer

This option allows you to create a new theme, which is a specified

distance larger than the theme from which it is being constructed.
The new themes are normally Region themes, except when a zero
buffer distance is specified. In this case the new theme is an exact
copy of the selected theme and retains that theme's type.

Procedure
The Theme Buffer dialog is displayed:

Theme to buffer Select the base theme for the buffer operation.
New theme name Enter the name for the buffered theme.
Buffer distance Enter the distance around the base theme at which to
create the buffered theme. Entering a 0 value here will
make the new theme an exact copy of the base theme.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
buffer theme is then created and graphically indexed.

5-12 MAP Reference

Merge Themes
Merge the attribute tables of two themes with identical structures

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISMergeThemes

This option allows you to merge attribute table records from a

secondary theme into those of a primary theme. Both themes must
be identical as to type and the record structure of the attribute tables
must be identical.
All the attribute table records from the secondary theme are added to
those of the primary theme with a new GG_ID value. No checking for
pre-existing records in the primary attribute table is carried out.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the theme that will be the primary theme of the merge and
click the OK button to continue.
The Select Theme dialog is displayed again:

Operations Menu 5-13

Select the theme to be merged into the primary theme (the secondary
theme) and click the OK button to continue. Do not, as in the
example shown here, select the same theme as both primary and
secondary as the merge will not be carried out.
The attribute tables of the selected themes are checked for
consistency, and only if both themes match exactly as to type and
attribute table structure will the merge proceed.

5-14 MAP Reference

Theme Join
Join a table to an existing theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemeJoin
This option allows you to join a stand-alone table in the project to
the attribute table of an existing theme such that the attribute table
appears to be a combination of the original attribute table and the
joined table.
This function is used to join non-geographic data (such as Treasury
records) to existing geographic records (the themes).
It is a limitation of the current version of MAP that the table to be
joined to the theme must exist as part of the project. You must use
Microsoft Access to create the join table in the project.
Joins to external tables are not currently supported. In order to
support external tables you must use Microsoft Access to either
import the external table into the project, or to create a link (SQL
SYNONYM) to an external table.

Procedure
The Table Join dialog is displayed:

Existing theme Select an existing theme for the join.

Existing table Select an existing table for the join.
New theme Enter the name to be given to the new joined theme.

Operations Menu 5-15

( Button Click this button to add an opening parenthesis to the
query.
Theme Field Button Click this button to display a menu of the fields in the
selected theme. Click an item on this menu to add the
selected theme field to the query.
Comparison Button Click this button to display a menu of available
comparisons. Click an item on this menu to add the
selected comparison to the query.
Value Button Click this button to display a menu of available value
types. Click an item on this menu to display a dialog that
allows entry of the selected value type. The entered
value is then added to the query.
Table Field Button Click this button to display a menu of the fields in the
selected table. Click an item on this menu to add the
selected table field to the query.
) Button Click this button to add a closing parenthesis to the
query.
Operator Button Click this button to display a menu of available
operators. Click an item on this menu to add the
selected operator to the query.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

If no errors are encountered then the new theme is constructed and
added to the project.

5-16 MAP Reference

Consistency Check
Check themes for internal consistency

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemeCheck

This option allows you to check themes for internal consistency. The
function is useful in locating errors in classification. The types of
check available are reference point consistency (for Region themes
only), attribute table consistency, and coordinate table consistency.
Reference point consistency checks that the reference point for each
object actually lies within the object polygon. It is not actually an
error if the reference point is outside the polygon, but it can be an
indicator of mis-classified data. For example, if you are importing
from CAD and there is an object, which is not closed, the
classification of the polygon can leak out and cover areas that were
not intended to be classified for this object. In this case the reference
point would most likely not be within the defined polygon and this
check will pick that up. This is a report-only check.
Attribute table consistency checks that there is a defined object (i.e.
coordinate records) for each record in the attribute table. A missing
object record can occur if you have added some attribute table
records but not yet classified them. As this is not necessarily an
error, the check just reports those records found. There is however
an option to delete these records if required.
Coordinate table consistency checks that there is an attribute record
for each defined object (i.e. coordinate record). Missing attribute
records can occur if you delete an attribute record using Microsoft
Access but fail to delete the corresponding coordinate records. It can
also occur during import from CAD. In this case text from the
drawing is placed into the attribute table. If the defined width of the
field selected is not wide enough to accept this text then the attribute
record addition fails. The object record addition has however already
taken place, and it is now orphaned. This is most definitely an error,
so these orphaned records are deleted automatically. If deletions do
take place, then the theme is reindexed.

Operations Menu 5-17

Procedure
The Consistency Check dialog is displayed:

Reference point in object Checks that the reference point for each object lies
polygon within the object boundary. Applicable to region themes
only.
Orphaned attribute Checks for attribute table records that have no
records corresponding coordinate table records.
Delete records Select this option to automatically delete any orphaned
attribute records.
Orphaned coordinate Checks for coordinate table records that have no
records corresponding attribute table records, and automatically
deletes them.
Coordinate record closure Checks that themes are closed correctly (the start and
end point are not the same). Applicable to region themes
only.

Select the required options and click the OK button to continue.

As each check is processed, its results are displayed in the MAP
Output window. Once checking is complete, scroll through the
Output window as a reference while you fix the errors that were
discovered.

5-18 MAP Reference

Transform Themes
Apply a Helmert transformation to theme coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemeTransform

This option allows you to apply a Helmert transformation to the

coordinates of selected themes. You would use this to transform
from, for example, Clarke 1880 coordinates to WGS84 coordinates.
One or more themes can be transformed simultaneously, and a
subsequent transformation has the option of using the same
transformation parameters as the previous transformation.

Procedure
The Select Themes dialog is displayed:

Select one or more themes to be transformed (use Shift and Left click
to select/deselect a range, or Control and Left click to select/deselect
individuals). Click the OK button to continue.
If parameters from a previous transformation have been stored then
the following message will be displayed:

Click on Yes to reuse the previous transformation parameters, or

click on No to enter new transformation points.

Operations Menu 5-19

If this is the first transformation, or if you selected No at the previous
step, then you will be prompted
Indicate point 1 in old system (Escape to cancel)
Indicate a point that represents a coordinate in the untransformed
system. Any of the standard AllyCAD jumps or cursor moves can be
used to select this point. The prompt then changes to
Indicate the corresponding point 1 in new system (Escape to
cancel)
Indicate a point that represents the same coordinate as previously
selected in the transformed system. Once again any of the standard
AllyCAD jumps or cursor moves can be used to select this point.
This sequence will repeat until three common points have been
entered in both the old and new systems. Now when a point in the
old system is required you will be prompted
Indicate point 4 in old system (Escape to end)
At this point you can continue entering common points in which
case the sequence will continue, or you can press Escape to stop
entering common points and continue with the transformation as
sufficient points (three minimum) have been captured.
Once you have elected not to add further common points, or if you
selected to use the previous transformation parameters, then the
following message is displayed:

(Details will differ depending on the number of points added and the
degree of adjustment required to transform the old system to the
new).
Click on Yes to continue with the transformation, or click on No to
cancel the function.
The selected themes will then be transformed and the display
refreshed.

5-20 MAP Reference

A Helmert transformation provides for rotation but not for
stretching. You cannot force a theme to fit a particular shape, only
a particular orientation.

Operations Menu 5-21

Clarke 1880 -> WGS84
You can transform data from the Clarke 1880 datum to the WGS84
datum.

Transform Themes
Apply a Clarke 1880 to WGS84 transformation to theme coordinates using KNB
files supplied by Mark Newling of Tritan Survey

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemeKNBTransform

This option allows you to apply a Clarke 1880 to WGS84

transformation to the coordinates of selected themes. This function is
applicable to users in South Africa only. One or more themes can be
transformed simultaneously.
The KNB files used in the transformation process are supplied for a
particular degree square. Please contact Mark Newling of Tritan
Survey in Cape Town. Their address details are as follows:
Mark Newling
Tritan Survey cc
PO Box 18597
Wynberg
7824
Tel: 021 797-2081
Fax: 021 797-8195
EMail: [email protected]
The supply and use of the KNB files supplied by Mark Newling and
Tritan Survey is a matter between yourself and their company and
Knowledge Base will, other than to the extent of verifying that the
internal calculation used is correct, bear no responsibility for the
outcome of any transformation using these supplied files.

Procedure
The Select Themes dialog is displayed:

5-22 MAP Reference

Select one or more themes to be transformed (use Shift and Left click
to select/deselect a range, or Control and Left click to select/deselect
individuals). Click the OK button to continue.
A Browse Folder dialog is presented.

You must select a directory, which contains the KNB files that you
have obtained. Click the OK button to continue.
The KNB files in the selected directory are then checked to ensure
that the correct files for the transformation are present and not
damaged. If any KNB file is missing or damaged then a list of files
that are needed or must be repaired is presented.

Operations Menu 5-23

If the KNB file test succeeds then the selected themes will be
transformed and the display refreshed.

5-24 MAP Reference

Create Theme
Create a new, empty theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISCreateTheme

This option allows you to create a new theme without immediately

having to have data available to populate it.
After creating the theme you would normally use the Browse Grid
function to add records and define the graphical representation.

Procedure
The Create Theme dialog is displayed:

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Operations Menu 5-25

Modify Theme
Modify the field structure of the attribute table for a theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISModifyTheme

This option allows you add new fields and delete existing fields in the
attribute table for a theme. Deleting fields from a table will result in
all the data contained in those fields being deleted permanently.
There is NO recovery option.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the theme whose attribute table you would like to modify.
Click the OK button to continue. The Modify Theme dialog is
displayed:

5-26 MAP Reference

Fields to delete Select one or more fields to be deleted from the attribute
table. Note that any data contained in deleted fields will
be permanently lost.
Fields to add Enter one or more fields to be added to the attribute
table.
Add Calculated Button Click this button to add the relevant predefined fields to
the list. This will only add those fields which do not
already exist in the table.
Add Text Button Click this button to add the relevant predefined fields to
the list. This will only add those fields which do not
already exist in the table.
Add Multimedia Button Click this button to add the relevant predefined field to
the list. This will only add the field if it does not already
exist in the table.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and then click the OK button to continue.

Operations Menu 5-27

Remove Theme
Remove an existing theme from the project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISRemoveTheme

This option allows you to delete an existing theme from the project.
There is no way to undo the action of this function so be sure that
you select the correct theme to be removed.
Please note that you should not remove themes that are the basis for
other themes. This is the case when you create a buffer theme or a
view theme. If you delete a base theme then the child themes will no
longer work. There is currently no checking of the relationship
between themes, but this will be built in to a later version of MAP.

Procedure
The Remove Theme dialog is displayed:

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
selected theme will, after confirmation, be removed from the project.

5-28 MAP Reference

Rename Theme
Rename an existing theme in the project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISRenameTheme

This option allows you to change the name of an existing theme in

the project.
Please note that this will only change the displayed theme name.
Internally the attribute and coordinate table names remain the same.
You would normally use this function to create a more descriptive or
more correct name for a theme.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to continue, or click the No button to cancel the
function.
The Select Theme dialog is displayed:

Select the relevant theme and click the OK button to continue. The
Rename Theme dialog will be displayed:

Operations Menu 5-29

Enter the required name for the theme and click the OK button to
continue. The selected theme will be renamed.

5-30 MAP Reference

Operations Menu
The Operations Menu allows you to build the
topology data used in determining the shortest
route between two points in a line theme.

Operations Menu 6-1

Build Topology
Build a topology file for a line theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemeTopo

This option allows you to build a topology table from a line theme
that can be used to determine the shortest route between theme
elements. The success of the topology table depends on the elements
of the line theme joining each other at end points only. You may also
specify an error distance to be used when the routine tries to
determine join points between elements in order to overcome small
errors in joins.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed (it will list only line themes):

Select the theme to be processed and click the OK button to

continue. The Node Separation dialog is displayed:

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
theme data is scanned and a topology table is generated. The table
has the same name as the theme with the addition of "_topo".

6-2 MAP Reference

Once topology has been built use the Shortest Route function to
determine shortest routes.

Operations Menu 6-3

Shortest Route
Determine the shortest distance between points in a line theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemeRoute

This option allows you to determine the shortest route between a

selected element in a line theme and any other element in that
theme. The shortest route determination depends on the topology
table that was built using the Build Topology function.
If the topology does not form what is known as a "spanning tree" (i.e.
all elements are interconnected in some way) the route scan will fail.
In this case it is advisable to manually edit your line theme to clean
up intersections.

Procedure
The Select Theme dialog is displayed (it will list only line themes):

Select the theme to process (for which a topology table must already
exist) and click the OK button to continue.
The Select Field dialog is displayed:

Select the field to be used when reporting route results and click the
OK button to continue.

6-4 MAP Reference

MAP will now prompt
Select origin object
Click on or near one of the elements in the selected theme. The
shortest route determination will be between this element and any
other selected element.
MAP will now prompt
Select destination object
The shortest route will be determined (if possible). The route will be
highlighted and the determined route will be displayed in the Map
Output window (if that option has been selected). If the theme has a
LENGTH field, then the reported route will list the distances for each
leg of the route as well as the total distance for the route.
MAP will continue to prompt
Select destination object
You may continue determining routes until you press [Esc] at the
above prompt.

Operations Menu 6-5

Settings Menu
The Settings Menu allows you to change the
display settings and also allows you to toggle
the display of object references and the
graphical index.

Settings Menu 7-1

Display Object References
Display the reference points of theme objects in various styles

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISShowReference

This option allows you to toggle the display of object reference points.
This will enable you check on the positioning of the reference points
as this is the position where any text displayed by the object will be
written. The menu item will be ticked when this option is on, and will
be clear when it is off.

Procedure
If the toggle is being turned on then the reference points for all
visible themes will be displayed on the next redraw. If the toggle is
being turned off then reference points will be removed on the next
redraw.
In order to set the reference point display use the Display Settings
dialog.

7-2 MAP Reference

Display Graphical Index
Display the graphical index used in determining theme object positions

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISShowIndex

This option allows you to toggle the display of the graphical index.
This will enable you to check that the index covers all the themes
currently in the project, and that there is no gross irregularity in the
index due to bad coordinate values. The menu item will be ticked
when this option is on, and will be clear when it is off.
Reference points for theme objects which fall outside the graphical
index will, for all intents and purposes, be invisible to MAP
functions. If this is the case then use the Re-GIndex Single Theme, or
Re-GIndex Whole Project options to reconstruct the graphical index.

Procedure
If the toggle is being turned on then the graphical index will be
displayed on the next redraw. If the toggle is being turned off then
graphical index will be removed on the next redraw.

Settings Menu 7-3

GIS ID Mode
Assign IDs to new CAD entities

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISIDMode

This option allows you to toggle the entry of entity ID's when creating
new CAD entities. This option is normally used after exporting a MAP
theme to CAD. If this mode is on then the menu item is checked,
otherwise it is cleared.
During the export procedure the unique ID of the attribute data for
each theme entity is assigned to the CAD entity as a ID. If you now
re-import the CAD data to MAP (after possibly editing the CAD
entities or adding new CAD entities with IDs) using the Previously
Exported Polylines option, the CAD IDs are used to tie the CAD
entities back to the themes attribute table.

7-4 MAP Reference

Display Settings
Opens the Display Settings dialog

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DisplaySettings

This dialog allows you to specify the items that should be shown in
the graphical display and the manner in which they should be
displayed.

Procedure
The Display Settings dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Settings Menu 7-5

Set All Themes Visible
Turn on the display of all themes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemesVisible

This option turns on the display of all themes.

7-6 MAP Reference

Set All Themes Hidden
Turn off the display of all themes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GISThemesHidden

This option turns off the display of all themes.

Settings Menu 7-7

Notes:

7-8 MAP Reference

MAP Tutorial
The following tutorial will show you how to get started in compiling
and manipulating geospatial data.

MAP Tutorial 8-1

Create a new MAP project
The first step is to create a new project file.
• Select Map Mode on the design toolbar or Mode ►Map on the
menu bar and then select File ►New Project option. The following
dialog will be displayed:

All the available items will remain grayed-out until the check box
next to one of the design modules is selected.
For the purposes of this tutorial we will be using a MAP file so click
on the check box next to MAP.

8-2 MAP Reference

• The [Browse] button for MAP on the right side of the dialog will
now become active and the Select ODBC Project File dialog box
will be displayed.

The combo box allows you to select existing ODBC data source
names (DSN’s). For the purposes of this training session we will
be creating a new DSN.
• Enter Map Tutor as the DSN as shown above (after checking that
such a DSN does not already exist by clicking on the down arrow
of the dialog box). Click on the [Ok] button to close the dialog.
• We will also be needing a drawing for this project (it contains
CAD data that we will be converting to Map themes) so click on
the check box next to Drawing. The standard Window’s File Open
dialog is displayed. Navigate to the folder Examples\Map Tutorial
under the folder in which installed Civil Designer (normally
C:\CivDes64) and select the drawing file Tutormap.drg. Click the
[Open] button to select this drawing.
• Fill in the rest of the dialog as shown below:

MAP Tutorial 8-3

• Click on the [Ok] button and a standard Windows File Save dialog
will be displayed so that the project can be given a name.

Navigate to the Examples\Map Tutorial folder again, type in a

new file name of Map tutor and click the [Save] button.

8-4 MAP Reference

• Select [Yes] if a project file of this name already exists and you
are asked if you wish to overwrite it.
• As we have selected a new Map DSN we must now specify the
physical file name. The standard Windows File Save dialog is
displayed.

Once again navigate to the Examples\Map Tutorial folder and

enter Map Tutor as the name of the Access data file to create. The
Access data file stores all the tables that are associated with each
theme (attribute and coordinate tables) as well as some system
tables required by Map. It is not necessary to store the physical
data file in any particular folder but, for the purpose of keeping
track of the files associated with a project, it does help to store all
files in the same folder.
• The following dialog is displayed:

Your selection here will depend on whether you have Microsoft

Access installed or not. If it is installed then select [Yes] if you
have Access 2000 or later, or select [No] if you have Access 97. If
you do not have Access installed then select [Yes] as the Access
2000 database format offers better compatibility with current
software packages than the older Access 97 format.
• The following dialog is displayed:

MAP Tutorial 8-5

• Select [Yes] if this DSN should be available to any user logging on
to this computer, or select [No] if this DSN should only be
available to the currently logged on user (i.e. You).
• The project settings are saved, any required files that do not exist
are created and the project is opened. Your screen should now
look something like this:

You have just created a new project file for which new data may be
imported or created.
Note that the Legend Window on the left is showing the MAP Legend
key, but nothing is displayed in it, as we have not yet created any
Map themes.

8-6 MAP Reference

Now that we have a drawing loaded into our map project lets look at
some of the view functions.

MAP Tutorial 8-7

Import CAD data to Create a Theme
Once the project file has been created and opened we need to create
some Map themes. The project drawing contains data that we will be
importing into various themes as objects.
• If you are not already in MAP mode, switch into MAP mode by
clicking the MAP icon on the design mode toolbar or select the
Mode ►Map Mode option.
• Now select the File ► Import ►Import from CAD option.
• The Import from CAD wizard dialog is now displayed:

• Select the Single layer option and select CADASTRAL for the first
layer.
• Select the Text layer option and select STAND_NUMBERS for the
text layer as shown above.
• In the theme selection box type in the name of the New theme. In
this case Stands.
• In the Theme type box click on the down arrow and select Region.
• The layer CADASTRAL contains the stand drawing with the stand
numbers on the STAND_NUMBERS layer. We could have switched
off all layers except for CADASTRAL and STAND_NUMBERS and
then selected the Visible layers option. If the CADASTRAL layer
also contained the stand numbers then we would not have had to
indicate a separate layer for the text.

8-8 MAP Reference

The import routine searches the selected layer(s) for text items and
uses the position of these items as seeds when searching for CAD
entities. This means that it is extremely important to have text
annotation for any CAD entity that is to be imported.
The theme we are about to create is going to be called Stands and, as
this is the first theme in our project, it must be a new theme. The
theme type we have selected is Region. There are three theme types
available:
Point Theme objects that can be depicted by a single point
such as road signs, churches, accident black spots, etc
Line Theme objects that can be depicted by a line consisting
of two or more points such as road centerlines, rivers,
water pipes, etc
Region Theme objects that can be depicted by closed polygons
such as stands, rainwater catchments, ward and
municipal boundaries, etc

Once you have made the required entries click the [Next] button. The
New Theme Fields dialog box is displayed.

This dialog box allows us to specify the structure of the theme

attribute table. The theme attribute table is associated with the
graphical theme display such that by selecting a particular graphical

MAP Tutorial 8-9

theme object, we can display its associated attribute table record.
The attribute table contains a record for each theme object.
• Fill in the dialog fields as displayed above. Note that the type in
the first row is set to Text. This is due to the fact that the stand
numbers from the drawing will be stored in this field and they
might not all be actual numeric values (for example, “Remainder
of stand 27” would not be recognized as numeric and would
cause an error). Also note that it is important that enough space
(in terms of characters) be assigned for this field. If there is not
enough space for the text to be written into a record then there
will be an error during the import. The second and third rows are
added by clicking the Add Calculated button, while the final row is
added by clicking the Add Multimedia button. These last three rows
are predefined fields that Map recognizes and deals with
internally in most cases. For example the AREA field will
automatically be filled with the calculated area of the classified
theme objects.
• Once you have made the required entries click the [Next] button.
The Import Type dialog box is displayed.

• This dialog box allows us to specify what is being imported and

how the CAD import should proceed.

8-10 MAP Reference

 Raw data are CAD elements with text items (precisely what we
will be importing). Exporting an existing Map theme as CAD
entities creates polylines with ids. These can then be re-imported
(after editing) with the Polylines with IDs option.
• Click the [Finish] button to start the import routine.
• The new theme and its associated tables are created (if there
were no errors in the previous dialog) and the following dialog is
displayed:

• Here you need to select the field into which the text from the
drawing will be placed.
• Fill in the dialog as shown above and click the [Ok] button to
proceed.
• The data is now imported and the theme is populated with data
from the drawing. Once the import is complete your display
should look as follows (You might need to press S for refreSh
before you can see the results):

MAP Tutorial 8-11

• A default colour is always assigned to new themes.
There are three more themes that we need to import (two Line
themes and a Point theme). The import procedure is basically a
repeat of what you have just carried out.

8-12 MAP Reference

Road Centrelines (a Line Theme)
• Select the File ► Import ►Import from CAD. The following dialog box
is displayed.

• Select the Single layer option and select ROAD_CL for the layer.
In this case there is no separate text layer as the text and lines
are on the same layer.
• Type in a new theme name, in this case Roads and select Line
from the Theme type option box. Click on [Next]. The New Theme
Fields dialog box is displayed.

MAP Tutorial 8-13

• Type in the names, types and sizes of the fields you want to add
to the theme database. The LENGTH field is added by clicking
the [Add Calculated] button. Click on [Next]
• Click [Finish] on the final dialog page. The following dialog box is
displayed.

• The program prompts CAD Text represents which field. Select the
field that you want the text to go to and click on [Ok]. The theme
is created if there are no data problems.

Road Sections (a Line theme)

• Select the File ► Import ►Import from CAD. The following dialog box
is displayed.

8-14 MAP Reference

• Select the Single layer option and select ROAD_SECTION for the
layer. In this case there is no text layer as the text and lines are
on the same layer.
• Type in a new theme name, in this case Road_Sections and select
Line from the Theme type option box. Click on [Next] and the New
Theme Fields dialog box is displayed.

MAP Tutorial 8-15

• Type in the names, types and sizes of the fields you want to add
to the theme database. The LENGTH field is added by clicking
the [Add Calculated] button.
• Click on [Next].
• The following dialog box is displayed.

• The program prompts CAD Text represents which field. Select the
field that you want the text to go to and click on [Ok].
The theme is created if there are no data problems.

Road Signs (a Point theme)

• Select the File ► Import ►Import from CAD. The following dialog box
is displayed.

• Select the Single layer option and select ROAD_SIGNS for the
layer. In this case there is no text layer as the text and lines are
on the same layer.

8-16 MAP Reference

• Type in a new theme name, in this case Signs and select Point
from the Theme type option box. Click on [Next] and the New
Theme Fields dialog box is displayed.

• Type in the names, types and sizes of the fields you want to add
to the theme database. There are no calculated fields available
for Point themes.
• Click [Next] and then click [Finish] on the final dialog page. The
following dialog is displayed:

• The program prompts CAD Text represents which field. Select the
field that you want the text to go to and click on [Ok]. The theme
is created if there are no data problems.

MAP Tutorial 8-17

Set up theme displays
Now that we have imported all the data from the CAD drawing, the
display should look something like this:

The Map Legend key in the Legend Window is displaying the four
themes that we have imported. Each theme entry in the Map Legend
has certain properties that can be changed:
• Clear the checkbox next to the theme name to turn off the
display of that particular theme. Click the checkbox again to turn
the display back on.
• Click the button to the left of the theme name to adjust the
manner in which the theme is displayed (We will be doing this
shortly). If you cannot see the button to the left of the theme
name then use the scroll bar at the bottom of the Map legend to
scroll the display sideways until you can see it. You could also
drag the right edge of the Legend window in order to enlarge the
viewing area.

8-18 MAP Reference

• Click and drag the theme key below the theme name to change
the redraw order of the themes. Redraw proceeds from top to
bottom and you will need to adjust this order if, for example, a
region theme completely covers a line or point theme. If the
region theme is set to redraw before the obscured theme then
you will be able to see the theme again.
• You will need to press [S] (for refreSh) after making changes in
the Map Legend in order to see the changes displayed in the IDE
window. This is in order to save time when working with many or
very large themes.
As stated previously, each newly created theme was given a
default set of display settings. This obviously will not fit in with
the way you wish the various themes to be displayed. Let us now
change the display of the Stands theme.
• Click on the button to the left of the Stands key in the Map
Legend and the following dialog is displayed:

• As we are still doing the Map Basics, we will deal only with the
first page of this dialog, and then only with the table on the left
side of the dialog.

MAP Tutorial 8-19

The table columns are as follows:
Fill if the check box is checked then the theme objects are
filled with the selected colour. Click the colour patch to
select the colour to be used for the fill
Line if the check box is checked then the theme objects are
outlined with the selected colour. Click the colour patch
to select the colour to be used for the line
Ltype this is the number of the CAD line type to be used for
drawing the outline
Width this is the width (in millimeters on paper) of the line used
to outline theme objects
SH stands for Screen Hatch. If this is checked and a hatch is
selected then the theme objects will be hatched when
displayed on the screen
PH stands for Plot Hatch. If this is checked and a hatch is
selected then the theme objects will be hatched when
plotted/printed
Hatch Click the cell in this column to select a hatch to be used
to fill theme objects in addition to, or instead of, the
colour fill
Text This column is only used when a Range Table is
specified

Let us now adjust the display of this theme.

• Click the Colour Patch in the Fill column and select a nice green
colour from the colour dialog (fourth column from the left in the
fourth row of the Basic colors section).

8-20 MAP Reference

• Click the colour patch in the Line column and select a nice
brown colour (first column from the left in the fourth row of the
Basic colors section). Make sure Ltype is set to 1 and Width to 0
then click the [Ok] button.
• Click on the button to the left of the Roads key in the Map
Legend and the following dialog is displayed:

MAP Tutorial 8-21

 The table for Line themes has fewer columns than that for Region
themes (it is impossible to fill or hatch a line) but those that are
there have the same meaning as they did for Region themes.
• Click the Colour Patch in the Line column and select black as
the display colour (first column sixth row in the Basic colors
section). Make sure Ltype is set to 1, type in 10 as the value for
Width then click the [Ok] button.
We do not need to display the Road_Sections theme as it will be
used in the Advanced session only, and it is currently being
displayed on top of the Roads theme thereby obscuring it, so
click the check box to the left of the Road_Sections key to turn off
its display.
• Click on the button to the left of the Signs key in the Map Legend
and the following dialog is displayed:

The columns in the table for Point themes arze as follows:

Colour If the check box is checked then the theme objects are
displayed in the selected colour. Click the colour patch to
select the colour to be used for the display. If this check
box is cleared then the theme objects are not displayed
at all
Symbol This is the symbol to be displayed for the theme objects.
The symbol can be taken from any TrueType font you
have installed on your computer
Size This is the point size of the symbol

8-22 MAP Reference

Text This column is only used when a Range Table is
specified (see the Advanced section)

• Click the colour patch in the Colour column and select red for
the symbol (first column second row in the Basic colors section).
Click on the symbol in the Symbol column and the Symbol Picker
dialog is displayed:

• Make sure that Wingdings is selected as the displayed font

(combo box in the top left corner) then select the large diamond
(third row column 22) by clicking on it. This dialog closes and
you can now enter 100 in the Size column. Click the [Ok] button
to close the dialog.
• Now that all the necessary changes have been made we need to
finally update our display. Press [Z] then [A] (for Zoom All) to
update the display, which should now look something like this
(all CAD layers have been set visible and the current layer has
been set layer 0):

MAP Tutorial 8-23

You can now use the standard CAD functions (Zoom Window, Pan,
etc.) to move around the display to check how the themes are being
displayed. To avoid having actual CAD entities obscuring the theme
display, make sure the current layer is set to layer 0 and turn off all
other layers.

8-24 MAP Reference

Querying and Generating themes
One of the most powerful features of MAP is the ability to query
themes on certain criteria and to generate new themes based on
existing themes after applying a specific query.
We will start by looking at the Query by Example function.
• Select the Utilities ►Query by Example option. The following dialog is
displayed:

• Select the Stands theme as shown above and then click the [Ok]
button to continue. The following dialog is displayed (you might
need to resize the dialog in order to see all the buttons):

The various buttons at the top of the dialog are used as follows:
Synchronize record. This allows you pan the display to the object whose
record is currently displayed.
Query by example. This executes the query that has been set up.

MAP Tutorial 8-25

 Revert. Clears the current query and resets to display all records.

Clear entries. Clears all data displayed in the grid prior to setting up a
query
Structured Query Language selection tool. This allows you to select theme
objects that satisfy an SQL query.
Highlight query. Highlights all the theme objects that have been selected in
terms of the current query.
First record. Jump to the first record in the current query.

Previous record. Jump to the previous record (if any) in the current query.

Next record. Jump to the next record (if any) in the current query.

Last record. Jump to the final record in the current query.

Toggles Edit mode in the grid. By default editing of data is not allowed.
Map View users cannot change the edit mode.
Filters the display of fields. You can select any combination of fields to be
displayed.
Prints the currently displayed data for selected records to the screen, a
printer or a file. The print format is the same as that of the grid.
Access the multimedia object associated with the displayed record. Only
available if the table contains the pre-defined MM_MEDIA fields. The
Choose File dialog is displayed.
Creates a new theme that contains the currently selected records from this
theme. The Copy Selected dialog is displayed.

Query by Example (or QBE) works well with text fields. With numeric
fields you will have a problem with data that is not integer. In either
case QBE executes a LIKE query against the theme attribute table
which then returns all records that contain a specific value.
For example, let us find all the records where the stand number
contains the value “99”. There is no query active at the moment so
click the Clear Entries button to clear all data from the grid.
In the Stand_Number field type the value 99 and press [Enter]
(pressing Enter IS required in order to update the grid correctly
before applying the query). Now click the [Query by Example] button
and the dialog should look as follows:

8-26 MAP Reference

As you can see at the bottom of the dialog, 3 records that meet our
criteria have been found. You can now page through the records
using the First, Previous, Next and Last buttons, or use the
Synchronize and Highlight buttons to visually locate the selected
records. Close the QBE dialog when you are done
Another way to query an existing theme is to generate a theme view.
This has the advantage that results are kept up to date and
displayed with all the capabilities of regular themes.
• Select the Utilities ►Theme View option and the following dialog is
displayed:

• Fill in the dialog as shown above (remember the section in the

previous session on how to use Query Builder?) and click the [Ok]
button to continue.
• The new theme is then created (provided of course that there are
no errors in the SQL statement).

MAP Tutorial 8-27

• Press [S] to refresh and your display should look something like
this:

The stands shown in a light blue colour (your specific colour may be
different) are all those stands which satisfied the SQL query.
This theme may now be modified by changing display settings, etc.
The only process you cannot carry out with this theme is to edit its
data. This is because this theme exists as a virtual theme and draws
its data directly from the base or parent theme (which in the case of
our example above is the Stands theme). In order to change the data
displayed by this theme you must edit the base theme. The
advantage of this virtual theme is that changes in the base theme are
immediately reflected in this theme. Therefore, if we were to add new
records to the Stand theme whose areas fitted our criteria, they
would immediately show up as part of this theme.
Now that we have created this view, how do we get rid of it again (i.e.
it is no longer of any use to us)?
• Select the Utilities ►Remove Theme option and the following
message is displayed:

8-28 MAP Reference

 This is a warning that what you are about to do could affect
other users who are also accessing the same database.
Obviously, removing a theme that someone else is busy viewing
is the height of bad manners.
• Click the [Yes] button to continue and the following dialog is
displayed:

• Select the theme to be deleted and click the [Ok] button to

continue. The following message is displayed:

• This is your last chance to retain the selected theme. Click the
[Yes] button if you are absolutely sure that you want to remove
the selected theme. The theme will be removed and the Map
Legend updated. Press [S] to refresh the screen and you will no
longer see the theme.

MAP Tutorial 8-29

Merge Themes
This function allows additional data to be added to an existing
theme.

The table field structure of the merging theme must be identical to

the original theme.

• Create a new theme by importing the new data from the drawing,
File ► Import From CAD.
• Create the theme fields exactly like the original theme.
• Select Utilities ►Merge Themes and the following dialog box is
displayed.

• Select the Primary theme for merge and click on the [Ok] button.
The following dialog box is displayed

• Select the secondary theme and click on the [Ok] button.

8-30 MAP Reference

The additional theme information is now merged with the original
theme.

MAP Tutorial 8-31

Theme Join
This function allows the joining of data from a non-spatial database
to an existing theme database, for example, the Treasury database
and the spatial erf database.
First we have to create a link between the two databases. For this we
have to go to Access.
Execute MS Access.
Open the spatial theme database
Select Insert ►Table from the main menu. The following dialog box is
displayed.

Select the Link Table option and click on the [Ok] button. The
following file selection dialog is displayed.

8-32 MAP Reference

• Select the database file to link to. Click on the [Link] button. The
following link table dialog box is displayed.

• Select the table you want to link from the list if there is more
than one. Click on the [Ok] button. Close MS Access.
• In Map select Utilities ►Theme Join. The following table join dialog
box is displayed.

MAP Tutorial 8-33

• Select the Existing theme and the Existing table to join. (The
table that we just created).
• Type in a new theme name for the join.
• In the Query Builder select the Theme Field as erf numbers and
use the equal Comparison to erf numbers in the Table Field i.e.
[Stand Boundaries_Atr].[Erf_number] = [Table1].[Erf_number]
• Click on [Ok].

8-34 MAP Reference

Exporting Themes
No GIS worth its salt can live in isolation. The MAP module can
currently import and export data in ReGIS Feature and ArcView
Shape formats.
The final section of this session deals with the export of data into
ArcView Shape format.
• Select the File ►Export ►Export to GIS option. The following dialog
is displayed:

• Make the settings as shown above and then click the [Ok] button
to continue.
• The standard Windows Save As dialog is displayed. Navigate to a
suitable directory for storing the exported files and enter the base
name for the export.
• Click the [Save] button to continue.
A quick note about the terminology “base name” in the previous
paragraph. If you select just one theme for export then the base
name will be used for the exported files (which consist of a shp,
shx and dbf file). If you select more than one theme for export
then the exported files will be named with the base name
followed by an underscore followed by the theme name. For
example, if the base name is “Tutor” and you export themes
Stands and Roads then the file names used will be
“Tutor_Stands” and “Tutor_Roads”.
Back to the export.
• The following dialog is displayed:

MAP Tutorial 8-35

Select all the themes as shown above (click on each one in turn) and
then click the [Ok] button to continue.
The following prompt is displayed:
Exporting selected themes to ArcInfo
The themes are exported.

8-36 MAP Reference

ROADS V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, Civil
Designer, on the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
3. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any subsidiary,
agent or third party, sell, lease, license, sub-license or otherwise deal
with the software.
5. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the software
shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor and it’s
principals.
6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk, or security module the license must be re-purchased in
full.
8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
application of the software or it’s fitness for any particular purpose.
The verification of all results and output is entirely the responsibility
of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s
employees and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage
(including in particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and
penalties) suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause
whatsoever in connection with the Civil Designer program or the use
thereof whether such loss or damage results from breach of contract
(including a fundamental breach), negligence or any other cause and
whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee
arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil
Designer program or the use thereof whether or not this contract is
at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents

WELCOME
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3
Online documentation 1-4

BASIC THEORY
Conventions 2-2

TUTORIAL - ROADS DESIGN

Select the working road 3-2
Input the horizontal alignment 3-4
Changing the alignment 3-5
Review and coordinate 3-5
Extract cross-sections 3-8
Vertical alignment 3-9
Define a road template 3-12
Compulsory additions 3-13
Cut and fill conditions 3-14
Specify a Pavement design 3-15
Preview 3-16
Template Number 3-18
Calculate the road levels 3-19
Calculate the road levels 3-19
Calculate the cross section areas 3-21
Calculate the volumes 3-22
Calculating Layerwork volumes 3-22
Create a cross-section drawing 3-24
Create a long section drawing 3-26
Create a site plan 3-29

FILE MENU
New Project 4-2
Drawing File 4-3
Terrain File 4-3
Sewer File 4-4
Storm File 4-4
Locale 4-4
 Open Project 4-7
Edit Project 4-8
Save Project 4-9
Save Project As 4-9
Close Project 4-9
Select Road File 4-10
Import 4-12
ASCII Cross Sections 4-12
Cards Cross Sections 4-15
Long Section 4-18
R?? File 4-20
Ceaser Design 4-22
Export 4-23
Cross Sections 4-23
Cards Cross Sections 4-24
Long Section 4-25
Ceaser Survey 4-26
Export MX Roads (Moss) 4-27
Output Manager 4-28
Spool Output 4-30
Option Settings 4-31
General 4-32
Survey 4-35
Terrain 4-36
Roads 4-40
Plot 4-43
Output Window 4-44
Security 4-45
Authorize 4-45
Check Network Dongles 4-46
Exit 4-46

SECTIONS MENU
Graphical Edit 5-2
Insert Point 5-5
Edit Point 5-6
Delete Point 5-7
Move Point 5-8
Polygon Area 5-9
Line Intersection 5-10
Goto Chainage 5-11
Layer Details 5-12
List Sections 5-13
Enter/Edit Sections 5-14
Interpolate 5-16
 Remove Points 5-19
Remove Points 5-19
Transfer Points 5-22
Absolute Change 5-25
Expand/Shrink 5-28
Layerwork Box 5-33
Layer Deduction 5-37
Solidify Layerworks 5-40

ALIGNMENT MENU
Horizontal 6-2
Edit Alignment 6-3
Graphical Insert 6-7
Graphical Delete 6-8
Graphical Edit 6-9
Graphical Move 6-10
Fit Curve 6-11
Review Alignment 6-13
Coordinate 6-14
Join Data 6-16
Tangent Data 6-16
Placing Data 6-16
Offset Coords 6-17
Coord to Survey 6-18
Coord from Survey 6-19
Point Chainage 6-21
Track Generation 6-22
Vertical Alignment 6-23
Edit Alignment 6-24
Select Carriageway 6-28
Graphical Insert 6-29
Graphical Delete 6-30
Graphical Edit 6-31
Graphical Move 6-32
Ground Lines 6-33
Review Alignment 6-36
Abridged Review 6-37
Generate Levels 6-37
K Value 6-39
Fit Curve 6-40
Edge Levels 6-41
Edit Super 6-41
Graphical Insert 6-43
Graphical Delete 6-44
Graphical Edit 6-45
 Graphical Move 6-47
Edge Level Lines 6-48
Slave Super 6-49
Review Control 6-52
Generate Levels 6-53
Rehabilitation 6-55
Horizontal Alignment 6-58
Vertical Alignment 6-59
Road Expert 6-60
Design Criteria 6-61
Super Elevation 6-67
Super elevation design process 6-67
TRH 17 Lane Factors for Super-elevation run-off 6-68
Super elevation development method 6-69
Super elevation rates graph 6-70
Single Curve Super-elevation 6-71
Reverse Curves 6-72
Broken-back Curves 6-73
Compound Curves 6-74
Check Sight Distance 6-75
Sight Analysis 6-78

AREA/VOLUME MENU
Input 7-1
Output 7-2
Apply Template 7-4
Set Batters 7-6
Dump Area 7-8
Dam Areas 7-10
Connect Extremities 7-12
Add Template 7-13
Automatic Optimize 7-15
Manual Optimize 7-18
Road Reserves 7-20
Recalculate 7-21
Recalculate Areas 7-22
Road Footprint Area 7-23
Use Index 7-24
Masshaul Volume 7-25
Cumulative Volumes 7-27
Layerwork Volumes 7-29
PIPE MENU
Pipe Database 8-2
Import ASCII 8-4
Import Pipes from drawing entities 8-7
Edit Alignment 8-8
Graphical Insert 8-9
Graphical Delete 8-10
Graphical Edit 8-11
Graphical Move 8-13
Ground Lines 8-14
Review Alignment 8-15
Auto Manholes 8-16
Auto Lengths 8-18
Parallel Pipes 8-20
Manhole Data 8-22
Invert Levels 8-24
Trench Volumes 8-25

TOOLS MENU
Index 9-2
Chainage Record 9-2
Layer Record 9-4
List Chainage Records 9-6
Edit Chainage Record 9-7
Set Chainage Fields 9-8
Batch On/Off Switch 9-10
List Layer Records 9-11
Edit Layer Records 9-12
Set Layer Fields 9-14
Transfer Layer Fields 9-16
Batter Slope Extraction 9-18
Batter Slope Adjustment 9-19
Delete Chainage 9-21
Batch Chainage Deletion 9-22
Insert Chainage 9-23
Batch Chainage Insertion 9-24
Graphical Insertion 9-25
Construction 9-27
Profile/Batters 9-28
Offset Poles 9-30
Relative Poles 9-32
Cross Check 9-35
Full Level Table 9-36
Comparative Levels 9-38
Intersection 9-41
 New Intersection 9-42
Load Intersection 9-48
Save Intersection 9-48
Edit Layout 9-49
Edit Curves 9-50
Review Layout 9-51
Calculate 9-52
Coordinate 9-53
Template Editor 9-55
Single Carriageway Templates 9-55
Dual Carriageway Templates 9-57
Compulsory Additions, Batters and Layerworks 9-59
TRH 4 Pavement Layer Designer 9-62
Pavement Designer 9-63
View Page 9-65
Template Paths 9-66
Chainage Equation 9-68
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil engineers
for civil engineers, to save you time, effort and money. Now you can
work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience with
the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start an analysis
• How to view and output the results of the calculations
For more detail simply refer to the on-line help file: it contains over 700
pages of detailed information on each function.

Welcome 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard or a button on
the screen.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
or
“Click on the [OK] button.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose by
opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse button is
required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 Roads Reference

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays
excluding public holidays from our Customer Support Centre at
[email protected].
You can also call our Customer Support Centre at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have about
features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program. The
help items can be printed using the Print icon on the toolbar.

Welcome 1-3
Online documentation
The manual is supplied on the installation CD-ROM in Adobe Acrobat
PDF format. You have the option to install the Acrobat Reader when
installing Civil Designer. This allows you to browse through the manual,
to search for specific subjects, and to print out all or any selection of
pages.

1-4 Roads Reference

Basic Theory
This section defines the fundamental concepts and terminology of the
Civil Designer design modules.
Civil Designer deals with two different types of information:
• Terrain data, which consists of randomly ordered, irregularly spaced
points that are directly defined in feature space by x, y and z
ordinates.
• Section data, which consists of ordered but irregularly spaced points
that are indirectly defined in feature space by offset and elevation.
Any one set of terrain data is contained in a single data file. Any one set
of section data is termed a Road or a Pipeline and has two components to
it: a file that holds the sections (offset/elevation pairs) and an associated
design file that dictates the location of those sections, how they are
formed and other pertinent information.
There is interaction and regular data exchange between a terrain file and
the section files. Several section files can be associated with any one set
of terrain data and that complete group of files is termed a "job". A job is
managed by project file with a ".cdp" extension.
A typical job would have section files with ".nn.sec" extensions, design
files with ".nn.des" extensions, a terrain file with a ".dtm" extension, and a
file with ".cdp" extension that manages them. Note that the "nn" entry is a
numerical figure from one upwards and is the road number in the job.
Various types of information may be used as input to design, build and
maintain a Civil Designer job. Other types of information may be
extracted by the program as end products or to be used as input to other
software packages. Most of the types of data described so far are specific
to a particular job. However, there are also data files that are universal in
nature and will have application in many different jobs. These may be
thought of as Resource files. Typical examples are the sheet templates
that control the form of your plotted output, and road templates that
govern the way a road is formed.

Basic Theory 2-1

Conventions
Civil Designer uses the following conventions in handling survey and
cross section data.

Coordinate System
The program is configured to deal with horizontal, vertical and height
ordinates.
Axes are based on a user-selected projection with horizontal ordinates
increasing Westwards and vertical ordinates increasing to the South in
Southern Hemisphere projections, and in the opposite directions for
Northern Hemisphere projections. Horizontal ordinates (East-West axis)
are always entered and listed before vertical ordinates (North-South axis)
irrespective of the hemisphere.
A point may or may not have a height ordinate. If it does not, it is
assigned a value of 0 and will be ignored in all terrain manipulation
routines. All height ordinates are based on local Mean Sea Level (MSL).
Coordinates are stored internally as Latitude and Longitude based on a
user-selected datum and prime meridian. Conversions to and from LO
coordinates are carried out transparently. The maximum number of
points possible in any one job is limited only by disk and memory
capacity but has a theoretical upper limit in the region of 2 thousand
million points.

Angular Measure
All angles are in degrees, minutes and seconds. In the case of vertical
angles from theodolite readings, the assumed convention is 0 degrees
vertically upward, 90 degrees horizontally on Circle Left, and 180 degrees
vertically downward.
All programs that require entry of both Left Circle and Right Circle
observations assume that face left will precede face right. Face right is
always entered as 0 if it has not been observed.
Data entry uses the "d.mmss" convention. In other words, a reading of 125
degrees, 42 minutes and 6 seconds would be written 125.4206.

Path Names
Space has been allocated for the total allowable 260 characters in
Windows 98/XP/2000.

2-2 Roads Reference

Point Names
Point identification and program operation are name based for the
greatest operator convenience. A name may be up to sixteen characters
in any alphanumeric form. Certain lower case characters are generated
by the program and should be avoided.
They are:
• z - Bank shoulder and toe points
• x - Road sections converted to YXZ
These are added as a suffix to the names so that they can be readily
identified subsequently.
There are also characters that are recognised for Name Filter purposes.
These characters are - !, @, #, $, %, ^, & and *. They, and any characters
following them in the name, are not displayed when point names are
displayed.

Sections
Sections are stored as offset and elevation, increasing negative values to
the left of the centre line and increasing positive values to the right. The
cross-section offsets do not have to embrace the station itself so all the
points can lie either to the left or right of the centre line.
The maximum number of chainages that can be collected is 65535. At
each chainage up to 128 layers can be stored. The final layer is actually
reserved for vertical curve data. Each of the layers may contain between
1 and 200 points, with an overall limit of 32767 points in all layers at any
one chainage.
The chainage coordinates are also stored as latitude and longitude.

Basic Theory 2-3

Notes:

2-4 Roads Reference

Tutorial - Roads Design
This example will teach you how to complete the following road design
tasks:
• Select a road with which to work
• Input the horizontal alignment of a road
• Extract cross-sections from the terrain model
• Input the vertical alignment
• Define a road template
• Calculate the road levels
• Calculate the cross-section areas
• Calculate the volumes
• Create cross-sections
• Create long sections
• Create a site plan
Note that it is assumed that you have worked through the tutorial in the
Design Centre manual, as this tutorial uses the ground model that was
created in that exercise. Select the File ► Open Project… option from the
menu and open the Tutor project that you worked on previously.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-1

Select the working road
Before we start with a road design we should select the particular road
with which we wish to work.
Civil Designer allows up to 250 roads to be associated with any terrain
file. If you do not select a particular road before using the Road functions,
Civil Designer will default to using Road 1 if no other roads have been
selected previously or will default to the last used road (be that road 1 or
otherwise).
Switch to the Road Mode by selecting Mode ► Road from the menu or by
clicking on the Road icon in the Design Mode toolbar. Select the File ►
Select Road File option from the menu. The following dialog will be
displayed:

We will be working with road 1 in this tutorial. The default description

(Road1) is, however, not suitable so let’s change it. With the highlight on
the first road click on the [Edit] button and the following dialog will be
displayed:

3-2 Roads Reference

Change the default road name as shown above, and also rename the first
two layers in the road as above. During this tutorial we will be storing
ground cross-section data to layer 1 (now named Ground) and road cross-
section data to layer 2 (now named Final Road).

It is handy to retain the road number as part of the road name as this
number is stored as part of the file name, and this makes it easier to
associate on-disk files with particular roads.

Click the [OK] button to return to the previous dialog and click on [OK]
again to select road 1 as the working road. The name of the working road
will be displayed in the Design Center title bar.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-3

Input the horizontal alignment
The very first step is to define the horizontal alignment by entering the
data manually into a spreadsheet, by ASCII data import, or graphically.
In this exercise we will input the alignment data using the Spreadsheet
window.
Select the Alignment ► Horizontal ► Edit alignment option from the menu.
The Spreadsheet window will be displayed so that we can input or edit
the horizontal alignment data. Input the following values:

Now minimize the Spreadsheet window and press S (for refreSh) to

refresh the Design Center window. You will see that your horizontal
alignment is plotted on the ground model.

3-4 Roads Reference

Changing the alignment
You can change the alignment very easily by selecting one of the edit,
insert, delete or move HPI functions on the toolbar on the left of the
layout window. The move function also allows you to move the BC or EC
positions which will result in the radius being changed.
If you want the end chainages in the Vertical Alignment and Edge levels
spreadsheet to be updated if the horizontal alignment should change at a
later stage, then add a ‘*’ in front of the end PI name. E.g. “*END”
instead of “END”.

Review and coordinate

Once you are happy with the horizontal alignment select the Alignment ►
Horizontal ► Review Alignment menu option.

Click on NO in the message box that ask spreadsheet output and choose
screen output in the next message box. Open the Output window to view
the detail of each horizontal curve. If you cannot see the output window
then select Windows ► Toggle Output Window.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-5

Select the Alignment ► Horizontal ► Co-ordinate menu option to display the
Co-ordination Details dialog. Enter the chainage intervals shown in the
following illustration and press [OK].

Choose Screen output in the next dialogue. You will be asked:

3-6 Roads Reference

Answer [YES] to this question.
Open the Output window to view the coordinates for each chainage
interval plus the beginning and end points of each curve.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-7

Extract cross-sections
The next step in our road design is to extract the cross- sections from the
Terrain model at each chainage along the centerline of the road.
Select the Alignment ► Horizontal ► Cross Sections ► Extract menu option.
The Cross Section Extraction dialog will be displayed. Enter the details
as shown below and press [OK].

Civil Designer will extract and save the ground line cross- sections into
Layer 1 of the road design. To view the cross-section offsets and
elevations open the Output window.

3-8 Roads Reference

Vertical alignment
We can define the vertical alignment graphically or by entering the
chainage and levels into the Spreadsheet window. We will use the latter
method to input the data and the graphical facilities to view the vertical
alignment and make small changes, if required.
Activate the Road menu again and select the Alignment ► Vertical ► Edit
Alignment option. To see the active windows select the Windows ►
Cascade option. Now select the Vertical Alignment spreadsheet so that
you can specify the vertical alignment.
Click on the [Single-LHS] tag at the bottom of the spreadsheet and enter
the following data:

In order to check our data we can display the vertical alignment plus up
to 4 ground lines in the Road window. To do this, select the Alignment ►
Vertical ► Ground Lines menu option, or click the Ground Lines icon on
the toolbar on the left of the Road window, and set the line detail as
shown below:

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-9

Select the Road Window, which should look like this:

The red line shows the vertical alignment while the other lines show the
ground line at the centreline (dark green), the ground line at the road
reserve 8m to the left of the centreline (light green), and the ground line
at the road reserve 8m to the right of the centre line.
The information bar on top of the vertical alignment will display curve
information dynamically while you move the cursor over the vertical
curves.
Move around the vertical long section plot using the panning keys exactly
as in the Design Centre window.
To change a VPI simply click on it and the following dialog is displayed:

3-10 Roads Reference

To change the alignment graphically simply select one of the insert,
delete, move or edit functions from the toolbar on the left of the Road
window. Note how the spreadsheet is continuously updated.
When you are happy with the grade line you can send the vertical
alignment information to the Output Window, printer or file by selecting
Vertical ► Review Alignment.
Now generate the levels along the centerline using the Alignment ►
Vertical ► Generate levels function. The levels will be displayed in the
Output window. Note that all the high and low points on the alignment
are flagged.
Now is a good time to save your data.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-11

Define a road template
Once the vertical alignment has been defined, a road template must be
applied along the alignment in order to calculate the final sections and
the earthworks quantities. We can either load an existing template, or
create a new one.
Select the Tools ► Template Editor option from the Road menu. The Road
Profile Editor dialog will be shown. Check the Single Carriageway option
and fill in the details as shown:

The carriageway portion of the template will be displayed on the View

tab. Now we must specify the compulsory and cut/fill conditions for the
new template.

The carriageway settings (crossfalls and widths) will be superceded by

the values specified in the Edge Levels Spreadsheet, where you will be
entering superelevation and road widening.

3-12 Roads Reference

Compulsory items are added to the template on every section, i.e. kerbs,
gutters and/or pavements. Cut and fill conditions will be applied
depending on the position of the template relative to the ground line
starting from the last compulsory point.
All additions are specified as horizontal and vertical offsets from the
previous point on the template.
Select the correct tab in the spreadsheet to add the compulsory and
cut/fill conditions.

Compulsory additions
We are going to add gutter kerbs to each side of the template as a
compulsory addition. Click on the [LComp] tag at the bottom of the
spreadsheet and enter the following values:

We could re-enter the same data for the right compulsory additions, but it
is much easier to copy the data. Use the mouse to select all the [LComp]
cells and copy the data to the clipboard by right clicking on the selection.
The following option list will be displayed:

Select the Copy option. Now click on the [RComp] tag to display the right
compulsory values. Select the same amount of cells and paste the
clipboard data by right clicking and selecting the Paste option.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-13

Cut and fill conditions
Click on the [LCut] tag to enter the left cut detail:

Here we can see that there are two cut conditions that will be applied for
different depths of cut.
• The first case is for a cut depth between 0.0 and 2.0 m. Here the cut
slope will be variable from the last compulsory point to the edge of
the road reserve at 5 m from the centerline. Should the cut slope
exceed 1:2 the toe point will be extended beyond the road reserve at
the 1:2 slope.
• In the second case, where the cut depth is between 2.0 and 999.0 m, a
cut slope of 1:1.5 will be used.

You may have up to 100 cut or fill incremental conditions. The cut and
fill conditions must always end off with a Max Ht value of 999.0.

Copy the left cut specification across to the right cut data page on the
spreadsheet as was done previously.
Click on the [LFill] tag to enter the left fill details as displayed below:

3-14 Roads Reference

Copy these details to the [RFill] page as before.

Specify a Pavement design

Click on the [LLayers] tag to display the layerwork left details. Right click
on the spreadsheet to display the popup menu.

Select the [TRH4 Pavements] from the popup menu. You can also specify
your own pavements by using the [Pavement Designer] option.
In this dialog the appearance of the large buttons is dependant on the
preceding selections. The program will then display possible pavement
designs according to the TRH4. Some combinations of selections have no
layer definitions, some have only one (in which case the left button will
be visible) and some have two (in which case both buttons will be visible).

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-15

Change the settings as follows:

Select either one of the two options displayed. The template definitions
will be added to the “LLayers” sheet automatically.
The layers can now be stepped by changing the “Left Shift” and “Right
Shift” values as follows:

Preview
Before we continue, we can test the template to see how the conditions
are applied. Click on the View tab to view the template and then on the
[Add Ground] button. Draw a ground line on the displayed template. You
may use the standard keys to zoom in or out.

3-16 Roads Reference

Click on the [Test] button and the editor will apply the appropriate cut
and/or fill conditions so that you can check whether the template is
correct.
Repeat to experiment with various ground lines.
Finally, we must save the template as URBAN.TEM using the [Save As]
button. You may now exit the Template Editor.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-17

Template Number
The template we have just created must be added to the road design file.
Select the Tools ► Template Paths menu option.

Use the […] button in the first row to select the new template file. Enter a
template name, say “urban” into the Name column.

You must refer to the templates by their template names, rather than
the file names, in all the functions that use road templates.

In this manner up to 100 templates may be added to a design file.

3-18 Roads Reference

Calculate the road levels
Now that we have defined a road template we must calculate the road
edge levels along the vertical alignment using the template. We can also
add super elevation and road width controls here.
There are two methods of defining the super elevation details. The first is
to enter the super elevation directly into the Spreadsheet window using
the Alignment ► Edge Levels ► Edit Super option, which is suitable for
urban streets.
The second bases the control data on the horizontal alignment using the
[Slave Super] option and is more suited to rural roads. As our example is
an urban street we will use the former option.
Select the Alignment ► Edge Levels ► Edit Super menu option. Enter the
super elevation details in the various tabs as illustrated below:

These Edge Control settings specify that the road has a 2% camber,
carriageway widths of 3.1m, and uses template “urban” from the start to
the end of the road.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-19

Calculate the road edge levels by using the Alignment ► Edge Levels ►
Generate Levels menu option. Note that the destination surface is Final
Road (layer 2) as we have already stored the ground line data in Ground
(layer 1).

The depth below the vertical alignment is specified as 0 as we are

working on the final road surface. You can view the results in the Output
window. Once again, now is a good time to save your work.

3-20 Roads Reference

Calculate the cross section areas
Once the ground and final road cross-sections are defined we can apply
the template and calculate the cross-sectional areas.
Select the Area/Volume ► Apply Template option from the Road menu.
Input the chainage range and the base and batter layers as illustrated.
Note that you can output the areas directly into an ASCII file by checking
the Spreadsheet output option.

As the cross-section areas are calculated they will be displayed in the

Road window. View the calculated results in the Output window and save
your work.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-21

Calculate the volumes
At this point we can calculate cut and fill volumes for our road. Select the
Area/Volume ► Masshaul Volume menu option from the Road menu.
Specify the volume calculation details in the next dialog. Note the topsoil
depth, compaction or bulking factor and the batter layer values:

You can also output the quantities to an ASCII file by checking the
Spreadsheet output option.
Press [OK] to calculate the volumes. The dialog will be displayed again
with new start and end chainage values but this time, just click on the
[Print Results] button to view a summary of the cut and fill volumes in the
Output window.

Calculating Layerwork volumes

We can calculate the cut and fill volumes for each pavement layer as
specified in the road template.
Select the Area/Volume ► Layerwork Volume menu option.

Press [OK] to calculate the cut and fill volume for each layer.

3-22 Roads Reference

The following output will be displayed in the Output window.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-23

Create a cross-section drawing
Select the Plot ► Generate option from the Road menu to start the Plot
Expert. Use the Cross Section.sht sheet from the Examples\SheetFiles
sub-directory and specify a sheet size of A0.

Click on the [Next] button to continue. Specify the plotting details in the
Cross Section Setup dialog as follows:

3-24 Roads Reference

You can plot cross-sections consisting of up to 20 lines drawn from the
various layers in the road file. For the purposes of this tutorial we are
only interested in the Ground and Final Road layers.
Click on the [Finish] button and a drawing similar to the following should
be generated (You will be asked for a filename to save to before the
drawing is displayed. Just click [Cancel] to ignore the option):

The drawing is generated into its own CAD window so you can now pan
around, magnify, demagnify and use the drawing functions to add any
embellishments you wish.
When you are done click on the Close icon at the top right of the CAD
window to close the window.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-25

Create a long section drawing
Typically you would generate the long section from the cross-section
data. Once again select the Plot ► Generate menu option from the Road
Menu. Use the Single Carriageway Longsection.SHT sheet from the
..\Samples\SheetFiles sub-directory and once again select a sheet size
of A0:

Click on the [Next] button to continue and then set the chainage range
and other plotting details as shown below:

3-26 Roads Reference

You can plot long sections consisting of up to 20 lines drawn from the
various layers in the road file. You can also specify what data (Chainage,
Offset or Elevation) should be extracted from each cross-section.
In our case we are plotting the ground line from the Ground layer (line 1
above), the left and right edges of the road from Final Road (lines 2 and 4
respectively), and the centerline from Final Road (line 3). In each case we
are extracting the elevation from the cross-section.

Point Location Codes

Where the left and right edges of the road are concerned, we have chosen
to define the position in the cross-section by Point Location Code (PLC)
rather than by a physical offset from the centerline. This allows us to
cope with roads that have had carriageway widening applied without
having to worry about the exact measurement of the offset at any
particular chainage.
A PLC of 1 (negative for left of centerline and positive for right) will
always extract the first point away from the centerline on the specified
side regardless of what the offset might be. Conversely, a PLC of 99
(using the same convention for left and right of centerline) will always
extract the last point in a cross-section (the toe line).
The convention for the use of PLC’s is that codes from 1 to 50 are
counted out from the centerline (which has a PLC of 0), and codes from
51 to 99 are first subtracted from 100 and then counted in from the last
point in the section. In all cases a negative PLC is left of the centerline
and a positive PLC is right of the centerline.
In the case of dual carriageway roads three extra PLC codes are
available. These are the codes 100 (which represents the shoulder break
point on the left or right carriageway), 101 (which represents the median
break point on the relevant carriageway) and 102 (which represents the
centre of the carriageways). These codes can also be used on a single
carriageway road but only the 100 code will actually operate.
Click on the [Next] button and the long section data will be displayed.

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-27

Click on the [Finish] button and a drawing similar to the following will be
generated (You will be asked for a filename for saving but you can once
again just click [Cancel] to ignore the option):

You will be asked in the prompt area to adjust the Long Sections scales.
Reply no by clicking on the cross.

3-28 Roads Reference

Create a site plan
As the last step in this tutorial we will create a site plan that includes the
road and terrace detail.
Because Civil Designer uses a WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You
Get) model for plan plotting, we need to set up the Design Center display
to show exactly what we want to see in the site plan.
Click on the Display Dialog icon or select Settings ► Display Settings to
open the Display Settings dialog.
In the Roads section check the Display road plan option, make sure that
Yes is displayed in the Vis. column next to Road 1 (if it isn’t then simply
right-click on the cell to toggle its value) and make the Current road
settings as shown:

We also need to set up the display itself so click on the “Plan Layout” tab
and make the following settings:

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-29

Before clicking on [OK] to update the display switch to the Terrain tab
and make sure that the Draft Text option is not checked. Also select to
display contours in order to make our site plan more visually exciting.
Select the Plot ► Generate menu option and specify Plan.SHT as the sheet
file and an A0 sheet size:

Click on the [Next] button and accept the values in the following dialog
and click on the [Next] button.

3-30 Roads Reference

In the following dialog specify the scale for the plot and the options as
shown:

Click on the [Redefine All] button. The layout window will be displayed
and you will be asked to indicate the center of the plot. A rectangle the

Tutorial - Roads Design 3-31

size of the plotting area will be displayed. Left-click on the display and
then move this rectangle to cover the area of interest and left click to
place it. You will then be asked if you wish to rotate the plot. Click on
[No]. The previous dialog will be shown with a new entry that you have
created. Accept it by clicking on the [Finish] button. A drawing similar to
the following will be generated:

3-32 Roads Reference

File Menu
The File Menu contains all the functions to create,
load and save projects as well as import and export
survey data. In addition it also includes options to
set up the security.

File Menu 4-1

New Project
Create a new project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectNew

This option allows you to set up a new project and specify the data files
that must be used.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a drawing to the project simply click in the check box next to
Drawing, click on Browse on the right of the dialog, and select the
drawing using the standard Window file open dialog. The drawing name
will be displayed as shown above.
Similarly, to add a data file to the project click in the check box next to
the required data type and select the file to use with the [Browse] button.
If the file does not exist it will be created.
To use the Survey, Terrain or Roads functions, you must select or create
a Terrain data file.

4-2 Roads Reference

Drawing File
You may only use an existing drawing file. The drawing may be an
AllyCAD DRG, AutoCAD DWG, Caddie CEX or a DXF file.

Terrain File
If you select a terrain file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the DTM file.

After you have clicked [OK] on the New Project Dialog the following
dialog will be displayed for a new DTM file.

Enter the Y and X coordinates of the centre of the site, or of the area of
principal interest, and a diameter that will encompass the site or, once
again, the area of principal interest. It is acceptable to leave the settings
at their default values, but you should then either import data from an
ASCII file which will offer a rescale that centres the site, or add data
manually and then use Tools ► Rescale Survey from the Terrain menu
which does the same thing.

File Menu 4-3

Sewer File
If you select a sewer file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the sewer database file.

Storm File
If you select a storm file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the storm database file.

Locale
You must make the settings that determine the manner in which the
stored coordinates are projected onto the display surface (the Design
Centre window).

Hemisphere
Select either the Southern Hemisphere or Northern Hemisphere options
to set the hemisphere in which the data is located.

Projection
Select the mapping projection to be used. Currently only three
projections are available, namely Local, Transverse Mercator and UTM
(Universal Transverse Mercator). Selecting Local will automatically set
the Datum to Cape and causes Civil Designer to treat the Terrain and
Road database coordinates in the same way as Stardust used to.
Datum

4-4 Roads Reference

Select the datum on which the data is to be based. This determines the
ellipsoid on which the projection is based and therefore the constants
used for the mapping projection. Note that the Cape datum is the
equivalent datum for that used by Stardust.

Prime Longitude
Enter the central LO of the panel in which the data falls (actually the
longitude on which the 0 value of the horizontal ordinates of the
coordinate system falls) and also select whether this LO is East or West
of 0° longitude (Greenwich).

Origin Latitude
Enter the latitude on which the 0 value of the vertical ordinates of the
coordinate system falls and also select whether this latitude is North or
South of 0° latitude (the Equator). This should normally be set to 0°
(origin at the equator where North or South are immaterial) but could be
different for some projections.

Scale factor at prime longitude

Enter the factor by which coordinates are adjusted in order to fit the
projection. This should normally be set to 1.0 except if you are using
UTM coordinates (see Remarks below).

False Easting and False Northing

Enter the values to be subtracted/added to the LO coordinates during
projection conversion. These should normally be set to 0 except if you
are using UTM coordinates (see below).

DO NOT use the False Easting and False Northing settings to apply
some constant to the data coordinates, as the projection calculations
rely on full coordinates and will give incorrect values if these entries are
used incorrectly.

Remarks
In order to use a UTM system the following settings should be made for
Locale:
• Convert the UTM block number to LO using the formula
(BLOCKNUMBER x 6°) - 183°. This calculates the Longitude of the
central meridian in degrees.
• Set the scale factor at the central meridian to 0.9996.
File Menu 4-5
• Enter the correct False Easting and False Northing values of +500
000m Easting, and 0m Northing for Northern Hemisphere or +10 000
000m Northing for Southern Hemisphere.

4-6 Roads Reference

Open Project
Load an existing project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectOpen

You can select which project to open using the standard Windows Open
dialog.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the project file (.CDP) to open and click on [OK].

The existing project (if any) will be saved and the new project will be
opened. The associated data files will automatically be opened and
displayed in the Design Centre.

Only data that includes coordinates can be displayed in the Design

Centre.

If the program finds that the (.CDP) was moved to another directory then
the Edit Project dialog will appear, together with the following message:
"This *.CDP file was copied to another location, please
confirm the file paths of the data files"

File Menu 4-7

Edit Project
Edit the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectEdit

This option allows you to add design elements to the project or to change
the data files associated with the project.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a design element to the project simply set the check box of that
element and select the data file using the [Browse] button. The standard
Window Open dialog will be displayed. Select the file to add to the
project or type in a new file name to create a new data file.

You may not change the locale settings of an existing project as the
projection settings have already been applied to data files and may not
be changed.

Click on the [OK] button.

4-8 Roads Reference

Save Project
Save the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSave

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files.

Save Project As
Save the current project to another name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSaveAs

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files to new file names. You may specify a new file name for the
project file and each of the active design files in turn.

Close Project
Close the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectClose

This option allows you to close the active project and clear the Design
Centre. You will be given the option to save the associated data files.

File Menu 4-9

Select Road File
Select a road file with which to work

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionFile

Any road file that you wish to work on has to be loaded from this item
under the Roads Menu File option.
The [Edit] button on the Road Selection dialog allows you to enter a new
description for your road as well as setting the names of the various
layers. The description of the current Road will be displayed on the
Design Centre title bar and on the Road window title bar when any of the
Roads routines that use that window are activated.
A section file to store pipeline sections also has to be selected under this
option.

Procedure
The Road Selection dialog is displayed.

List Box Click on a road name in the list to select it. You can
also double click a road name in the list to select it
and automatically close the dialog at the same time.

Edit Button Click this button to edit the road and layer names of
the selected road. The Road Name Edit dialog will
be displayed.

4-10 Roads Reference

Delete Button Click this button to delete the roads files (*.sec and
*.des). The Road Name will be replaced with the
default road name.

Copy Road Click this button to copy the selected road to another
road. You will be prompted for a destination road.

OK Button Click this button to accept the selected road.

Cancel Button Click this button to retain the previously selected

road.

Select the required road and then click the [OK] button to continue.
To edit the description and layer names of any road, click on the desired
road and then click the [Edit] button. The Road Name Edit dialog is
displayed.

Edit box Type in the display name you wish to be assigned to

this road when selected.
Name column Enter the names that you wish to be assigned to the
available layers in the selected road.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

File Menu 4-11

Import
This facility allows you to import ASCII cross and long sections. You are
prompted to choose a file to import and must specify the details of the
format of the file in the dialog box that follows.
When importing Cross Section and Long Section files, the data will
automatically be imported into the current Road file. Therefore, you
should select the relevant road before importing data.
When importing Cross Sections, an option is available to import the data
with or without a cross section counter. The counter specifies how many
points there are for each specific cross section and was a requirement for
earlier versions of Stardust.

ASCII Cross Sections

Import cross sections in ASCII format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadImportCross

This facility allows you to import ASCII cross sections. You are prompted
to choose a file to import and must specify the details of the format of the
file in the dialog box that follows. The data format that can be imported
is as follows (in comma-delimited format):
Chainage,0.000,Pts,12
-5.000,98.002,0
-5.000,99.347,0
-4.200,99.334,0
-3.001,99.314,0
-3.000,99.064,1
0.000,99.124,1
3.000,99.064,1
3.001,99.314,0
4.200,99.334,1
7.200,98.834,0
9.700,99.459,0
9.700,101.852,0

4-12 Roads Reference

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
The ASCII Cross Section File Details dialog is displayed.

Fixed columns - Start and Enter the positions of the specific items within each
Stop import line. Positions start at 1 at the beginning of
the line. The start and stop positions entered for any
particular item must be such that all the relevant
data for the item is covered.
ASCII delimiter - Field Enter the position of each specific item within the
import line. Positions start at 1 for the item before
the first occurence of the defined delimiter. Each
delimiter encountered along the line increases the
position count by 1.
File Type Select either Fixed columns or ASCII delimiter to
define the format of the file being imported. If you
select ASCII delimiter then you must also enter the
ASCII value of the delimiter between fields.
Use section counter Check this option in order to have the count of lines
following read from the first line of each cross
section in the file. This option is not available when
importing Cards format cross sections.
Save current settings Check this option to have the current settings saved
as defaults for the next time this dialog is invoked.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The ASCII
Cross Section Import Details dialog is displayed.

File Menu 4-13

Start Chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Stop Chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Layer Select the layer on which to store the imported cross
sections.
Add constants to sections Check this option to have constants added to the
offsets and elevations as they are imported.
Constant Details - Chainages Enter the constant to be added to chainages as data
is imported.
Constant Details - Elevations Enter the constant to be added to elevations as data
is imported.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

4-14 Roads Reference

Cards Cross Sections
Import ASCII cross sections in Cards format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadsImportCardsCross

This facility allows you to import ASCII cross sections. You are prompted
to choose a file to import and must specify the details of the format of the
file in the dialog box that follows. The data format that can be imported
is as follows (in comma-delimited format):
0.000,-5.000,98.002
0.000,-5.000,99.347
0.000,-4.200,99.334
0.000,-3.001,99.314
0.000,-3.000,99.064
0.000,0.000,99.124
0.000,3.000,99.064
0.000,3.001,99.314
0.000,4.200,99.334
0.000,7.200,98.834
0.000,9.700,99.459
0.000,9.700,101.852

The data format is normally chainage, offset, elevation.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file. The ASCII Cross Section File
Details dialog is displayed.

File Menu 4-15

Fixed columns - Start and Enter the positions of the specific items within each
Stop import line. Positions start at 1 at the beginning of
the line. The start and stop positions entered for any
particular item must be such that all the relevant
data for the item is covered.
ASCII delimiter - Field Enter the position of each specific item within the
import line. Positions start at 1 for the item before
the first occurence of the defined delimiter. Each
delimiter encountered along the line increases the
position count by 1.
File Type Select either Fixed columns or ASCII delimiter to
define the format of the file being imported. If you
select ASCII delimiter then you must also enter the
ASCII value of the delimiter between fields.
Use section counter Check this option in order to have the count of lines
following read from the first line of each cross
section in the file. This option is not available when
importing Cards format cross sections.
Save current settings Check this option to have the current settings saved
as defaults for the next time this dialog is invoked.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The ASCII
Cross Section Import Details dialog is displayed.

Start Chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop Chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Layer Select the layer on which to store the imported cross
sections.
Add constants to sections Check this option to have constants added to the
offsets and elevations as they are imported.
Constant Details - Chainages Enter the constant to be added to chainages as data
is imported.
Constant Details - Elevations Enter the constant to be added to elevations as data
is imported.

4-16 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

File Menu 4-17

Long Section
Import long sections in ASCII format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadImportLong

This facility allows you to import ASCII long sections. You are prompted
to choose a file to import and must specify the details of the format of the
file in the dialog box that follows.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
The ASCII Longsection File Details dialog is displayed.

The first few lines of the selected file are displayed in the top list box.

Fixed columns - Start and Enter the positions of the specific items within each
Stop import line. Positions start at 1 at the beginning of
the line. The start and stop positions entered for any
particular item must be such that all the relevant
data for the item is covered.
ASCII delimiter - Field Enter the position of each specific item within the
import line. Positions start at 1 for the item before
the first occurence of the defined delimiter. Each
delimiter encountered along the line increases the
position count by 1.
File type Select either Fixed columns or ASCII delimiter to
define the format of the file being imported. If you
select ASCII delimiter then you must also enter the
ASCII value of the delimiter between fields. See the
ASCII table for delimiter values.

4-18 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The ASCII
Cross Section Import Details dialog is displayed.

Start Chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop Chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Layer Select the layer on which to store the imported cross
sections.
Add constants to sections Check this option to have constants added to the
offsets and elevations as they are imported.
Constant Details - Chainages Enter the constant to be added to chainages as data
is imported.
Constant Details - Elevations Enter the constant to be added to elevations as data
is imported.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

File Menu 4-19

R?? File
Import data from a Stardust road file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadImportRD

This routine allows you to import road data that was created in the
previous Stardust versions (4.3 or later). You must select a road file
before starting the import.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the constants and click the [OK] button to continue. The following
message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to overwrite any existing road file with the
imported data, or click the [No] button to cancel the import.
The road data is imported into the current road file overwriting any data
that is currently present.
The following message is displayed if the imported road contained
template references:

4-20 Roads Reference

You will need to either import the old template files for this road, or
create new ones, and use Tools Template Paths to update the references.
The following message is displayed if the imported road was a dual
carriageway road:

Stardust previously read the carriageway details for single carriageway

roads from the Edge Levels data while the details for dual carriageway
roads were read from the assigned templates. In Civil Designer however,
the details for both types of roads are read from the Edge Levels data.
This means that you will need to edit the imported Edge Levels data for
dual carriageway roads.

File Menu 4-21

Ceaser Design
Import a Ceaser Template file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadImportCeaser

This facility allows you to import a Ceaser Template. You are prompted
to choose a file to import and as well as the Road to import the data to.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
The Import Ceaser dialog is displayed.

Specify the Road into which the data must be imported and press [OK].
If the import was successful then the confirmation dialog will be
displayed.

4-22 Roads Reference

Export
The following functions allow you to export road cross sections in various
formats.

Cross Sections
Export cross sections from the current road file in ASCII format:
Chainage,0.000,Pts,2
-5.000,98.002,0
-5.000,99.347,0

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadExportCross

This facility allows you to export ASCII cross sections.

Procedure
The ASCII Cross Section dialog is displayed.

Start chainage First chainage in the range of chainages for which

cross or long sections should be exported.
Stop chainage Last chainage in the range of chainages for which
cross or long sections should be exported.
Layer The layer containing the cross or long section points
to be exported.
Add constants to sections Check this option to have the entered constants
added to the data as it is exported.
Constants - Chainage Enter the constant to be added to chainages.
Constants - Elevation Enter the constant to be added to elevations.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. Windows’
standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which
to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.

File Menu 4-23

The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Cards Cross Sections

Export cross sections from the current road file in Cards ASCII format:
0.000,-5.000,98.002
0.000,-5.000,99.347

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadExportCardsCross

This facility allows you to export ASCII cross sections.

Procedure
The ASCII Cross Section dialog is displayed.

Start chainage First chainage in the range of chainages for which

cross or long sections should be exported.
Stop chainage Last chainage in the range of chainages for which
cross or long sections should be exported.
Layer The layer containing the cross or long section points
to be exported.
Add constants to sections Check this option to have the entered constants
added to the data as it is exported.
Constants - Chainage Enter the constant to be added to chainages.
Constants - Elevation Enter the constant to be added to elevations.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. Windows’
standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which
to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.

4-24 Roads Reference

The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Long Section
Export a long section from the current road file in ASCII format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadExportLong

This facility allows you to export an ASCII long section.

Procedure
The ASCII Cross Section dialog is displayed.

Start chainage First chainage in the range of chainages for which

cross or long sections should be exported.
Stop chainage Last chainage in the range of chainages for which
cross or long sections should be exported.
Layer The layer containing the cross or long section points
to be exported.
Add constants to sections Check this option to have the entered constants
added to the data as it is exported.
Constants - Chainage Enter the constant to be added to chainages.
Constants - Elevation Enter the constant to be added to elevations.

Fill in the relevant data and click [OK] to continue. Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

File Menu 4-25

Ceaser Survey
Export a road design to Ceaser

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadExportLong

This facility allows you to export the current road design to Ceaser. You
are prompted to select the batter Layer to Export.

Procedure
The Ceaser Export Dialog will be displayed

Select the roads layer containing the road design and press OK. This
layer may be the final design layer, or a layer created by the Solidify
Layerworks function as long as the batters are included in the layer. A
range of ASCII files will be written to the directory where the Roads files
reside.
If the Export was successful, a Confirmation dialog will appear.

4-26 Roads Reference

Export MX Roads (Moss)

Export a road design to MX Roads

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadExportMoss

This facility allows you to export the current road design to MX Roads in
MOSS format.

Procedure
The Export to MOSS\MX Roads Dialog will be displayed.

Specify destination ASCII files for the Horizontal and Vertical alignment,
as well as an ASCII file additional strings. For each ID specified in the ID
list a string will be created. Strings for the toe points, shoulder
breakpoints, median breakpoints and centre line will automatically
generated. Specify the road batter layer.

File Menu 4-27

Output Manager
Set output defaults

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputManager

This function allows you to set up the Output Window's printing and file
export capabilities. If you select to send output to the screen and the
Output Window is not visible, use Window | Toggle Output Window to
display the window.

Procedure
The Output Manager is displayed.

Screen output Check this option to have output directed to the Output
Window. If this window is not visible then select Window |
Toggle Output Window
Printer output Check this option to have output directed to a selected
printer. If this option was selected and you now turn it off,
any output previously directed to the printer will be spooled.
If this option was not selected and you now turn it on, you
will be asked to select the required printer.
File output Check this option to have output directed to a file. If this
option was selected and you now turn it off, the output file
will be closed. If this option was not selected and you now
turn it on, the selected output file will be created.
Don't show this dialog Check this option to retain the current settings for all future
in future output. You will no longer be prompted to make settings. In
order to adjust the settings, or to turn off this option, use File
| Output Manager.
Page Heading Enter the heading to be printed at the top of each page. Only
available if the Printer output option is selected.

4-28 Roads Reference

Output filename Enter the path and name of the output file to be created.
Only available if the File output option is selected.
Browse Button (...) Click this button to browse for the output file using the
standard Windows Save As dialog. Only available if the File
output option is selected.
Page Number Enter the page number to be printed at the top of the first
page. The number will increment automatically for
subsequent pages. Only available if the Printer output option
is selected.
Start printing on new Check this option to have any printer output still in the print
page queue spooled before printing starts. If this option is not
selected then printer output will be added to that currently in
the print queue. Only available if the Printer output option is
selected.
Append to existing file Check this option to have output appended to that which
already exists in the selected file. If the selected file does not
exist, it will be created. If this option is not selected then the
selected file will be deleted (if it already exists) and then
recreated. Only available if the File output option is selected.

Make the required settings and press [OK] to continue.

If [OK] is clicked and Printer output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, any output that has not yet been spooled to the printer will be
sent and the current document ended. If Printer output is now checked,
and it was not previously checked, you will be asked to select the printer
to which output should be directed and a new document will be started.
If [OK] is clicked and File output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, the specified file is closed. If File output is now checked, and it
was not previously checked, the specified file is opened and will
overwrite an existing file of the same name if the Append to existing file
option is not checked.

File Menu 4-29

Spool Output
Spool unprinted data to the printer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputSpool

Any output (print) data that has been sent to the printer but not yet
printed is spooled to the printer.
Windows tends to hold printed output in a spool file until the print job is
complete. In order to end a print job in Civil Designer you must deselect
the print option in the Output Manager, or exit the program.
Alternatively, this function will carry out the same procedure.

4-30 Roads Reference

Option Settings
Set INI file defaults that are not set by the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OptionSettings

The settings for various items in Civil Designer are stored in the file
CivDes6.ini which is located in your User directory. While most settings
in this file are manipulated from within the program itself, some settings
have no menu option or dialog associated with them.
In order to facilitate the changing of these settings, we have implemented
a dialog specifically for adjusting these settings. This saves you from
having to edit the INI file and making the changes by hand.
The left side of the dialog displays a tree list of available items. Click on
the top-level item to display the relevant page. Some of the top-level
items have further pages implemented as sub-items. Click on the + sign
to the left of any top-level item to display the sub-items. Click on a sub-
item to display the relevant page.

Certain settings are only read at program startup. These items are
marked with an asterisk (*). Changes to these settings will only be
implemented once the program has been exited and restarted. All other
settings are read at the start of relevant functions and changes to these
settings will therefore be available the next time the relevant function is
activated.

The possible top-level items and their respective sub-items are as

follows:
• General
• Southern Hemisphere
• Northern Hemisphere
• Survey
• Terrain
• Spreadsheets
• Pens
• View 3D
• Roads
• Spreadsheets
• Pens
• Plot
• Output Window

File Menu 4-31

General

Percentage RAM Enter the percentage of physical RAM (from 25 to 75

allocated to DTM percent) that must be allocated for DTM point caching.
The default value is 25. The more RAM allocated to
cache, the faster DTM point processing can be done but
the less RAM will be available for general operations in
Windows.
Permanent Road window Check this option to have the Road window permanently
displayed. If this option is not checked then the window
will be created and destroyed as needed. This can save
some screen space in tight situations.
Delimiter Enter the ASCII code of the delimiter to be used during
some DTM export functions. The default value (44) is a
comma and it is not recommended that this be changed.
You might however require tabs as delimiters. In this
case enter ASCII code 9 as the delimiter value.
Default pen Click this button to set the CAD pen colour for drawing
all design items that do not have an associated pen. This
setting is made available in order to compensate for the
fact that you can change the background colour of the
current drawing.

4-32 Roads Reference

Southern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern Hemisphere
projects.

File Menu 4-33

Northern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern Hemisphere
projects.

4-34 Roads Reference

Survey

Screening radius for Enter the radius (in metres) within which successive
ASCII Serial import coordinates in a Serial file import will be screened out.
Number of data columns Select the number of data columns to generated during
for MOSS export a MOSS file export. Your options here are 3 or 6.
Number of entries in Enter the limit of point names to be stored in the Names
names list list.

Include numerical names. Select whether you want numerical names to be

included in the Names list.

File Menu 4-35

Terrain

Separator between Enter the single character to be displayed between the

degrees, minutes and degree, minute and second portions of bearings when
seconds for printing printing. The default separator is a space.
Default point name suffix Enter the single character default to be added as a suffix
for Tache Reduction to point names during Tache Reduction.
Additional file extension Enter an extension to be used in addition to the standard
for Tache files DAT file extension when selecting Tache field books to
load.
4 decimal places in Level Check this option to have levels displayed to 4 decimal
Reduction places rather than the standard 3 decimal places in
Level Reduction.
Field number of Enter the number of the field that contains the orientation
orientation station name in station name in Booker tache files. This is normally 1 but
Booker files files with the name in the eighth field have been found.
Each field in a Booker file is separated by a tab with the
first field being number 1.
Percentage of screen size Enter the percentage of the current screen size to be
for polygon auto-close used as the separation between starting and current
snap indicated points in order to automatically close an
indicated polygon.
Rotation angle about eye Enter the angle (in degrees) by which to increment
position for Line of Sight rotation about the eye point when generating the visible
sweep boundary in Line of Sight calculations.
Display lines for terrace Check this option to display the lines of the selected
surface only during terrace surface only when selecting a terrace. Line
terrace selection display for all other surfaces will automatically be
switched off.

4-36 Roads Reference

Display autosuffix Check this option to have any defined autosuffix appear
together with point name as part of the point name in the screen display. It will not
appear on a plot generation.

Spreadsheet

Minimum number of Enter the default number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.

File Menu 4-37

Pens

Intelli-Lines Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
four Intelli-Lines processing passes.
Graphical Error Figure Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in a Graphical Error Figure.
Banks Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in banks during Terrace Banks
generation.
DTM Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in DTM Grid generation.
Perimeter indication Click this button to set the indicator colour of the
perimeter polygon when selecting items such as
terraces.

4-38 Roads Reference

View 3D

Depth buffer bits Select the number of bits available for depth buffering.
Your options here are 16, 24 and 32. Your setting will
depend on your video card and some experimentation
might be required.
Colour depth bits Select the number of colour bits available. Your options
here are 16,24 and 32. Your setting here should match
the colour depth of your Windows Desktop for optimal
results.
Field of view Enter the vertical field of view in degrees to generate the
correct perspective view. In order to calculate the
required field of view for your particular setting, measure
the distance from your normal seated eye position to the
screen and measure the height of the view area from top
to bottom. Divide the second measurement by the first
measurement, take the arc sin of the result, and round
that result to the nearest degree.
Enable mouse dragging Uncheck this option to prevent mouse dragging within
the 3D View from changing the view parameters. This
should normally be left checked, but some video cards
have problems with the rapid updates required.
Contour separation Enter the value (in metres) to be added to contour
heights in order to prevent contours dissappearing
underneath the 3D View.
Ignore video driver Check this option to have the OpenGL acceleration
acceleration capabilities of your graphics card ignored. This should
normally be left unchecked, but some video cards have
problems with the accelerated drivers.

File Menu 4-39

Roads

Maximum number of road Specify the maximum numbers of roads per project. The
files value must be between 100 and 250.

Use Interactive Roads Check this button to enable the Interactive Roads
Expert Expert. Before every roads operation the program will
check if there are any operations that still needs to be
done before the specified operation can commence. If
there are then the Roads Expert will appear with the
relative operations checked. Simply press OK to perform
all the necessary operations and display the dialog for
the specified operation.

Use TRH format when Check this option to use TRH format when slaving Edge
slaving Edge Control Control. If this option is checked then the distance given
for the development length of the superelevation will be
applied from the stage where the grade is 0 (flat) until it
is fully developed. The initial portion where the normal
crossfall is picked up (or reduced) to 0, is automatically
calculated and added to the specified development
length.
Use element entry for Check this option to enter horizontal alignments by
horizontal alignment element (straights and curves) rather than by PI (with
instead of PIs and radii associated curve radius).
Use element entry for Check this option to enter vertical alignments by element
vertical alignment instead (grades) rather than by VPI (with associated curve
of VPIs length).
Display VPI names when Check this option to have VPI names displayed during

4-40 Roads Reference

editing a vertical graphical editing of vertical alignments.
alignment
Extension to use when Enter the default extension to be used when selecting
importing CARDS cross data files for CARDS cross section import.
section files
Text size for Horizontal PI When Editing the Horizontal alignment, the PI names
Names and Warnings and Design Criteria warnings will be displayed using this
text size (points). A text size of 0 will cause the PI names
and warnings not to be displayed.

PI Names and Warnings Warnings will be displayed using this text size (points). A
text size of 0 will cause the PI names and warnings not
to be displayed.
Box out Check this option to box the Horizontal PI names and
warnings. The text will be drawn within a rectangular
frame, filled with the background colour.

Spreadsheet

Maximum number of Enter the maximum number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.
Focus to Spreadsheet Check these options if you want the program to set the
input focus to the spreadsheet window when running the
the Vertical Edit, Edit Super or Pipe Edit Alignment
functions.

File Menu 4-41

Pens

Horizontal alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Vertical alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Pipeline Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Intersection Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Template Editor Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Layerworks Note: The Layerworks pen will be used to draw the
layerwors in Graphical Edit mode as well.

4-42 Roads Reference

Plot

Number of lines Enter the maximum number of lines that can be

plotted/labelled in a long generated when plotting a long- or cross section. The
section and cross section default is 20.
Interpolate long section If this option is set then, when plotting longsections and
level for 0 values a zero level is encountered for a chainage, the level at
that chainage will be interpolated from the nearest
chainages on either side that do have levels.
Ignore 0 values when If this option is checked then all zero values will be
plotting Long Sections ignored when plotting road long sections. Long Section
lines will be drawn between non-zero points and zero
points will not be annotated.
Split height labels into two If this option is set, then when generating a plot with
at the decimal point heights displayed, the height for a point will be shown as
two distinct text entities separated at the decimal point.
This is useful for where the height is obscured by say a
symbol inserted at the point and you wish to move the
values apart for clarity.

File Menu 4-43

Output Window

Number of lines retained Enter the number of lines of output that should be
in memory retained at any time for the various output windows. This
will be the last x number of lines that have been sent to
the Output Window for display, enabling you to scroll
back to see lines that have disappeared off the top of the
window.
Display/Print Font Enter the display/print font size (in points) and the
position at which a right margin marker should be
displayed in the Output Window.

4-44 Roads Reference

Security
When you first install your copy of Civil Designer, it will allocate a 30-day
trial license, allowing you to run the full program for 30 days. During this
time you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent authorization
code. Refer to the chapter on Security for more details.

Authorize
Authorize the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

cyAuthorize

This option allows you to obtain your user code and input the
authorisation code to activate the various modules in the program.

Procedure
The authorisation dialog box is displayed. Your User Code is displayed in
the centre of the dialog.

Call the contact number to obtain your authorisation code. Alternatively

click on Save to write the user code into a file which can be e-mailed to
Knowledge Base at [email protected]. Click on the Authorise
button once you have input the confirmation code in the bottom edit
control. This code is stored in the security module.

File Menu 4-45

Check Network Dongles
Toggle network security on/off

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CheckNetworkSecurity

This function switches the search for a network security module on or

off.

Exit
Quit Civil Designer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

quit

This function closes down Civil Designer.

4-46 Roads Reference

Sections Menu
The Sections Menu contains functions that are used to
edit and manipulate the road sections.

Section Menu 5-1

Graphical Edit
Graphical editing of cross sectional data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalEdit

The graphical procedures are the primary functions for cross section
editing. The advantages of graphical editing are the ability to edit several
layers with reference to one another and that an instant visual
verification of changes can be made.
Up to ten cross section layers may be displayed per chainage. The layers
and pen colors for the cross sections must be set up in Layer Details
under the Section menu. Although several layers are displayed, editing
may only take place on the current Active Line that is also selected in the
Layer Details dialog.
Points may be entered be clicking on the Insert icon on the toolbar,
deleted by clicking on the Delete icon, edited by clicking on the Edit icon,
or moved by clicking on the Move icon.
To move through the chainages in the road database, the following keys
are used:
• PgDn to move to the next chainage 'down' the road.
• PgUp to move to the previous chainage 'up' the road.
• 'G' to go to a specified chainage that must be entered.
• ‘F’ to have the Design Centre window pan automatically to display
the position of the current section.
Note that these keys are not case sensitive.
For the edit process, the following cursor control mode options are
available:
• 'L' performs a line lock. The cursor jumps to the nearest line then
tracks it.
• 'K' performs a slope lock. A percentage slope is entered and the
cursor locks to that slope. Commonly used after a Jump to Nearest.
• 'U' provides an absolute or relative jump. For absolute jumps, the
dialog box entry enables the cursor to be positioned at a precise
offset and elevation. For relative jumps, the dialog box entry enables
the cursor to be positioned by a precise offset and level difference
from the present position. Commonly used after a Jump to Nearest.

5-2 Roads Reference

• 'J' provides a jump to nearest. The same effect as a snap.
• 'P' allows the measurement of the area and perimeter of a defined
polygon.
• 'I' allows the insertion of a section point as an intersection between
two indicated lines.
Note that these keys are not case sensitive.
A popup menu can be displayed by right clicking on the Roads window.
The following options are available from the popup menu:

Insert Point Insert a cross section point

Edit Point Edit a cross section point

Delete Point Delete a cross section point

Move point Move a cross section point

Layer Details Display the Layer details dialog

Polygon Area Calculate a polygon Area

Goto Chainage Goto a specified chainage

Line intersection Calculate a line intersection point

Measure Measure between two graphically indicated points

Alter View Limits Manualy change the view limits for the cross section view.

The cursor control modes work on all the currently displayed layers,
although only the active layer selected under Layer Details may be
edited.
On leaving the section by moving to another section, or quitting the
routine, an option will be given to save or abandon the changes made.
Saving the data results in the changes made being written to the road
database while abandoning will result in any changes being ignored.

Section Menu 5-3

Procedure
The first cross section in the current road file is displayed in the Road
window.

Edit the sections using the Graphical functions. Close the road window

5-4 Roads Reference

Insert Point
Insert a new point in the active cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalInsertPoint
Inserts a new point in the current cross section. The current cross
section is the line that has been set as Active in the Layer Details dialog.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Line 2: Indicate position to insert a point

Click on a position in the Road window and the indicated point is added
to the current cross section with the current offset and elevation.

Section Menu 5-5

Edit Point
Edit an existing point in the active cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalEditPoint

Edit an existing point in the current cross section. The current cross
section is the line that has been set as Active in the Layer Details dialog.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Line 2: Indicate point to edit

Click on a point in the current cross section in the Road window and the
Section Point Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the offset and elevation and click the [OK] button to update the
point, or click the [Cancel] button to ignore any changes.

5-6 Roads Reference

Delete Point
Delete an existing point in the active cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalDeletePoint

Delete an existing point in the current cross section. The current cross
section is the line that has been set as Active in the Layer Details dialog.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Line 2: Indicate point to delete

Click on a point in the current cross section in the Road window and the
indicated point is removed from the current cross section.

Section Menu 5-7

Move Point
Move an existing point in the active cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalMovePoint

Move an existing point in the current cross section. The current cross
section is the line that has been set as Active in the Layer Details dialog.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Line 2: Indicate point to move

Click on an existing point in the current cross section in the Road

window and the following prompt is displayed:
Line 2: Indicate position for point

Click on a new position for the point and the current cross section is
updated with the new position of the point.

5-8 Roads Reference

Polygon Area
Calculate the area and perimeter of an indicated polygon

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalArea

This function calculates the area and perimeter of a polygon formed by

indicating points on the displayed cross sections. The points indicated
can be on any of the displayed layers.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate start of polygon

Click on a point in the Road window and the following prompt is

displayed:
Indicate point on polygon

Click on the next point that will form the polygon. You will continue to
be prompted for the next point in the polygon until you select the point
initially specified as starting the polygon.
The following message is displayed:

The Area displayed is the calculated area of the indicated polygon while
the Perimeter displayed is the calculated perimeter of that polygon.

Section Menu 5-9

Line Intersection
Insert a new point in the active cross section at the intersection of two lines

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalIntersection

Inserts a new point in the current cross section at the intersection of two
lines formed from existing points. The current cross section is the line
that has been set as Active in the Layer Details dialog.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate first intersecting line

Click on a line between two points on one of the surfaces and the
following prompt is displayed:
Indicate second intersecting line

Click on a line between two points on one of the surfaces and a new point
is inserted into the current cross section at the calculated intersection of
the two lines.

5-10 Roads Reference

Goto Chainage
Display the cross sections for a selected chainage

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionGraphicalGoTo

This function allows you to select the chainage for which the cross
sections should be displayed.

Procedure
If the cross sections of the current chainage have been edited, the
following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the changes made to the cross sections, or
click the [No] button to ignore any changes.
The Goto Chainage dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to move to the new
chainage.

Section Menu 5-11

Layer Details
Define cross section display details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionLines

This function allows you to define the cross sections that will be
displayed and to select the active cross section.

Procedure
The Section Lines dialog is displayed.

Display - Line 1 to Line 10 Check this option to display the cross section.
Layer - Line 1 to Line 10 Select the road layer from which the cross section
should be taken.
Pen - Line 1 to Line 10 Click this button to define the colour in which to
display the cross section.
Active - Line 1 to Line 10 Select which of the cross section will be the active
one (the one that can be changed).
Display template layerworks Check this option to have the defined layerworks in
the template that was used to generate any
particular cross section displayed as part of the
cross section display.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
display will be updated to reflect the settings made.

5-12 Roads Reference

List Sections
List cross section details to the selected device

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionList

This function allows you to list the offset and elevation data from the
cross section on any layer.

Procedure
The Listing Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
List type... Select either the Normal , Double or the Compacted
option.
Normal Listing - This option lists a single layer with
each offset and elevation pair of the cross section
listed on a new line.
Double Listing - This enables the normal cross
section listing of two different layers side by side. It
is particularly applicable to situations where the two
layers that were used to create a volume need to be
inspected.
Compacted Listing - This option lists a single layer,
but packs a number of offset and elevation pairs of
the cross section per line. It is mostly useful for
archiving redundant data.
Layer Select the layer from which the cross section to be
listed should be extracted.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Section Menu 5-13

Enter/Edit Sections
Manually enter a new or edit an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionEdit

This function allows you to enter new sections or edit existing sections by
typing in the offset and elevation values in a grid.
The ID number and Code of the point may also be edited here. The ID
number can be used during cross section plotting to identify certain
points of interest. The Code entry is used to mark shoulder and median
points on road layers. Shoulder points should be marked with the code
'100' (negative for left of CL, positive for right), and median points
(applicable only to dual carriageway roads) should be marked with the
code '101' (negative for left of CL, positive for right).

Procedure
The Layer Selection dialog is displayed.

Select the layer you wish to work with and click the [OK] button to
continue. The Editing Details dialog is displayed.

5-14 Roads Reference

If at any point a new cross section needs to be read and the current cross
section has been changed but not yet saved, the following message is
displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the changes to the current cross section, or
click the [No] button to abandon any changes made.

Section Menu 5-15

Interpolate
Interpolate a new elevation on an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionElevationInterpolate

This function is used to interpolate an elevation on an existing cross

section. It is useful for extracting long sections or adding points at a
certain offset on the cross section. Inserting retaining walls would be a
typical example. Obviously, PLC codes cannot be used for this routine.

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Process layer Select the layer from which existing cross section
data should be read.
Store to layer Check this option and select the layer to which the
altered cross section should be stored. If this option
is not checked then the changes are only listed and
not stored.
Define details by... Select the Offset from centreline option to specify
the details using offsets, or select the Point location
code option to define details using PLC's. The Point
location code option is only available for some
functions.

5-16 Roads Reference

Enter details for sections... Select either the Individually option in order to
provide details for each chainage in the range, or
select the Whole chainage range option in order to
apply one set of details to all the chainages in the
range.
Surface action Select either the Add points option to add new points
to the cross section, the Overwrite option to
overwrite any existing points in the cross section, or
the Merge option to carry out a simultaneous delete
and add of points in the cross section. The Merge
option is only available for some functions.
Verify section save Check this option to be asked if each altered section
must be saved. If this option is not checked then
each altered section is saved automatically.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

The Overwrite option will delete all existing points in the Store to layer
cross section before processing. Please be certain that this is what you
intend to happen before selecting this option.

The Elevation Interpolation dialog is displayed.

Offset from centerline Enter the offset at which the elevation should be
interpolated. Offsets to the left of the centerline
should be entered as a negative value.
Add Button Add the current value of the "Offset from centerline"
edit box to the Offset list.
Remove Button Remove the selected entry from the Offset List.

Section Menu 5-17

Clear List Clear the contents of the Offset List.

The program will interpolate elevations for each of the offsets present in
the "Offset List". If the Offset List is empty, the program will interpolate a
height for the offset entered into the "Offset from centerline" edit box.
Enter the offset from the centerline to interpolate elevations from. Enter
either a single offset, or a range of offsets using a comma-delimited
string.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections in the
Process Details dialog, then the Elevation Interpolation dialog is
displayed for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to
alter the specified offset for each chainage.
Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the [Cancel] button to end the
function.
If you checked the Verify section save option then after each cross section
is processed the following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

5-18 Roads Reference

Remove Points
Delete points on an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionRemovePoints

This function is used to remove some or all of the points from a cross
sectional layer.
Once the left and right limits for the removal (by offset or PLC code)
have been specified, all points within this range will be removed, either
for the specific chainage or for the chainage range specified.

If you want to remove a specific point from a layer then you must select
the store option and select the layer to which you wish to store as the
layer that is being processed. You must also select the Overwrite option
for storing points.

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Process layer Select the layer from which existing cross section
data should be read.

Section Menu 5-19

Store to layer Check this option and select the layer to which the
altered cross section should be stored. If this option
is not checked then the changes are only listed and
not stored.
Define details by... Select the Offset from centreline option to specify
the details using offsets, or select the Point location
code option to define details using PLC's. The Point
location code option is only available for some
functions.
Enter details for sections... Select either the Individually option in order to
provide details for each chainage in the range, or
select the Whole chainage range option in order to
apply one set of details to all the chainages in the
range.
Surface action Select either the Add points option to add new points
to the cross section, the Overwrite option to
overwrite any existing points in the cross section, or
the Merge option to carry out a simultaneous delete
and add of points in the cross section. The Merge
option is only available for some functions.
Verify section save Check this option to be asked if each altered section
must be saved. If this option is not checked then
each altered section is saved automatically.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Section Point Deletion dialog is displayed.

Delete between offsets Only available if processing by offsets.

Enter the offsets between which points should be
deleted. If you wish to delete one particular point by
offset, say at 1.5, then enter the offsets as slightly
smaller than and slightly larger than the desired

5-20 Roads Reference

 value.
Using our example you would enter the offsets as
1.49 and 1.51. This will overcome the effect of
floating point rounding where a point such as 1.5 is
actually stored as 1.499999.
Offsets to the left of the centreline should be entered
as negative values.
Delete between point codes Only available if processing by point codes.
Enter the PLC's between which points should be
deleted. PLC's are exact codes so floating point
rounding plays no part.
Points to the left of the centreline should be entered
as negative values.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections... in
the Process Details dialog, then the Section Point Deletion dialog is
displayed for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to
alter the specified offset for each chainage.
Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the [Cancel] button to end the
function.
If you checked the Verify section save option then after each cross section
is processed the following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

Section Menu 5-21

Transfer Points
Transfer points between cross sections

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionTransferPoints

This function is used to transfer points from one layer to another. Either
the whole section or a portion of it can be transferred and the moved
data can (optionally) replace just that portion of the old section leaving
the remainder of the original section intact. The most common usage is
to move all or part of a 'This Month' layer into a 'Last Month' layer for
construction monitoring.
If the option to Merge data is chosen, then, unlike Adding data to the
layer, this option will cause the incoming data to replace any existing
points that are within the specified offsets. Data points that are outside
the offsets will be retained. It is a bit like a simultaneous delete and then
add. It should not be confused with the Overwrite option that will replace
the entire layer with the incoming data.

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Process layer Select the layer from which existing cross section
data should be read.

5-22 Roads Reference

Store to layer Check this option and select the layer to which the
altered cross section should be stored. If this option
is not checked then the changes are only listed and
not stored.
Define details by... Select the Offset from centreline option to specify
the details using offsets, or select the Point location
code option to define details using PLC's. The Point
location code option is only available for some
functions.
Enter details for sections... Select either the Individually option in order to
provide details for each chainage in the range, or
select the Whole chainage range option in order to
apply one set of details to all the chainages in the
range.
Surface action Select either the Add points option to add new points
to the cross section, the Overwrite option to
overwrite any existing points in the cross section, or
the Merge option to carry out a simultaneous delete
and add of points in the cross section. The Merge
option is only available for some functions.
Verify section save Check this option to be asked if each altered section
must be saved. If this option is not checked then
each altered section is saved automatically.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Section Point Transfer dialog is displayed.

Transfer between offsets Only available if processing by offsets. Offsets to the

left of the centreline should be entered as negative
values.
Enter the offsets between which points should be
transferred. If you wish to transfer one particular

Section Menu 5-23

 point by offset, say at 1.5, then enter the offsets as
slightly smaller than and slightly larger than the
desired value.
Using our example you would enter the offsets as
1.49 and 1.51. This will overcome the effect of
floating point rounding where a point such as 1.5 is
actually stored as 1.499999.
Transfer between point codes Only available if processing by point codes. Points to
the left of the centreline should be entered as
negative values.
Enter the PLC's between which points should be
transferred. PLC's are exact codes so floating point
rounding plays no part.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections... in
the Process Details dialog, then the Section Point Transfer dialog is
displayed for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to
alter the specified offset for each chainage.
Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the [Cancel] button to end the
function.
If you checked the Verify section save option then after each cross section
is processed the following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

5-24 Roads Reference

Absolute Change
Apply constants to an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionAbsoluteChange

This function is used to move all, some, or even single points on a cross
sectional layer vertically or horizontally by a constant amount. A typical
use would be to deepen a feature like a drain bottom by a constant (or
increasing) amount. It is also possible to set points on the cross section to
a specific value. A typical application for this would be to set the top of a
retaining wall to a fixed elevation.
The movement to be applied can also be controlled by a lineal
interpolation whereby one shift is set for the start chainage and another
for the end chainage and the movement spread evenly over the range.
This function should be considered in conjunction with the
Expand/Shrink facility that offers powerful editing in the horizontal
plane.

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Process layer Select the layer from which existing cross section

Section Menu 5-25

 data should be read.
Store to layer Check this option and select the layer to which the
altered cross section should be stored. If this option
is not checked then the changes are only listed and
not stored.
Define details by... Select the Offset from centreline option to specify
the details using offsets, or select the Point location
code option to define details using PLC's. The Point
location code option is only available for some
functions.
Enter details for sections... Select either the Individually option in order to
provide details for each chainage in the range, or
select the Whole chainage range option in order to
apply one set of details to all the chainages in the
range.
Surface action Select either the Add points option to add new points
to the cross section, the Overwrite option to
overwrite any existing points in the cross section, or
the Merge option to carry out a simultaneous delete
and add of points in the cross section. The Merge
option is only available for some functions.
Verify section save Check this option to be asked if each altered section
must be saved. If this option is not checked then
each altered section is saved automatically.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Absolute Change dialog is displayed.

Type of change... Select either the Add value as constant option to add
the entered value to the existing value, or the Set to
specific value option to change the existing value to
the entered value.

5-26 Roads Reference

Apply change to... Select either the Offset option to make the changes
to the point offset, or the Elevation option to make
the changes to the point elevation.
Offset limits - Left and Right Enter the limits of the points to process as offsets.
This option is only available if the Offset from
centreline option was chosen for Define details by...
in the Process Details dialog.
Relative point codes - Left and Enter the limits of the points to process as PLC's.
Right This option is only available if the Point location code
option was chosen for Define details by... in the
Process Details dialog.
Value to apply - Start and End Enter the value to be applied at the start and end of
the selected chainage range. If different values are
entered for start and end then the start value is
applied to the first chainage in the range, the end
value is applied to the final chainage in the range,
and the value to be applied to the intermediate
chainages is calculated by linear interpolation over
the selected range.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections... in
the Process Details dialog, then the Absolute Change dialog is displayed
for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to alter the
details for each chainage. Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the
[Cancel] button to end the function.
If you checked the Verify section save option in the Process Details
dialog, then after each cross section is processed the following message is
displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

Section Menu 5-27

Expand/Shrink
Expand or shrink an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionExpandShrink

This function is used to expand or shrink cross sections by moving a

whole set of points horizontally left or right of a certain 'target' offset. The
movement can be horizontal or 'on a grade'. It is typically used to widen
carriageways, expand kerbs, allow for bus ranks, create bell mouths,
transition in and out of dual carriageway splits, introduce drains etc.
The routine is only applicable to horizontal shifts. For vertical shifts,
refer to the Absolute Change routine.
If the details are to be applied to the entire specified chainage range, the
amount to insert at both the start and stop chainages must be entered.
The actual value can be either an expansion (positive value) or shrinkage
(negative value) or nothing. For each intervening section, the amount to
insert will be calculated by lineal interpolation between the start and
stop chainages.

End

Start

Expansion (e.g. 0 to 2m) Shrinkage (e.g. 0 to -2m)

If details are to be applied individually then only the start insertion is

available and each chainage may be individually set.

5-28 Roads Reference

A 'target offset' is identified from which the movement will be based. This
will be an offset relative to the CL. The points lying either to the left or to
the right of this 'target offset' may be moved and they can be moved
horizontally or along the grade of the section at the 'target offset'.
By default all the points to the left or right of the target offset are moved.
However, if the Move within radius of target offset option is selected, a
value for the radius has to be entered and only points that fall within this
radius of the target offset will be moved.
If you move points horizontally the points are simply shifted to the left or
right as shown below.

Target
Offset
CL

Horizontal move of points to left

If you move point on a grade the points are moved at the grade just
before the target offset. In the example below the carriageway grade is
used to move the points.

Target
C
L Offset

‘On grade’ move of points to right

Section Menu 5-29

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Process layer Select the layer from which existing cross section
data should be read.
Store to layer Check this option and select the layer to which the
altered cross section should be stored. If this option
is not checked then the changes are only listed and
not stored.
Define details by... Select the Offset from centreline option to specify
the details using offsets, or select the Point location
code option to define details using PLC's. The Point
location code option is only available for some
functions.
Enter details for sections... Select either the Individually option in order to
provide details for each chainage in the range, or
select the Whole chainage range option in order to
apply one set of details to all the chainages in the
range.
Surface action Select either the Add points option to add new points
to the cross section, the Overwrite option to
overwrite any existing points in the cross section, or
the Merge option to carry out a simultaneous delete
and add of points in the cross section. The Merge
option is only available for some functions.
Verify section save Check this option to be asked if each altered section
must be saved. If this option is not checked then
each altered section is saved automatically.

5-30 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Expand/Shrink dialog is displayed.

Target offset for insertion Enter the offset at which the expand/shrink must
take place.
Amount to insert - Start and Enter the start and end value of the insertion that
End should take place. If start and end have different
values then the start value is applied to the first
chainage in the selected chainage range, the end
value is applied to the last chainage in the selected
chainage range, and the intermediate values have a
linearly interpolated value applied.
Move points... Select either the Left of target option to move points
located to the left of the target offset, or the Right of
target option to move points located to the right of
the target offset.
Move points on... Select either the Grade option to move points at the
grade calculated at the target offset, or the
Horizontally option to move points horizontally.
Move within radius of target Check this option and enter a radius to restrict
offset alteration to points located within the specified radius
of the target offset.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections... in
the Process Details dialog, then the Expand/Shrink dialog is displayed

Section Menu 5-31

for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to alter the
specified details for each chainage.
Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the [Cancel] button to end the
function.
If you checked the Verify section save option then after each cross section
is processed the following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

5-32 Roads Reference

Layerwork Box
Create layerworks by deduction from an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionBoxDeduct

This function is used to create simple earthwork cross sections from an

existing final road layer by deducting a layer of a certain depth between
specified offsets. In a cut situation, this layer will normally have vertical
sides resulting in an earthwork 'box'.
It is also possible to specify that the bottom of the 'box' be extended to
attempt to intersect with the left side, the right side or both batters of the
layer. This caters specifically for layer works in fills that are not boxed. If
an intersection cannot be achieved, a normal box will be generated. For
dual carriageway roads, the routine will normally have to be performed
twice, once for each carriageway.
The depth of the box to deduct must be entered as well as specifying
whether the base of the box should attempt to intersect with the left
and/or right batters of the section. There is an option to either ignore or
add the points beyond the limits of the created box.
Ignoring the points will yield a section that is confined to the box bottom
and walls alone, and is the most common choice if only a visual
representation or plot of the section is required.
Adding the points will result in all the data beyond the box limits being
included in the new section. This includes the batters if present and this
option would be used if areas and volumes were required from the
resulting cross section.

It should be noted that there is nothing in the routine that cannot be

handled as well or better by setting up a suitable template for that
subsurface layer.

Section Menu 5-33

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Process layer Select the layer from which existing cross section
data should be read.
Store to layer Check this option and select the layer to which the
altered cross section should be stored. If this option
is not checked then the changes are only listed and
not stored.
Define details by... Select the Offset from centreline option to specify
the details using offsets, or select the Point location
code option to define details using PLC's. The Point
location code option is only available for some
functions.
Enter details for sections... Select either the Individually option in order to
provide details for each chainage in the range, or
select the Whole chainage range option in order to
apply one set of details to all the chainages in the
range.
Surface action Select either the Add points option to add new points
to the cross section, the Overwrite option to
overwrite any existing points in the cross section, or
the Merge option to carry out a simultaneous delete
and add of points in the cross section. The Merge
option is only available for some functions.
Verify section save Check this option to be asked if each altered section
must be saved. If this option is not checked then
each altered section is saved automatically.

5-34 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Layerwork Box Deduction dialog is displayed.

Box deduction offsets - Left Enter the left and right offsets between which the
and Right box should be deducted. Offsets to the left of the
centreline should be entered as negative values.
Only available if entering details by offset.
Box deduction point codes - Enter the left and right PLC's between which the box
Left and Right should be deducted. Points to the left of the
centreline should be entered as negative values.
Only available if entering details by point codes.
Box depth to deduct Enter the depth that should be deducted from the
cross section to form the box.
Try to intersect with batters - Check these options to have the routine try to
Left and Right intercept with the batter slopes on the respective
sides. If an intersection cannot be calculated then
that side will be taken vertically to an intersection
with the original cross section.
Include points outside box Check this option to have points falling outside the
box copied from the original cross section to the new
cross section.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections... in
the Process Details dialog, then the Layerwork Box Deduction dialog is
displayed for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to
alter the specified offset for each chainage.

Section Menu 5-35

Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the [Cancel] button to end the
function.
If you checked the Verify section save option then after each cross section
is processed the following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

5-36 Roads Reference

Layer Deduction
Create a new cross section by deduction from an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSectionLayerDeduct

Like Layerwork Box, this function is used to create simple earthwork

cross sections from an existing final road layer by deducting a layer of a
certain depth between specified offsets.
The Offset to extract the crossfall from is the target distance that will
dictate the slope of the layer. Whatever the slope is at this offset will be
adopted for the layer.
The Offset for Cut Off dictates how far the layer will run. It may be an
offset or a PLC code and the layer will extend this far unless either of the
Snip at Intersection of Cut/Fill boxes are checked. If they are, the layer
will stop short of the Cut-Off offset if it crosses a cut or fill batter slope.
The Extend Layer from Cut-Off option will be available only if the Offset
for Cut-Off was defined by a PLC code. If a figure is entered here, the
layer will be extended by that amount beyond the point defined by the
offset code value. This is a "forced" extension and will override any Snip
instruction.
The box to be deducted will follow the same crossfall as the final road
layer. Thus, the crossfall between the points where the box is to be
extracted will vary if the crossfall of the final road layer varies.

Section Menu 5-37

Procedure
The Process Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The Layer
Deduction dialog is displayed.

Extract crossfalls at offset - Enter the left and right offset of the positions at
Left and Right which to calculate crossfalls. Points to the left of the
centreline should be entered as negative values.
Offsets for cutoff - Left and Enter the offset left and right at which the layer
Right should end. Only available if entering data by offset.
Points to the left of the centreline should be entered
as negative values.

5-38 Roads Reference

Point codes for cutoff offset - Enter the left and right PLC's at which the layer
Left and Right should end. Only available if entering data by point
codes. Points to the left of the centreline should be
entered as negative values.
Extend layer from cutoff by - Enter the extra length that should be added after the
Left and Right offset. Only available if entering data by point codes.
Layer depth to deduct Enter the depth below the original cross section at
which the new cross section should be created.
Snip at batter intersection in Check this option to have the layer stop at the batter
FILL intersection if the full layer has not yet been created.
Snip at batter base in CUT Check this option to have the layer stop at the base
of the batter slope if the full layer has not yet been
created.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Individually option for Enter details for sections... in
the Process Details dialog, then the Layer Deduction dialog is displayed
for each chainage in the range, giving you the opportunity to alter the
specified offset for each chainage.
Click the [OK] button to continue, or click the [Cancel] button to end the
function.
If you checked the Verify section save option then after each cross section
is processed the following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to save the updated cross section, or click the [No]
button to retain the existing cross section.

Section Menu 5-39

Solidify Layerworks
Generate cross sections from template layerworks definition

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadSolidifyLayerworks

This routine is used to create physical cross sections from the layerworks
definitions contained in template files.
When a road layer cross section is created using Area/Volume ► Apply
Template the relevant template number is stored along with the cross
section data.
If the template has defined layerworks then these can be turned into
physical cross sections by deducting each of the defined layerwork
sections from its parent cross section. These new cross sections then
allow volumes between themselves and any other layers to be calculated.

Solidify Layerworks
None Only Last Only Last Layerwork All Layerwork details
Layerwork stepped

Layer 3

Layer 4

Layer 5

In order to calculate volumes using the newly created cross sections you
must firstly use Area/Volume ► Recalculate Areas specifying the two layers
between which volumes will be calculated, and then use Area/Volume ►
Masshaul Volume to determine the volumes.

5-40 Roads Reference

Procedure
The Solidify Layerworks dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage in the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage in the range of chainages to
process.
Batter layer Select the layer that was generated using a
template.
Initial destination layer Select the first layer on which to create generated
cross sections. This layer will be used for the first
layerwork definition. Subsequent layers will be used
for subsequent layerwork definitions. For example, if
you specify Layer 3 as the initial layer and there are
three layers in the layerworks definition, then layers
3, 4, and 5 will contain the generated cross sections.
Include outside points from This option is used to include points in the batter
Batter layer for: layer cross section that lie outside the layerworks in
the generated layer.
Step in Fill Only This option is only available if "Only last layerwork
detail - stepped" is checked. If this option is checked
then the layerworks will only be stepped when in fill.
In cut situations a box cut, with a width equal to the
first layerwork in cut, will be created.

Section Menu 5-41

Try to intersect with batters: This option is not available if the "None" option is
Left and/or right checked. If one of these options are checked you
must specify a ground layer. Check these options to
have the routine try to intercept with the batter
slopes on the respective sides.

This routine will overwrite data in existing layers without warning. You
will be warned if the number of the initial destination layer is lower than
that of the batter layer as the possibility of overwriting the batter layer is
then very real. Other than that, no warning is given.
Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

5-42 Roads Reference

Alignment Menu

The Alignment Menu allows you to define and modify the horizontal and
vertical alignment of your road as well as the carriageway width, crossfall
and super-elevation.

Alignment Menu 6-1

Horizontal
These functions are used to calculate the coordinates
of chainage points along a horizontal alignment that is
defined in terms of known horizontal points of
intersection (PI's) and circular curve radii. The
coordinates are added to the chainage records of the
cross section database associated with the active road.
If design data has been changed but fresh coordinates
were not regenerated, a warning message will remind
you to generate this data.

Several of the Horizontal Alignment menu items

produce output that may either be printed to a printer
or displayed on the screen. To read your output on
the screen, make sure the Output window is open.

6-2 Roads Reference

Edit Alignment
Edit horizontal alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalEditAlignment

This function is used to enter a new horizontal alignment or to edit an

existing alignment.
The horizontal alignment is stored in ASCII format in the 'design' file of
the active road file and may be entered with the spreadsheet in this
function or a text editor.
The alignment requires that the names of the start point, the horizontal
PI's and the end point be entered. If the end PI name starts with a “*”
character then the end chainages for the Vertical and Edge levels
spreadsheets will automatically be updated when the horizontal
alignment is changed. The radius of the horizontal curve at each PI must
also be entered. A radius of 0 is calculated as a kink.

The value entered in the Radius column for the start point is not seen
as a radius but is rather the start chainage of the alignment.

The horizontal curves may also have transition curves into and/or out of
each curve specified. The TrIn and TrOut columns are used to specify the
length of the transition curve, which is calculated as an Euler spiral.
Transition lengths are usually equal on either side of the circular portion
but there is no need to conform to this.
In order to correctly orient the alignment the coordinates of the start
point, PI's and end point must be entered. If 0 is entered for both
coordinate values, the current terrain file will be searched for a point of
the same name and, if found, its coordinates will be entered
automatically. If such a point is not found then you will be asked for the
correct coordinates.
An optional offset from the actual centreline for each point may be
entered. This is normally used in cases where the alignment points are
not along the centreline of the road but rather at some other point such
as the left or right kerb line. Offsets to the left of the alignment are
entered as negative numbers, and those to the right as positive numbers.
When the alignment is stored or calculated in any way, these offsets are
used to determine the correct position of the points along the centreline.

Alignment Menu 6-3

Finally, a curve number may be entered. The program will automatically
enter these values, however, if you want your curves to be numbered
from a specific number then you can simply enter this number in the
[No] cell of the start PI row.

Procedure
Close the spreadsheet to save the data.
If the program encounters Zero radii or some curves need transition
curves and the Design Criteria flag was set then the Validate Horizontal
Alignment dialog will be displayed:

Start PI Moved by X The user moved the start PI by X meters. If X > 0

then the three options will be enabled

Alter Start Chg Check this option to alter the start chainage of the
road by X.
Shift Vertical and Edge points Check this option to keep the start chainage
unchanged, but shift all the subsequent vertical PI
and Edge level points by X.
Ignore Check this option not to alter the start chainage or
shift the VPI and Edge points.
PI column This column indicates the PI names where no radii
were found, or where transition curves are needed.
This column is read only.
Curve Radius column If a PI without a curve radius was found then this
column will contain the minimum Design Criteria
value. You may manually alter these values.

6-4 Roads Reference

Alter R column Check these check boxes to change the associated
radius to the value in the "Curve Radius" column.
Unchecked values will not be updated.
Transition curves Column If a transition curves are needed then this column
will contain the minimum transition length according
to Design Criteria. You may manually alter these
values.
Alter Tr Column Check these check boxes to change the associated
transition lengths to the value in the "Transition
curves" column. Unchecked values will not be
updated.
Always IGNORE check box Check this button to always ignore everything in the
spreadsheet. No radius and transition length
changes will be made to the Horizontal Alignment
spreadsheet.
Alter Button Click this button to Alter the checked values in the
Horizontal Alignment spreadsheet and to perform
the PI shifting.
Ignore Button Click this button not to perform the selected
changes.

Click on Alter to update the horizontal alignment spreadsheet with the

selected values.
The following confirmation box will appear.

Press Yes to save the changes to the *.des file. Press No to discard the
latest changes. If you press No then no VPI and edge control point
shifting will be done.

Minimum Transition Length calculation

If the circular radius of a particular horizontal curve is less than the
value specified in the "Max Tr. Len" column on the Design Criteria dialog
then a transition curve will be calculated. The transition cure lengths for
these curves will be calculated by the formula selected in the Design
Criteria Dialog.

Alignment Menu 6-5

RSA Formula
According to the TRH, transition curves should be introduce where a
superelevation rate of more than 6% are used at a circular curve. The
procedure that should be followed is to consult the Superelevation graph
and enter the curve radii for 6% into the "Max Tr. Len" column on the
Design Criteria dialog. If a transition curve is needed its length must be
equal to the length required for the development of superelevation. i.e.
L = (W * e * s * l)
100

UK Formula
The transition length will be calculated using the UK formula:
Lt = V2
(46.7 * q * R)

6-6 Roads Reference

Graphical Insert
Graphical PI insertion

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalGraphicalInsert

This routine works in conjunction with the horizontal alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate PI positions.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the horizontal alignment that is displayed in the
Design Centre window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate position for new PI

Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the Insert Details
dialog is displayed.

PI Name Enter the PI Name

Insert as first PI Select this option to have the new PI inserted at the
beginning of the current alignment.
Insert as PI number Select this option and enter a PI number to have the
new PI inserted at that position in the current
alignment.
Insert as next PI, or last point Select this option to have the new PI inserted at the
end of the current alignment.

Fill in the relevant data and click on the [OK] button to continue.

Alignment Menu 6-7

Graphical Delete
Graphical PI deletion

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalGraphicalDelete

This routine works in conjunction with the horizontal alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate PI's to be deleted.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the horizontal alignment that is displayed in the
Design Centre window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate PI to delete

Click on a PI in the Design Centre window and the PI is then removed

from the alignment.

6-8 Roads Reference

Graphical Edit
Graphical PI editing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalGraphicalEdit

This routine works in conjunction with the horizontal alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate PI's to be edited.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the horizontal alignment that is displayed in the
Design Centre window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate PI to edit

Click on a PI in the Design Centre window and the Horizontal PI Details

dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the PI Name

Y Coord / X Coord Enter the horizontal and vertical ordinate of the PI
coordinate
Curve Radius Enter the radius of the curve through this PI
Transition lengths - In and Out Enter the tangent lengths of the transition curves into
and out of this curve.
Auto calculate Transition If this option is checked when you press OK then the
Lengths transition lengths for the edited curve will
automatically calculated according to the Design
Criteria if necessary.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Alignment Menu 6-9

Graphical Move
Graphical PI moving

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalGraphicalMove

This routine works in conjunction with the horizontal alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate new positions for
existing PI's. You can also move the BC and EC positions causing the
radius to be recalculated.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the horizontal alignment that is displayed in the
Design Centre window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate PI or EC/BC to move

Click on a PI in the Design Centre window and the following prompt is

displayed:
Indicate new position for PI

Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the coordinates of

the PI are updated to reflect the new position. The new PI position is
displayed on the screen as the mouse is moved. Right click during the
second part of the procedure to cancel the move.

6-10 Roads Reference

Fit Curve
Fit curve through fixed point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalFitCurve

This function is used to fit a curve through a particular point. The

straight on either side of the curve must be known; therefore an initial
provisional alignment is necessary. If matching a new design to an
existing road the calculation will commonly be run several times to
several points and a mean or 'best fit' adopted. This process is
accomplished automatically.
The name of the point the curve must pass through must be entered, as
well as the physical curve number of the provisional curve (or kink) on
the horizontal alignment. The routine then calculates the required radius
of the curve so that the horizontal alignment will pass through the
specified point. Transitions may be included.

Procedure
The Curve Fitting dialog is displayed.

Curve number for fit Enter the curve number (the spreadsheet line on
which the PI is located) for which fitting is required.
Terrain point to pass through Enter the name of an existing DTM point through
which the curve must pass.
Transition lengths - In and Out Enter the tangent lengths of the desired transition
curves into and out of this curve.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button calculate the curve.

1. If the Horizontal Alignment Spreadsheet is open, then the following

message will be displayed:

Alignment Menu 6-11

 Click [Yes] to automatically alter the curve in the Horizontal
Alignment spreadsheet. Click [No] not to alter the spreadsheet.

2. If the Horizontal Alignment Spreadsheet is NOT open, then the

following message will be displayed

Click the [OK] button to close the message box. The calculated
curve radius will NOT be written into the alignment, it is merely
displayed for your information
If a curve cannot be calculated such that it will pass through the fixed
point, the following message is displayed:

Click the [OK] button to close the message box.

6-12 Roads Reference

Review Alignment
List alignment details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalReviewAlignment

This routine produces a detailed listing of the horizontal alignment

details. Make sure that the Output Window is open and set the Output
Manager settings as required.
Each curve is listed with its Radius, Straight Direction In and Out (of the
curve), Tangent Lengths, Transition Lengths and Transition Shift (if
any). The coordinates and chainage values for the Beginning (BCC) and
End (ECC) of Curve are listed along with the PI and Center of Circle
(CC). If there are any transition curves, the Beginning (BTC) and End
(ETC) of Transition will also be listed.

It is a good idea to make a note of the End Chainage for reference

purposes.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to have the horizontal alignment data written out
to a file in comma-delimited format suitable for import into a
spreadsheet program. Click the [No] button to ignore this option.
If you selected the Yes option above then Windows’ standard save dialog
is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write. The drive
and path automatically default to the last used drive and directory for
this type of file.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
The alignment is listed to the selected device(s).

Alignment Menu 6-13

Coordinate
Calculate centreline chainages and coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalCoordinate

This routine coordinates the chainage points along the alignment and
produces a simple listing of the coordinates.
To run this option, an alignment defined by PI points and curve details
must already exist. The start and end chainage for the calculation must
be specified. The default values are calculated from the entered
alignment but you are free to specify your own range.
If a road database has not been created for the current road, or if there is
a database but it has no chainages, then chainage intervals must be
specified for both straights and curves. Chainages at the specified
interval will then be inserted into the roads database along with the
calculated coordinates.
If the road database already exists then you have the option of using the
road index (See the section on the road index). Each chainage record in
the index will have new coordinates calculated. Make sure the Output
Window is open to see the listing on the screen.

Procedure
The Coordination Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the start chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the end chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.

6-14 Roads Reference

Chainage intervals - Straights Enter the interval between chainages generated
and Curves along a straight and around a curve respectively.
Round to chainage interval Check this option to ensure that generated
chainages are multiples of the straight chainage
interval even if the start chainage is not a full
chainage. For example, if the start chainage is
12.000 and the interval is 10.000 then chainages
12.000, 20.000, 30.000, etc. will be generated.
However, if rounding is not selected then chainages
12.000, 22.000, 32.000, etc. would be generated.
Chainages from index Check this option if you wish to calculate the
coordinates of the chainages already in the road file
and do not want to generate new chainages. This
option is only available if the road file has been
saved previously and should be used after inserting
chainages into the road file.
Offset - Left and Right Enter the offset left and right of the centreline for
additional calculated coordinates. This option is only
available if Offset Coords has been selected from
the Horizontal Alignment menu.
Placing search radius Enter the search radius around the current base
point for chainage points. Base points are BCC's,
ECC's and chainage points with an interval of the
search radius between them. This option is only
available if Placing Data has been selected from the
Horizontal Alignment menu.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of this function
written to a file in comma-delimited format suitable
for import into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings. If the Chainages
from index option was not selected, then the following message is
displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to replace any existing road database, or click the
[No] button to cancel the function. If the Spreadsheet output option was
selected, then Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for
you to select a file to which to write. The drive and path automatically
default to the last used drive and directory for this type of file.

Alignment Menu 6-15

Join Data
Calculate centreline chainages and coordinates and produce join data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalJoinData

This routine functions in the same way, and produces the same results,
as Coordinate. The difference between the routines, however, is that as
the coordinates are calculated, they are listed along with the direction
and distance from the previous chainage to the current chainage.

Tangent Data
Calculate centreline chainages and coordinates and produce tangent data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalTangentData

This routine functions in the same way, and produces the same results,
as Coordinate. The difference between the routines, however, is that as
the coordinates are calculated, they are listed along with a tangent
direction at that chainage.

Placing Data
Calculate centreline chainages and coordinates and produce placing data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalPlacingData

This routine functions in the same way, and produces the same results,
as Coordinate. The difference between the routines however is that a join
radius must be entered. The direction and distance from every chainage
point within the radius of the current 'Join Base' point will be listed as
the coordinates are calculated.
The 'Join Base' points will consist of BCC and ECC points as well as
chainage points with an interval of the join radius between them. So for
example, a join radius of '200' will yield placing data from BCC's and
ECC's as well as from 200,400,600 and so on.

6-16 Roads Reference

Offset Coords
Calculate centreline chainages and coordinates and produce offset coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalOffsetCoords

This routine functions in the same way, and produces the same results,
as Coordinate. The difference between the routines is that the offset left
and right of the horizontal alignment for the points to be calculated must
be specified. The coordinates of the points (both left and right) will be
listed as the chainage point coordinates are calculated. The offset points
are only listed and NOT added to the road database.

Alignment Menu 6-17

Coord to Survey
Create DTM points from the centreline chainages

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalCoordToSurvey

This routine is used to convert the coordinates of the chainage records in

the road database to points in the terrain database.
The point will be given the name of the chainage (e.g. Chainage 10.500
will be named '10.5') and will carry a '0' elevation if Coord to Survey is
used before a vertical alignment was done. If the vertical alignment was
previously done, the elevations will have that value.
The start and end chainage must be supplied as well as a suffix to add to
the name of the point. The suffix can be used to set up appropriate name
filters. A destination surface for the point must also be selected.

Procedure
The Survey Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

export or update.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
export or update.
Store to surface Select the surface on which the exported chainage
points should be written. Only available for the
Coord to Survey function.
Suffix to add to chainage Enter the suffix (maximum 1 character) to be added
to the chainage names. Only available for the Coord
to Survey function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-18 Roads Reference

Coord from Survey
Update centreline chainage coordinates from DTM points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalCoordFromSurvey

This routine is used to read chainage coordinate values from the terrain
database and update the road database chainage records with these
values. It is useful for coordinating roads where the horizontal alignment
is not known.
In such cases chainage points would be established by means of a Survey
and not from a theoretical horizontal alignment. Portions of road like this
can be mixed with stretches of pre-calculated alignment.
The roads database must already have the chainage records present
(done using Tools ► Insert Chainage or Tools ► Batch Chainage Insertion).
The start and end chainage for the search need to be specified. The
terrain database is then scanned for points with the same name as the
chainages in the roads database. Only simple names with no suffix like
'100', '120', and’140’ will be adopted. If points are found, the road chainage
record's coordinates will be updated with the found points coordinates.

Alignment Menu 6-19

Procedure
The Survey Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

export or update.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
export or update.
Store to surface Only available for the Coord to Survey function.
Suffix to add to chainage Only available for the Coord to Survey function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click on
the [OK] button to proceed.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-20 Roads Reference

Point Chainage
Calculate the relative chainage of a terrain point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalCoordChainage

This function calculates the chainage of a point on the site relative to the
centreline of the current road.
You are first asked to indicate a PI from which to base calculations.
Chainages can only be calculated from the BC of the curve at the
indicated PI to the EC of the curve at the following PI. Should you select
the final PI in a road, the previous PI will automatically be selected.
Once the PI has been chosen, you are asked to indicate a point on the
site. You can use the Snap mode to snap to a particular point or turn it
off to indicate a free point. The function will, if the point falls within the
section of road selected via the PI as above, calculate and display the
chainage, coordinates, distance and direction of the intersection
perpendicular to the centreline of the road. An indicator line will be
drawn from the indicated point to the intersection point.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate point for chain calculation

Indicate a position in the Design Centre window and the following

message is displayed:

Click the [OK] button to close the message box.

If the indicated point does not form a perpendicular intersection with the
selected section of road, then the following message is displayed:

Alignment Menu 6-21

Track Generation
Generate a Turn track from the centreline of the current alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadHorizontalTrackGenerate

This function uses the horizontal alignment of the current road to

generate a CAD line/arc combination on a selected CAD layer that can be
used as the track for the Turn module. The track is generated at a
specified offset from the centreline alignment.

Procedure
The Road Track Generation dialog is displayed:

Start chainage Enter the chainage at which track generation should

start.
Stop chainage Enter the chainage at which track generation should
stop.
Offset from centreline Enter the offset from the centreline at which the track
should be generated. Negative offsets generate the
track to the left of the centreline, while positive
offsets generate the track to the right.
Pen Select the pen in which the track line should be
drawn.
CAD layer Select the (existing) CAD layer on which the track
line should be drawn.

Enter the required details and click the [OK] button to continue. The
track is generated on the selected layer.

6-22 Roads Reference

Vertical Alignment
These functions calculate the level at chainages along
a vertical alignment that is defined in terms of known
vertical points of intersection (VPI's) and vertical
curve lengths in the case of a parabolic curve, or a
radius in the case of a circular curve. The calculations
are based on normal symmetrical parabolic curves
unless otherwise indicated.
The Generate Levels item on the menu actually
calculates the elevations at each chainage. All the
preceding items are only concerned with the
geometry.
The generated elevations are stored as a single-point
cross section in Layer 128 for each chainage in the database associated
with the active road. If necessary, these data items can be edited just like
any other cross section.
If design data has been changed but fresh levels were not regenerated, a
warning message will remind you to do this.

Alignment Menu 6-23

Edit Alignment
Edit vertical alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalEditAlignment

This routine is used to enter or edit the vertical alignment for the road.
The vertical alignment is stored in ASCII format in the 'design' file of the
active road

On the Graphical Display, the alignments will be drawn in the pen colour
specified in File Option Settings. VPI points are indicated by a cross, BVC
and EVC points are indicated by a short vertical line and overlaps will be
indicated on the alignment with a thick line, drawn in the Design Criteria
pen.
Vertical curves are defined in terms of chainage, VPI elevation and curve
length in the case a parabolic curve or radius in the case of a circular
curve. The chainage and elevation for the start VPI must be specified
with a curve length of '0'. The intermediate VPI's follow with their
chainage value, elevation and curve lengths/radius. A curve length/radius
of ‘0’ may be used to create kinks in the alignment. The alignment is

6-24 Roads Reference

ended with an end VPI that has a chainage, elevation and a curve length
of '0'.
An Information bar will be displayed at the top of the Roads Window.
This bar can be moved to another location, or closed down. As you move
the cursor the information bar will display curve information for the
curve situated at the cursor position. The elevation on the vertical
alignment, at the current cursor position, will also be displayed. Note
that only the curve information for the active carriageway will be
displayed.

Elev (Road) The elevation on the Vertical alignment as specified in the

spreadsheet of the active carriageway, interpolated at the cursor
chainage.
Elev (Line 1) The elevation of the first layer specified on the Ground lines
dialog interpolated at the cursor chainage. For circular curves,
the radius will also be displayed
Grade (%) When the cursor moves over a straight portion of the alignment
then the grade in percentage will be displayed. When the cursor
moves over a curve, this value will be zero.
Curve n: L = x When the cursor moves over a vertical curve, the curve number
and curve length (n and x) will be displayed here.

K-Val The current k-value of the curve at the cursor position, when the
cursor moves over a vertical curve.

Min K The minimum k-value according to the Design Criteria, when the
cursor moves over a vertical curve..

B-Grd The back grade in percentage, when the cursor moves over a
vertical curve

F-Grd The Front Grade in percentage, when the cursor moves over a
vertical curve.

To put in a non-symmetrical parabolic vertical curve, enter a negative

curve length with the fractional part of the length representing the

Alignment Menu 6-25

percentage of the curve length to be allocated to the first portion of the
curve. For example, if a curve length of 60 meters is required with 40
meters being allocated before the VPI and 20 meters after it, the curve
length should be entered as '-60.66' (40/60 = 0.66).
For dual carriageways, two vertical alignments must be entered. Select
the carriageway using the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Select
Single - LHS for a single carriageway or the left carriageway of a dual
carriageway road, and RHS for the right carriageway of a dual
carriageway road.
The two alignments are graded separately. If both carriageways are to
follow the same alignment, the Left carriageway should be entered and
then be duplicated on the right by copying and pasting the relevant data.
In the case of a single carriageway road, the alignment will be taken from
the 'Left' carriageway only.
A road is recognized as being a dual carriageway by the fact that it has
two vertical alignments (possibly identical). All later functions such as
Edge Levels and Apply Templates depend on this recognition of a dual
carriageway road in order to present the correct options.
The vertical alignment and up to 10 ground lines will be displayed in the
Roads window. A line at the bottom of the screen will indicate the
Horizontal alignment. Thick parts in the line represent horizontal
curves, while gaps in the line represent transition curves. Apart from the
graphical editing functions documented below, there are also a number
of shortcut keys that can be used to manipulate the view or to edit the
alignment:
M Magnify around the cursor.
D De-magnify around the cursor.
R Redraw the alignment to its limits.
S Refresh the display.
H Jump to the nearest horizontal alignment point.
G Jump to the nearest ground line point.
J Jump to the nearest VPI.
L Lock the cursor movement to the nearest alignment line (ESC to unlock).
F (Follow) Toggle Auto-pan on or off. When moving the cursor on the Roads
Window, its horizontal position will be tracked with a cross on the Design
Center window. If Auto-pan is switched on, the Design Center Window will
automatically pan as soon as the cross moves out of view.
U Jump to a specific coordinate. Chainage and elevation for Long Sections and
Offset and Elevation for cross sections

6-26 Roads Reference

A popup menu can be displayed by right clicking on the Roads window.
The following options are available from the popup menu:

Insert PI Insert a Vertical PI

Edit PI Edit a Vertical PI

Delete PI Delete a Vertical PI

Move PI Move a Vertical PI

Set Carriageway Swap the active carriageway

Ground lines Display the Groundlines dialog

Review Alignment Run Review Alignment

Abridge Review Run Abridge Review Alignment

Generate Levels Generate Vertical Levels

K-Value Run K-Value

Fit Curve Run Fit Curve

Sight Distance Display the Sight Distance dialog.

Measure Measure the Horizontal, vertical and slope distance

as well as the grade between two points.

Move To Jump to a specific coordinate. Chainage and

elevation for Long Sections and Offset and Elevation
for cross sections

Alignment Menu 6-27

Select Carriageway
Select carriageway to edit on dual carriageways

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalCarriageWay

This function allows you to select the active carriageway in a dual

carriageway road. The active carriageway is shown as either 'Single/LHS'
or 'RHS' in the Road window status bar.

Procedure
The Active Cariageway dialog is displayed.

The dialog displays the carriageway that will be set as the active
carriageway after pressing OK.

6-28 Roads Reference

Graphical Insert
Graphical VPI insertion

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGraphicalInsert

This routine works in conjunction with the vertical alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate VPI positions. You will
probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this function
in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the Road
window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate position for new VPI

Click on a position in the Road window and the Vertical Curve Details
dialog is displayed.

Chainage Enter the chainage of this VPI.

Elevation Enter the elevation of this VPI.
Curve length / Radius Enter the length or radius of the vertical curve at this
VPI.
Back Grade Enter the Back grade in percentage, for this VPI.
Front Grade Enter the Front grade in percentage, for this VPI
Current K Value The current K-Value will be calculated automatically.
Min. K Value The minimum K Value as specified in the Design
Criteria dialog, will be displayed here.

If Design Criteria is used then the program will automatically enter a

curve length that satisfies the design criteria, which can be overwritten.

Alignment Menu 6-29

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue. When
editing any of the Chainage, Elevation, Back Grade or Front Grade
values, the other values will automatically be calculated when you tab off
the edit box, or when pressing [OK]. For example, if you edit the Front
Grade, the Chainage and Elevation will be updated.

Graphical Delete
Graphical VPI deletion

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGraphicalDelete
This routine works in conjunction with the vertical alignment
spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate VPI's to be deleted.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate VPI to delete

Click on a VPI in the Road window and the following message is

displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to delete the indicated VPI, or click the [No]
button to retain the VPI.

6-30 Roads Reference

Graphical Edit
Graphical VPI editing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGraphicalEdit

This routine works in conjunction with the vertical alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically indicate VPI's to be edited.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate VPI to edit

Click on a VPI in the Road window and the Vertical Curve Details dialog
is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Alignment Menu 6-31

Graphical Move
Graphical VPI moving

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGraphicalMove

This routine works in conjunction with the vertical alignment

spreadsheet to allow you to graphically move existing VPI's.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate VPI to move

Click on an existing VPI in the Road window and the following prompt is
displayed:
Indicate new position for VPI

Click on a position in the Road window and the VPI is updated to reflect
the new position. The new VPI position is displayed on the screen as the
mouse is moved. Right click during the second part of the procedure to
cancel the move.

6-32 Roads Reference

Ground Lines
Select ground lines to display

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGroundLines

This function allows you to select additional lines to be displayed along

with the vertical alignment. Up to 4 extra lines from any road layer can
be displayed. The line to be displayed is taken from offsets or PLC's and
the colour of the line may be specified.

Procedure
The Ground Line Details dialog is displayed.

On - Line 1 to Line 4 Check this option to turn on the display of the

selected line.
Layer - Line 1 to Line 4 Select the layer from which the longsection should
be extracted.

Alignment Menu 6-33

PLC - Line 1 to Line 4 Check this option and enter the point location code
(PLC) of the points that form the longsection. Points
left of the centreline must be entered as a negative
value.
Offset - Line 1 to Line 4 Enter the offset of the points that form the
longsection. Only available if the PLC option is not
checked. Offsets left of the centreline must be
entered as a negative value.
Height - Line 1 to Line 4 Enter a height constant for the selected ground line.
e.g. Enter -1.5 to display a line 1.5 m below the
selected ground line.
Pen Button - Line 1 to Line 4 Click this button to select the pen in which the
selected line should be drawn.
User Defined Lines - Plot Enter Yes or No to specify whether this line should
column be plotted. Right click on the cell to toggle the
current entry.
User Defined Lines - From Enter the start chainage of this line.
Chainage column
User Defined Lines - From Enter the start elevation of this line.
Elevation column
User Defined Lines - To Enter the end chainage of this line.
Chainage column
User Defined Lines - To Enter the end elevation of this line.
Elevation column
User Defined Lines - Pen Enter the pen number of the colour in which this line
column should be displayed. Right click the cell to display
the colour selection dialog.
Show Gradelimits from Design Check this option to show the grade limit envelope
Criteria from the design criteria.
Show Crossing Pipes Check this option to display crossing pipes on the
Vertical Alignment View.

6-34 Roads Reference

When you check the [Show Crossing Pipes] option the following dialog
will be displayed:

Available Services All the services from which you can display crossing
pipes will be listed here. This includes Sewer, Storm,
Water networks and Stardust Pipes as well as Pipe
Databases
Plot Crossings For: Crossing pipes will be plotted for these services
Remove Button Press this button to remove the item from the "Plot
Crossings For:" list.
Select Road for Pipe If the "Pipe" option is selected then you must use
this combo box to indicate the Roads file for the Pipe
you want to use.

Use the [Select] button to select the services of which you want to display
crossing pipes.
Press [OK] to return to the Ground Lines dialog.
Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Alignment Menu 6-35

Review Alignment
List alignment details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalReviewAlignment

This routine produces a detailed listing of the vertical curve details.

Each VPI (vertical point of intersection) is listed along with its elevation,
the k values, grades, high and low points as well as the beginning and
ends of the vertical curves.
See Abridged Review for a more compact style of listing.
Make sure the Output Window is open to see the listing on the screen.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-36 Roads Reference

Abridged Review
List alignment details in shortened form

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalAbridgedReview

This option is similar to Review Alignment. It also lists vertical alignment

details to the screen, but does not list extra information such as low and
high points. Use this facility for fast, preliminary listings.
Make sure the Output Window is open to see the listing on the screen.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Generate Levels
Generate centreline levels

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGenerateLevels

This routine is used to generate elevations along the alignment for the
chainages in the road file. A start chainage and stop chainage must be
supplied. These chainages should obviously fall within the available
range of the alignment.
The generated levels are stored in Layer 128 of the active roads database.
In the case of Single Carriageway roads, they are stored on the centerline
and, for Dual Carriageway roads, 0.5m left and right of the centreline.
Layer 128 may be manipulated as a normal cross section for plotting
purposes and will always be assumed to hold the current elevations for
the designed chainage values.
Layer 128 may also be edited and used for data entry. This means that
designs can be produced that follow no alignment whatsoever. This is
useful in circumstances such as rehabilitation or wearing layer
modifications, as well as shoulder widening, because survey data can be
inserted into Layer 128 automatically and this becomes an "alignment"
but no vertical adjustment to the existing layer takes place.

Alignment Menu 6-37

Procedure
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Specify the start and stop chainages and click the [OK] button to
continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-38 Roads Reference

K Value
Calculate curve length by K value

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalKValue

This option allows you to enter a specific K value for a certain VPI. The
routine then calculates the curve length to achieve this K value and
prints it to the screen or the printer depending on the option chosen.
This curve length, or a rounded equivalent thereof, can then be entered
into the alignment (it is not done automatically).
Make sure that the Output Window is open in order to see the results of
the calculation.

Procedure
The K Curve Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the curve number and the required K value and click the [OK]
button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Alignment Menu 6-39

Fit Curve
Fit a vertical curve through a fixed point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalFitCurve

This option allows you to choose a particular curve number and then set
a chainage and an elevation for a point on that curve.
The routine then calculates the curve length and the K value that will
result in a curve through that point and prints them to the screen or the
printer depending on the option chosen.

Procedure
The Curve Fit Details dialog is displayed.

Curve number for fit Enter the number of the VPI for which a curve
should be fitted.
Point to pass through - Enter the chainage and elevation of the point that
Chainage and Elevation the fitted curve must pass through.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-40 Roads Reference

Edge Levels
These functions generate the center portion of a road
alignment (from left carriageway shoulder to right
carriageway shoulder) and store it in a specified layer of
the active road file. The super-elevation to apply to the
road and the physical carriageway widths are controlled
by the design data specified in a spreadsheet.
If design data has been changed but fresh section data was not yet
regenerated, a warning message will remind you to generate section
data.

Edit Super
Edit edge control data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeEditSuper

The edge level control data is stored in ASCII format in the design file of
the active road. Entry is done via a spreadsheet.
The data in the spreadsheet controls the crossfalls, the left and right
widths of the road, and the templates to be used. The spreadsheet has
three pages. The first page is used to specify cross-falls, the second the
carriageway widths (and is different for single- and dual carriageway
roads), and the third the templates. When running Apply Template the
templates specified in the first column of the templates page will be
applied, while the templates in the subsequent columns will be Added to
the extremes of the existing section. The only compulsory entries into the
templates page are the Chainage and first template column.
The start and end detail of all change of state points must be included.
The routine will apply constant widths and crossfalls between two
identical entries and work out a lineal progression of change between
two successive entries that differ. Use Review Control to get a clearer
understanding of your spreadsheet data.
Rounding can also be set in the Round column of the crossfall page. The
figure that should be entered is the length of parabolic curve that will be
applied to the elevations along the road edges where one grade changes
to another. This provides smooth transitions in super elevation in to and
out of curves.
If a template is to be applied later during the area calculation, then the
number to be used should be entered in the Template page. Note that

Alignment Menu 6-41

the road width and crossfall details that are entered in the spreadsheet
will override those that are contained in the template. The template
number may be checked against its path and name by selecting Tools 
Template Paths.
Two graphs will be drawn on the Roads window while in the Edit Edge
Levels mode.
The first graph represents the super-elevation data. Its X-axis represents
chainage values in meters while it's Y-axis represents super-elevation
rates in percentage. A line drawn at zero super-elevation displays the
horizontal alignment. Thick lines will indicate horizontal curves, while
transition curves will be indicated as gaps in the line.
The second graph will be drawn above the super elevation graph and
represents the road widths. Its X-axis represents chainage values in
meters, while it's Y-axis represents widths in meters. Apart from the
graphical editing functions documented below, there are also a number
of shortcut keys that can be used to manipulate the view or to edit the
alignment:
M Magnify around the cursor.
D De-magnify around the cursor.
R Redraw the alignment to its limits.
S Refresh the display.
H Jump to the nearest horizontal alignment point.
J Jump to the nearest superelevation or width break point.

6-42 Roads Reference

Graphical Insert
Graphical super elevation and width break point insertion

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeGraphicalInsert

This routine works in conjunction with the Edge levels spreadsheet to

allow you to graphically indicate super elevation and width break point
positions.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate position for new super elevation / width change

Click on a position on the Super elevation graph in the Road window and
the Super Details dialog is displayed.

Change the settings to suit and click on the [OK] button. Use the same
function to insert a Width change point by clicking on a position on the
Width graph in the Roads window. The Width details dialog will be
displayed.

Fill in the carriageway widths and chainage and click the [OK] button to
continue.

Alignment Menu 6-43

Graphical Delete
Graphical Super elevation and width break point deletion

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeGraphicalDelete

This routine works in conjunction with the Edge levels spreadsheet to

allow you to graphically indicate super elevation and width break point
positions to be deleted.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate Super elevation / width point to delete

Click on a super elevation or width point in the Road window. A

confirmation message will be displayed. Click the [Yes] button to delete
the indicated super-elevation or width point or click the [No] button to
retain the super-elevation or width point.

6-44 Roads Reference

Graphical Edit
Graphical Super elevation and width break point edition

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalGraphicalEdit

This routine works in conjunction with the Edge levels spreadsheet to

allow you to graphically indicate super elevation and width break point
positions to be edited.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate Super elevation / width point to edit

Click on a super elevation or width break point in the Road window and
the Edit dialog is displayed.

Use the same function to edit a Width change point by clicking on a

position on the Width graph in the Roads window. The Width details
dialog will be displayed.
If you are working with a single carriageway road the following dialog
will be displayed:

Alignment Menu 6-45

However, if you are working on a dual carriageway road this dialog will
be displayed:

The pivot points are indicated with a black circle. Specify the pivot
positions, distance to the median and shoulder break point as indicated
by the dimension lines. Also enter the chainage value.
Enter the carriageway width as indicated by the dimension lines, as well
as the chainage. Click the [OK] button to continue.

6-46 Roads Reference

Graphical Move
Graphical Super elevation and width break point moving

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeGraphicalMove

This routine works in conjunction with the Edge levels spreadsheet to

allow you to graphically move super elevation and width break points.
You will probably need to minimize the spreadsheet window during this
function in order to see the vertical alignment that is displayed in the
Road window.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate Super elevation / width point to move

Click on an existing super elevation or width break point in the Road

window and the following prompt is displayed:
Indicate new position for Super elevation / width point

Click on a position in the Road window and the point is updated to

reflect the new position. The new point position is displayed on the
screen as the mouse is moved. Right click during the second part of the
procedure to cancel the move.

Alignment Menu 6-47

Edge Level Lines
Specify the colour setup for the super-elevation and width graphs

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

This function allows you to specify the colours with which the super
elevation and width graphs will be drawn. You can also specify the
spacing between the super elevation and the width graphs using this
function.

Procedure
The Edge Level lines dialog is displayed.

Shoulder BP Specify the pen in which the shoulder break point must be
displayed on the width graph.
Center Line Specify the pen in which the center line must be displayed
on the width graph.
Median BP Specify the pen in which the median break point must be
displayed on the width graph.
Pivot Points Specify the pen in which the pivot point must be displayed
on the width graph.
Left Edge Line Specify the pen in which the left edge must be displayed on
the superelevation graph.
Right Edge Line Specify the pen in which the right edge must be displayed on
the superelevation graph.
View Spacing Specify the spacing between the superelevation graph and
the width graph.
Text Height Enter the text height for the Horizontal curve text on the
roads window.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

6-48 Roads Reference

Slave Super
Slave edge control to horizontal alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeSlaveSuper

This option is the alternative to Edit Super. It allows the user to 'slave'
the control data to the horizontal alignment information. This 'slaved'
data is then accessible in the spreadsheet and may be subsequently
modified by using Edit Super.
For each curve on the horizontal alignment, a dialog box will be
displayed showing the Beginning (BCC) and End (ECC) Chainage for the
curve. If you are using the Design Criteria, the following will
automatically be calculated according to the design criteria and design
rules as stipulated:
• Super elevation development length INTO the curve.
• % of development length that should take place before the BCC.
• Runoff length for the super elevation OUT of the curve.
• % of runoff length that should take place after the ECC.
• The maximum value (%) that the super elevation will attain in the
curve.
Civil Designer can also handle Reverse Curves, Broken-Back curves and
Compound curves. The program will automatically check for the above
conditions and apply the appropriate design.
Once all the curves have been entered, the program converts the
information into a spreadsheet layout. The data in the spreadsheet can
be viewed or edited. Only the Super Elevation spreadsheet will be
modified during Slave Super. It must be emphasized that the edge
control data, once it is in spreadsheet form, is entirely independent of the
horizontal curve data and does not interfere with the curve information
in any way.

Alignment Menu 6-49

Procedure
The Slave Super Dialog will be displayed.

Press the [Recalculate All] button to recalculate the superelevation

grades and development lengths for all the horizontal curves, or use the
[Recalculate] button and the [Next]/[Previous] buttons to scroll through
the curves and recalculate them one by one.
When pressing the [Recalculate]/[Recalculate All] buttons, the values on
the dialog will be calculated automatically, provided that the [Use Design
Criteria] checkbox was checked. Any of these values can however be
modified. Click the [Close] button to continue. The calculated
superelevation data will be entered into the spreadsheet.
If the entered data causes the super-elevation for a curve to overlap with
that of the previous curve then the following message is displayed:

6-50 Roads Reference

Press [YES] to ignore the curve and continue. Press [NO] to cancel the
routine, but retain the control data up to this point.
If the Horizontal curve is preceded by a transition curve and the super-
elevation development length differs from the horizontal transition curve
length, the following message will be displayed:

Press [No] not to re-generate the alignment with the calculated transition
lengths. If you select [Yes], the program will automatically modify the
relative transition lengths, re-coordinate the alignment, extract new
cross sections and re-generate the vertical alignment.
If the tangent length between reverse curves is less than the
development length needed, the following warning message will be
displayed:

Press [OK] to continue.

All the warnings and edge control overlaps will be printed to the Output
window for easy reference.

Alignment Menu 6-51

Review Control
List edge control details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeReviewControl

This routine produces a listing of the edge control data. Each stretch
between control chainages is labeled as to whether the super elevation is
constant or varying over that stretch.
It is simply a composite and annotated copy of the spreadsheet pages.
Make sure that the Output Window is open to see the results.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-52 Roads Reference

Generate Levels
Generate edge levels from the edge control details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadEdgeGenerateLevels

This routine generates mini sections in the form of edge levels for those
chainages that are already in the road file, and that have vertical
alignment elevations.
Because these sections are created from the vertical curve, it is necessary
to use Alignment ► Vertical ► Generate Levels, or insert road levels into
Layer 128 manually, before using this procedure.
The edge levels are created by applying the control data to the selected
template. The start and end chainage for the calculation must be entered
as well as the layer in the road database in which the sections should be
stored. A depth below the vertical alignment may also be specified so
that the entire section is generated at that depth below the design line.
This enables earthwork conditions and layerworks to be calculated from
the same final design grade line.
The routine generates the cross sections for the road between the left
and right outer carriageway edges.
For a single carriageway template the section created contains three
points, one point on the road centerline (CL) and a point on either side of
the center at each road edge. The offsets of the edges are specified by the
carriageway widths in the spreadsheet.
For dual carriageway templates, four or more points are produced.
These are the Shoulder Break Point (SBP) and Median Break Point
(MBP) for both carriageways and the median details that are inserted
between the carriageways. The offsets of the edges are specified by the
carriageway widths in the spreadsheet.
In the case of dual carriageways, no attempt is made to transition the
road state between one template and another if they have differing
widths. Use Section ► Expand/Shrink for this purpose. You can however
vary widths within a single template by specifying the various changes in
the Edge Control spreadsheet.

Alignment Menu 6-53

Procedure
The Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages for
which edge level sections should be calculated.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages for
which edge level sections should be calculated.
Depth below vertical Enter the depth below the design line (the current
alignment vertical alignment) at which the sections should be
generated.
Layer for edge levels Select the layer in which the generated sections
should be stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

6-54 Roads Reference

Rehabilitation
Extract roads data from a DTM surface.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadRehab

This function will extract Horizontal alignment, Vertical alignment and

super elevation data from a DTM surface. These alignments can then be
altered using the normal roads functions after which a template can be
applied.

Procedure
The Road Rehabilitation dialog will be displayed.
Specify whether the road has to be extracted as a single or dual
carriageway road using the “Type of Road” radio buttons.

Alignment Menu 6-55

Single Carriageway

Type of Road Select whether the road must be extracted as a Single or

dual carriageway road
Alignment Elements to Select which elements to extract from the DTM model,
extract. Horizontal, Vertical or Super elevation.
(Extract elements at offset If the Vertical Alignment checkbox is checked, specify
from CL) Vertical alignment the offset from the centerline where the vertical
alignment must be extracted from the DTM.
(Extract elements at offset If the Super Elevation checkbox is checked, specify the
from CL) Left / Right Super two offsets from the centreline between which the
crossfall at each cross section must be calculated.
(Accuracy Settings) Enter the rounding factor for vertical curve lengths. The
Vertical Rounding (R) calculated curve lengths which will be entered into the
vertical alignment spreadsheet by the extraction routine
will be rounded to the nearest (R).
(Accuracy Settings) Enter the maximum allowable hight difference between
Vertical Toerance the ground model and the vertical alignment to be
calculated by the program.
(Accuracy Settings) Enter a minimum grade difference tolerance. The
Vertical Grade Tol. program will not add VPI points where the difference
between the front and back grades would have been
less than this tolerance.
(Accuracy Settings) Super Enter the rounding factor for super elevation grades. The
Rounding (R) calculated grades which will be entered into the edge
levels spreadsheet by the extraction routine will be
rounded to the nearest (R)
(Accuracy Settings) Super Enter the maximum allowable difference in grade
Toerance between the ground model and the super elevation
grades to be calculated by the program.

6-56 Roads Reference

Dual Carriageway

Type of Road Select whether the road must be extracted as a Single or

dual carriageway road
Alignment Elements to Select which elements to extract from the DTM model,
extract. Horizontal, Vertical or Super elevation.
(Extract elements at offset If the Vertical Alignment checkbox is checked, specify
from CL) Left / Right the offsets from the centerline where the vertical
Vertical alignement alignments must be extracted from the DTM.
(Extract elements at offset If the Super Elevation checkbox is checked, specify the
from CL) Left / Right Super two offsets from the centreline between which the
crossfall at each cross section must be calculated.
(Accuracy Settings) Enter the rounding factor for vertical curve lengths. The
Vertical Rounding (R) calculated curve lengths which will be entered into the
vertical alignment spreadsheet by the extraction routine
will be rounded to the nearest (R).
(Accuracy Settings) Enter the maximum allowable hight difference between
Vertical Toerance the ground model and the vertical alignment to be
calculated by the program.
(Accuracy Settings) Enter a minimum grade difference tolerance. The
Vertical Grade Tol. program will not add VPI points where the difference
between the front and back grades would have been
less than this tolerance.
(Accuracy Settings) Super Enter the rounding factor for super elevation grades. The
Rounding (R) calculated grades which will be entered into the edge
levels spreadsheet by the extraction routine will be
rounded to the nearest (R).
(Accuracy Settings) Super Enter the maximum allowable difference in grade
Toerance between the ground model and the super elevation
grades to be calculated by the program.

Alignment Menu 6-57

Horizontal Alignment
If the Horizontal alignment check box in the Road Rehabilitation dialog
is checked then the program will extract a horizontal alignment from
either a series of CAD lines or through control points. The alignment will
be written directly to the *.des file. Normal Horizontal functions can be
used to edit the alignment subsequently.
The following will be displayed:

From CAD lines

Press [Yes] to extract the horizontal alignment from CAD lines.

You will be prompted to:
Select the Road alignment one element at a time (Right click
to finish)

Select the CAD lines that represent the road alignment one element at a
time (Straight - Curve - Straight).

From Control points

Press [No] to extract the horizontal alignment from control points. You
will be asked to indicate 2 points on every straight and a point on each
curve. The program will then calculate intersections between the
indicated straights (PI positions) and calculate the radii using the points
on the curves.
You will be prompted to:
Indicate the Start PI

Indicate the start point of the road.

You will be prompted to:
Indicate a point on the first straight

Indicate a point anyway on the first straight close to the first BC

You will be prompted to:

6-58 Roads Reference

 Indicate a point on the curve (Esc. to stop)

Indicate a point on the curve somewhere close to the crest.

You will be prompted to:
Indicate First Point on the next straight (Esc. to stop)

Indicate a point on the next straight.

Indicate Next point on the straight (Esc. to stop)

Indicate another point on the straight. The process will be repeated until
you press [Esc].

Vertical Alignment
If the Vertical alignment check box in the Road Rehabilitation dialog is
checked then the program will extract the vertical alignment/s from the
ground model. The calculated vertical alignment/s will be entered
directly into the *.des file.
The Coordination details dialog will be displayed to calculate centreline
coordinates at regular chainage intervals.
The Cross Section Extraction dialog will be displayed to extract ground
cross sections.
The program will enter into a iteration process to fit a vertical alignment
onto the extracted ground cross sections using the Vertical accuracy
settings as an indication of when to stop the process. The smaller the
accuracy setting the closer the alignment will follow the ground, but the
longer the process will take. A small accuracy setting will also cause
more small vertical curves.

Alignment Menu 6-59

Road Expert
Use this option to automate the design calculations.

Status Design procedures will be marked as "done" if that

procedure was done by either the automatic or manual
design methods.
Do Next The checked procedures under this heading , will be
done when pressing [OK]. Instruct Civil Designer to
perform a specific procedure by checking the
corresponding check-box. The procedures that need to
be done as a result of this, will be checked automatically.
Edit Data When pressing [OK], all the procedures will be done
without user intervention, unless input from the user is
necessary in order to perform the procedure. Check this
option to force the program to display the appropriate
dialogs or spreadsheets. Civil Designer will then wait for
the user to press [OK] or close the spread sheet, before
continuing. The Automatic design process can be
stopped by pressing [Cancel] on one of the dialogs.
Don’t interrupt me Check this option to disable the Interactive Roads Expert.
To enable the Roads Expert in the Option Settings
dialog.

When displaying this dialog, Civil Designer will check which procedures
have been completed. The completed procedures will be marked as
"done". Procedures that still need to be done will be marked as "Do Next".
Uncompleted procedures will be done when pressing [OK].
The program will also keep track of the procedures that were already
done using the manual functions in the Alignment menu.

6-60 Roads Reference

Design Criteria
Specify road design criteria

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalDesignCriteria

This function allows you to specify design criteria for Horizontal and
Vertical alignment as well as Super Elevation design. You can either use
the default TRH 17 values, or create and use your own design criteria
file.
Designing roads that do not meet the design criteria specification does
not stop you from using them as such. The design criteria serve only as a
warning to the user.
Check the Use Design Criteria check box to use the design criteria in the
design process. Specify the Design speed to for the road to be designed
using the Design Speed combo box.
Press the [Save As] button to save the current design criteria to an ASCII
file. Similarly use the [Load] button to load a Design Criteria file.

Alignment Menu 6-61

General Settings
The general settings allow you to switch the Design Criteria option on or
off.

Use Design Criteria Check this to use design criteria during the road
design process.
Design Speed Select the design to be used for the current project.
Load Button Press this button to load a *.vdc, design criteria file.
Save As Button Press this button to save the dialog contents to a
*.vdc, design criteria file.
Restore Defaults Press this button to restore the contents of the
spreadsheets to the default TRH 17 values.
Grade Pen Click this button to select the pen colour in which
grade envelopes should be drawn.
Terrain Type Select the type of terrain through which the vertical
alignment is being applied.
Curve Type Specify whether vertical curves in the current roads
file must have a parabolic, or circular shape.
Super Settings Display the Super Settings dialog.
Superelevation Graph Press this button to display the Superelevation rates
graph

6-62 Roads Reference

Horizontal Alignment Design Criteria
Enter the Horizontal Design Criteria into the [Horizontal] spreadsheet.

Speed The design speed increments can be altered by

double clicking in the appropriate row header.
Min Radius Enter the minimum curve radius per design speed.
Min Curve Len Enter the minimum radial curve length per design
speed.
Max Curve Len Enter the maximum radial curve length
Small Deflection Limit For deflection angles less than this value, the
minimum length of the curve specified in the [Min
Curve Len] column, will be increased by [Increment]
for each 1 degree decrease in the deflection angle.
Increment Enter the increment by which the minimum curve
length will be increased, for each degree less than
the [Small Deflection Limit].
Compound Crv Max R1/R2 Enter the maximum radius-ratio for compound
curves. Flatter curve radius divided by the sharper
curve radius.
Min Tangent Length Enter the minimum tangent length for broken-back
curves. Two successive curves will not be recognized
as broken-back curves if the tangent is greater than
500 m.

Each row in the spreadsheet represents a design speed as indicated by

the row headings. When any of these values are exceeded during the

Alignment Menu 6-63

Horizontal alignment design, warnings will be displayed on the Design
Centre window and when running the Review Alignment function.

Vertical Alignment Design Criteria

Enter the Vertical Alignment design criteria into the [Vertical]
spreadsheet.

Each row in the spreadsheet represents a design speed as indicated by

the row headings.
Min K Crest column Enter the minimum K value for crest vertical curves at
this design speed.
Min K Sag column Enter the minimum K value for sag vertical curves at
this design speed.
Min Len column Enter the minimum length of any vertical curve at this
design speed.
Max Grade Flat column Enter the maximum grade between VPI's in flat
terrain at this design speed.
Max Grade Rolling column Enter the maximum grade between VPI's in rolling
terrain at this design speed.
Max Grade Mountainous Enter the maximum grade between VPI's in
column mountainous terrain at this design speed.

When designing the Vertical alignment, the Road Window will display
the grade criteria as a set of grade envelopes at each VPI. Furthermore,
when using Review Alignment or Abridged Review, curves that do not

6-64 Roads Reference

pass the selected design criteria will be noted as to the reasons for that
failure. Inserting a VPI will automatically calculate a curve length based
on the specified K value for the type of curve.

Super-elevation Design Criteria

Enter the Super-elevation design criteria into the [Super] spreadsheet.

Each row in the spreadsheet represents a design speed as indicated by

the row headings.
Slope Factor Enter the relative slope factor for the relative design
speed (s).
Min Runoff Enter the length of superelevation run-off per design
speed (L)
Max Super Enter the maximum Superelevation value. This is the
largest superelevation value that will be used.
Compound curve L If the length of the first circular curve (CT) of a
compound curve pair is less than this value, Case 1
will be applied, otherwise Case 2 will be applied.
These cases are explained in the design process.

Alignment Menu 6-65

Press the [Super Settings] button to display the following dialog.

Runoff Method Click on the bitmap to change the option. TRH 17

development method.

Super at Straights Enter the super elevation rate for straights for each
side/carriageway.

Transition curve development: Click on the Bitmap to change the option. If this
Start at Normal crossfall option is checked, the super development for curves
with transition curves, will start at the normal crossfall
position. See Option 1 on the Diagrams
Transition curve development: If this option is checked, the super development for
Start at Normal crossfall curves with transition curves, will start at the Level +
Normal camber position.
Transition / Super RSA Check this option to use the RSA formula for the
calculation of Super elevation runoff lengths and
Transition lengths.
Lane Factor Enter the lane factor to ensure antiquate adjustment
when calculating run-off lengths. (l) Only used by the
RSA formula.
Transition / Super UK Check this option to use the UK formula for the
calculation of Super elevation runoff lengths and
Transition lengths.
Centripetal accel. (q) Enter the value for the centripetal acceleration
(m/sec3). Only used by the UK formula.

6-66 Roads Reference

Super Elevation
The Super elevation design criteria will be applied when using the Slave
Super function. All the data on the dialogs will automatically be
calculated using the design criteria. The calculated values can be
overwritten at any time while running Slave Super.

Super elevation design process

Civil Designer will automatically evaluate each horizontal curve pair and
assistant whether they are single curves, reverse curves, broken-back
curves, or compound curves. It will then apply the design criteria and
design rules stipulated here according to the specific nature of each
curve.
The super elevation rate (e) is the full rate of super elevation for a
specific curve and will be read from the Super-elevation rate curve.
The run-off length (L) is calculated as the difference in height between
the fully super-elevated carriageway edge and the axis of rotation divided
by the relative slope between them. This value will be calculated by the
following formula, but will always be greater than the minimum run-off
length as specified in the [Super] spreadsheet of the Design Criteria
dialog.
L = (w * e * s * l)
100

where:
L Length of super-elevation run-off (m)
w Lane width (m). This value will be read from the Edge level
spreadsheet at the width break point closest to the horizontal curve.
If no edge levels are available, it will be read from the first road
template specified.
e Super-elevation. This value will be linearly interpolated from the
Super-elevation graph.
l Lane Factor. You can specify this value on the Design Criteria dialog.
s The relative slope factor. This value will be read from the Slope
Factor column on the [Super] spreadsheet of the Design Criteria
dialog.

Alignment Menu 6-67

 Lc = (w * e * s * l)
100

where
e is the super-elevation rate on the straights. This value can be specified
in the Design Criteria dialog.

TRH 17 Lane Factors for Super-elevation run-off

CROSS SECTION NR. OF LANES LANE FACTOR MEDIAN WIDTH

Undivided 2 1.0 -
Undivided 3 1.2 -
Undivided 4 1.5 -
Undivided 2 1.5 Less than 4.6m
Undivided 3 2.0 Less than 4.6m
Divided 2 1.0 or 1.5 4.6 to 12.2m
Divided 3 1.2 or 2.0 4.6 to 12.2m
Divided 2 1.0 Greater than 12.2m
Divided 3 1.2 Greater than 12.2m

6-68 Roads Reference

Super elevation development method
The development method that the Civil Designer will be using during
Edge Level Generation, can be set in the Design Criteria dialog to one of
the following:

TRH development method

When super elevation development starts by leaving a crested road
(normal camber condition) the outside carriageway will start developing
to a positive crossfall equal to the crossfall of the inside carriageway.
During this period the inside carriageway will not change. The super
elevation will then be at a normal camber condition at distance 2 x Lc
from the end of the crested road. From here both carriageways will
proceed towards the maximum super elevation. The same process will be
followed when leading out of the curve.

Non - TRH development method

Super elevation of both left and right hand side carriageways will start
developing as soon as the road leaves the crested road (normal camber
condition). Both carriageways will develop individually towards the
maximum super elevation.

NORMAL SUPER ELEVATION

TRH DEVELOPMENT METHOD

LEVEL + NORMAL CROSSFALL

NORMAL CROSSFALL
NORMAL CAMBER

FULL

NOT TRH DEVELOPMENT METHOD

NORMAL CAMBER

FULL

Alignment Menu 6-69

Super elevation rates graph

Enter the radii at each design speed next to the appropriate super
elevation rate (e) in percentage. When changing any of the values, the
graph will be updated instantaneously. Press [OK] to accept and save the
changes.

6-70 Roads Reference

Single Curve Super-elevation
Where a circular curve is preceded by a transition curve, the full super-
elevation (e) will be achieved at the start of the circular curve. The length
of the preceding transition length should be at least L - Lc.
When no transition curve precedes a circular curve, two- thirds of the full
super-elevation (e) will be achieved on the preceding tangent and the
remaining one -third in the circular curve.

NORMAL SUPER ELEVATION

WITH TRANSITION
L

Lc Lc
e

e for straights
e
BTC

BTC

WITHOUT TRANSITION

L
1/3 L

Lc Lc
e

e for straights
e
BTC

Alignment Menu 6-71

Reverse Curves
A reversal of horizontal alignment should include a length of connecting
tangents, or a section of equal length including spiral curves. The
distance between circular curves is dictated by the requirements of
super-elevation development.

REVERSE CURVES

WITHOUT TRANSITION

L1 L1

1/3L 2/3L 2/3L 1/3L

Tangent
ECC

BCC

2% 2%

Circular Transition Transition Circular

Curve Curve Tangent Curve Curve
BCC2
BTC1

ETC1

BTC2

WITH TRANSITION

6-72 Roads Reference

Broken-back Curves
The tangent length between two successive curves that form a broken-
back curve should not be less than the [Min Tangent Length] value
specified in the [Horizontal] spreadsheet. The rules that apply to broken-
back curves will not be applied if the tangent length is greater than 500
m. The connecting tangent will have a single cross-fall as displayed in the
figure below.

BROKEN BACK CURVES

WITHOUT TRANSITION

L1 L2

1/3L 2/3L 2/3L 1/3L

ECC1

Tangent BCC2

2% 2%

Circular Transition Transition Circular

Curve Curve Tangent Curve Curve
BCC2
BTC1

ETC1

BTC2

WITH TRANSITION

Alignment Menu 6-73

Compound Curves
M is the minimum run-off length as specified in the [Super] spreadsheet
of Design criteria dialog. The development length between the two
curves will always be at least M. Civil Designer will apply either Case 1 or
Case 2, depending on the length of the first circular curve. If this length
is less than CT, it will apply Case 1 otherwise it will apply Case 2. CT is
the value specified in the [Compound Curve L] column of the [Super]
spreadsheet in the Design Criteria dialog.

COMPOUND CURVES

2/3 L

Lc Lc eS
2/3 eL

e for straights
2/3 eL
eS
BCC

CASE 1
PCC
CT or Less

L
M. min.
1/3 L

Lc Lc eS
eL

e for straights
eL
eS
BCC

CASE 2
PCC

Greater than CT

6-74 Roads Reference

Check Sight Distance
Do sight distance check.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadVerticalCheckSightDist

This function will calculate the areas along the road alignment where the
driver cannot see the specified object over a specified minimum sight
distance. These areas will be marked in the specified pen colour on
either the Vertical, or Horizontal alignment.

The road design process must be completed for this routine to work
properly, i.e. a final design road layer must exist. The program will do
sight distance checking in both horizontal and vertical planes
automatically.

The program will use the batter cross sections for sight checking. If the
offset of the toe points are less than the specified road reserve, then the
program will include ground points beyond the toe point and up to the
road reserve width when doing sight distance checking.

The distance from the driver to the object will always be measured along
the horizontal alignment while the sight line from the driver to the object
will be taken as a straight line. If this line crosses the toe point or the
road reserve, whichever has the greater offset from the centre line, the
program will register a horizontal failure.

Alignment Menu 6-75

Vertical sight failure will occur if a driver is unable to see the object over
the minimum sight distance because of a vertical curve, or when cut
banks restrict his vision as illustrated by the figure below.

Procedure
The Sight Distance Check dialog will be displayed:

6-76 Roads Reference

Eye height Enter the eye height of the driver
Object hgt Enter the height of the object the driver must be able to
see over the minimum sight distance.
Minimum Sight Distance Enter the minimum sight distance. This is the distance
over which the driver must be able to see the object.

Eye offset from CL / MBP Enter the offset of the driver from the center line if the
road is a single carriageway, or the offset from the
median break point for a dual carriageway.
Object offset from CL / MBP Enter the offset of the object from the center line if the
road is a single carriageway, or the offset from the
median break point for a dual carriageway.
Road Reserve Left/Right Specify the Left/Right offset of the road reserve. Sight
Offset check will fail horizontally if the line of sight crosses the
road reserve.
Base Layer Specify the layer where the ground gross sections are
stored

Batter Layer Specify the layer where the final design cross sections
are stored.
(No Sight Envelope pens) Enter the pen colour in which the program will indicate
Ascending chain direction the areas where the driver can not see the object over
the specified minimum sight distance in the ascending
chainage direction.
(No Sight Envelope pens) Enter the pen colour in which the program will indicate
Descending chain direction the areas where the driver can not see the object over
the specified minimum sight distance in the descending
chainage direction.
(Dual Carriageway Settings) This option is only available for dual carriageway roads.
Check on Select the carriageway on which to do sight distance
checking.

Envelope to CAD Check this option if you want the envelopes to be sent
to a CAD layer as line segments.
Show in Vertical Alignment Check this option to display the no-sight envelope in the
Vertical Alignment view. The envelope will be drawn on
the Vertical as well as horizontal alignments.

Fill in the relative information and press [OK]

The no sight envelopes will be drawn in either the Design centre
window, and the Vertical Alignment window in the selected pen colour.
Vertical sight failure wiill always be indicated by a solid line and
Horizontal failure in a broken line. The envelopes will also be printed in
the output window.

Alignment Menu 6-77

Sight Analysis
This routine does a sight distance analysis according to the British
Highway Standards.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CalcDesignSpeed

This routine will calculate the Harmonic Mean Visibility (VISI),

Bendiness and Alignment Constraints (Ac) on a cross section layer for up
to 100 user defined chainage ranges.
The design procedure is as follows:
• Draw up a preliminary alignment using an appropriate design
speed.
• Measure the Ac for each of the chanage ranges (> 2km each) using
this function.
• Calculate the Design speed according to Figure 1 of Part1 (TD 9/93),
Volume 6 of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges. See the figure
below.
• Identify problem areas where the calculated design speed are less
than the design speed used for the preliminary design.

6-78 Roads Reference

Procedure
The Alignment Analysis dialog will be displayed.

Specify the chainage ranges to check using the [Add Range] option.
Press [OK] to display the Sight Distance Check dialog.

Enter the relative information and press [OK]. Select the appropriate
options on the Print Manager dialog and press [OK] to calculate.

Alignment Menu 6-79

Results
The following Sight Distance results will be displayed for each chainage
range:
Chainage Range: 3000.000 - 6000.000

Chainage Sight Distance Fail

-------- -------------- ----

3000.000 140 A.V

3060.000 40 D.V
3120.000 40 D.V
3180.000 80 D.V
3240.000 120 D.V
...
5760.000 80 D.V
5820.000 60 D.V
5880.000 40 D.V
5940.000 40 D.V
6000.000 40 D.V
VISI = 110.106 m

Chainage The chainage at which the sight distance has been

calculated.
Sight Distance The maximum distance in front of the driver at which
he can see the specified object.
Minimum Sight Distance Enter the minimum sight distance. This is the
distance over which the driver must be able to see
the object.
Fail An indication of what why the driver cannot see the
object.
A: Ascending chainage direction
D: Descending chainage direction
H: Horizontally Failed
V: Vertically Failed

The Evaluation results will be displayed for each chainage range.

For Chainage Range: 3000.000 - 6000.000

---------------------------------------

Harmonic Mean Visibility: VISI = 110.106 m

Bendiness: B = 36.663 deg/km
Alignment Constraint: Ac = 6.6 + B/10
Ac = 10.266 kph

6-80 Roads Reference

Area/Volume Menu
These functions allow you to apply the template to
the alignment and calculate or manipulate the road
batters.
All the relevant routines take any two specified
layers, connect the one to the other in a variety of
possible ways, calculate the cut and fill areas
between them and then generate earthwork
volumes.
There are several optional ways of doing it:
• the edge batters can be set by slope or length.
• a template can be applied or added to a basic
road carriageway.
• an optimized cut / fill position can be obtained.
• areas can be calculated through dumps or dams.
• special box cuts and bin quantities can be
obtained.
Long runs through a variety of the above
circumstances are possible

Input
In the case of a road calculation, you will usually use Apply Template
after creating edge levels in Generate Levels under Alignment ► Edge
Levels and one or more templates in Tools ► Template Editor. In the case of
terraces, you will probably have come from the section extraction routine
in Terrain ► Cross Section ► Extract.
In every case you will at least provide:
• a start and end chainage for the stretch to calculate.
• a base layer which is typically the ground.
• a prick layer which is typically the design.

Area/Volume Menu 7-1

Output
Printouts of the area routines gives the prick point locations, bank
slopes, areas, stripped width and bank lengths.
The data generated is accumulated in the index and usually the next step
would be running the volume routines to get quantities or the plotting
routines to check your results.
It can happen that the first layer is not wide enough to provide a
connection at the slope specified. If this occurs, the last data point will be
extrapolated on a level plane for 50 meters. This will be attempted twice
after which the section is aborted and no area calculated.
For each run, you specify two layer numbers. One is for the "base" which
is typically the ground, and one is for the "batter" which is typically the
design.
During the calculation, the second layer will have the prick points added
to it. In other words, it will have two more points (one at each extremity)
after the routine has been run.
Generally a road, and sometimes a terrace, will be built up of a number
of stretches that are treated differently. For example, chainage 0 - 2480
may be template 1, 2500 - 3220 is template 2, 3240 -3440 has a special
retaining wall, 3460 - 6420 is template 1 again, and so on.
Use Apply Template the first time to run each stretch individually. This
does not have to be progressive. It is often a good idea to first run the
whole job with the most common condition and then rerun the
exceptions individually. Once any piece has been run once, the Use
Index option can be used to recalculate the whole job (or any part of it)
with whatever condition was originally set.

Notes
1. Users should be aware of two factors that can affect results from this
program:
Minor inconsistencies may be noted in the arithmetic of the printed
data. This is because the computer is working to its full precision but
there is only space to print volumes to the nearest whole cubic
meter.
One should also note that in cases where the topsoil volume is large
relative to the overall quantities, what was a cut section could
become a fill section. The illustration below is a normal section with
cut and fill modified by the removal of a topsoil layer:

7-2 Roads Reference

 The next illustration shows the same section with a much deeper
topsoil layer. In this case, although the left side of the section was in
cut, an additional amount of fill is actually required once the topsoil
has been removed:

2. Re-entrant design layers can be calculated. This allows sections to be

generated from a design template that has undercut layerworks.
However, users are warned that sections of this nature should be
used with extreme caution and results checked carefully. Any
attempt to edit a section of this nature in the graphical editing
routines under the Section Menu will scramble the data because of
the automatic re-sort when points are added or altered.

Area/Volume Menu 7-3

Apply Template
Apply a template to the road shoulders

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolApplyTemplate

This routine is used to apply road cross section details beyond the limits
of the carriageways by means of a template. The template would have
been created in Template Editor under the Tools menu. Templates will
automatically be applied at the specified skew angle for skew sections.
The routine presupposes that the design layer contains information up to
the outer edge of the left and right carriageways, in other words the
entire centre section of the road. Therefore, before this routine is run,
you have to generate edge levels.
In the case of a rerun, the existing section data is first searched for the
centre portion of the road (between the outer limits of the carriageways).
This centre portion is retained and the outer parts are destroyed before
new details from the specified template are applied. For this reason, if
there are skew sections in the road, you must generate edge levels before
re-applying the template.
The template name must be preset. The template name is specified when
Generate Edge Levels is used. To check the template name against its
file name, or to specify the template name and path, use the Template
Paths facility under Tools.
The template specified in the first column of the Edge Level spreadsheet
will be added to the shoulder points. The templates specified in the rest
of the columns will be added to the toe points in chronological order.
After the run, the outer batter slopes will be stored in the index and the
Area Indicator will be set to '1'.
To cater for specialist volume calculations, you may choose to direct the
output to a spreadsheet. There will be a prompt for a file name and the
data will be stored in this file in ASCII format.

7-4 Roads Reference

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

Area/Volume Menu 7-5

Set Batters
Calculate batters on road shoulders

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolSetBatters

This routine is used to create or recreate the outer batters (left and right)
on the design layer. It is mainly used for terraces, simple roads, and
those portions of a road that have been generated or manipulated
manually after a template addition.
The slopes are expressed as 1:nn - so a value of '0' will result in a vertical
slope and a value of '999' will result in a flat one. The batters may be
forced to a minimum width left and right, in cut and fill. This will be an
absolute figure relative to the centre line (e.g. "23'' will give prick points
at 23m for that item unless the earthworks naturally extend beyond this)
or a set distance from the shoulder break point. An entry of 0 allows the
banks to behave normally.
The batter slope stored in the road file can be the specified slope or the
adjusted slope after minimum bank lengths have been applied.
The Area Indicator stored in the index after running this routine will be
'2' (See Road INDEX - Technical).

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.

7-6 Roads Reference

Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Batter Details dialog is displayed.

Minimum bank lengths Enter the minimum distance at which banks should
end for the various conditions. Should the earthworks
end before this distance has been reached then the
batter slope will be adjusted to reach this offset. This
offset can be relative to the centreline or the
shoulders as selected further on in the dialog. An
entry of 0 will ignore the minimum bank length check.
Batters to set Enter the batter slope (as 1 in ?) that the batter
should be set to for the various conditions.
Set minimum bank lengths Select whether the minimum bank length should be
relative to checked relative to the offset from centreline or from
the shoulder.
Store adjusted batters in index Check this box to have the batters as adjusted in
order to reach the minimum bank lengths stored. If
not checked, then the batter slopes as entered will be
stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

Area/Volume Menu 7-7

Dump Area
Dump area calculation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolDumpArea

This routine is a special circumstance that permits the direct calculation

of areas from a single layer but which creates another theoretical layer as
a straight line between the extremities of the first one.
The created layer will be stored in the layer specified as the base
(overwriting any data that is already there).
The calculation will only be valid if the line joining the two extremities is
straight i.e. an even plane for the dump base.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

7-8 Roads Reference

The following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to overwrite any existing data on the base layer, or
click the [No] button to cancel the function.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

Area/Volume Menu 7-9

Dam Areas
Dam area calculation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolDamArea

This routine enables the calculation of cross sectional areas of water in a

dam. It requires that the ground or base cross section of the dam be
stored in a suitable layer. Only a water level for the dam need be
supplied.
A theoretical water surface is then created and stored in the layer
specified as the batter (overwriting any data that is already there).
Islands are catered for and included in the final layer. The wetted
perimeter length is also printed.

An outline plan of the water surface is obtainable by translating the

cross sections back into DTM points. This is done using Terrain ► Cross
Sections ► Translate.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

7-10 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Dam Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the required water level and click the [OK] button to continue.
The following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to overwrite any existing data on the batter layer,
or click the [No] button to cancel the function.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.
If at any chainage it proves impossible to form the dam layer due to the
ground cross section levels, the following message is displayed:

Click the [OK] button to continue to the next chainage, or click the
[Cancel] button to cancel the function.

Area/Volume Menu 7-11

Connect Extremities
Connect the extremities of two cross sections

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolConnectExtremities

This routine simply connects the outer most points on the first (base)
layer to the outer most points on the second (batter) layer.
It will find application in special situations where the upper layer has to
meet with an exactly defined bottom layer and no normal batter
specification will cope.
A quantity of material in storage bins is a good example. Another
application is on roads in specialized layer and box cut removals where
the top and bottom surface are strictly defined.

This is the only function that can be used to calculate an area where the
prick layer is wider than the base layer.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

7-12 Roads Reference

Add Template
Add template details to the extremities of an existing cross section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolAddTemplate

This routine is used to add the compulsory and cut/fill conditions of a

pre-defined template to the extremities of the batter layer. Typical uses
include the addition of drains at the toe of batter slopes, the addition of
catchwater berms to existing cuts and any section that is very
complicated or where multiple intersections of the ground are required.
The number of the template to apply must be provided. To check the
number of a template against its name and path, use Tools ► Template
Paths.
The distinguishing feature of this routine (as opposed to Apply
Template) is that the entire profile of the existing section is left
unchanged. In Apply Template, only the center portion comprising the
carriageways is left unchanged.

Procedure
The Add Template Details dialog is displayed.

Specify the template number to add on and click the [OK] button to
continue.

Area/Volume Menu 7-13

The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

7-14 Roads Reference

Automatic Optimize
Automatic cross section area optimisation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolAutomaticOptimize

This routine is used to get the computer to balance cut and fill areas.
It is necessary to have two complete, pre-formed layers, normally a
ground (base) and a road (batter) layer. The batter layer is floated up or
down until the cut and fill areas balance within a specified tolerance in
percent. The floating batters can either be set by their slope or by
applying a template.
If Batters is chosen, there must be at least three points present in the
floating layer so that the batters can be applied to something. A
preliminary pass through Alignment ► Vertical and Alignment ► Edge Levels
is the recommended way of getting these three points.
If Template is chosen, the specified template will be used to build an
entire road profile just like the template testing facility in the Template
Editor. No preliminary information is required.
The revised profile may be stored. This data can then be displayed in the
Road Window under Alignment ► Vertical as a basis for a graphical
vertical alignment design. If preferred this can also be done on paper by
plotting a long section from this layer.
Specification of road reserve details for the optimization calculations
permits differing reserve widths left and right, as well as different values
for the start and end chainages. Where start and end reserve widths are
different, a lineal interpolation will take place over the chainage stretch.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Area/Volume Menu 7-15

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Optimisation Details dialog is displayed.

Depth of topsoil to be stripped Enter the depth of topsoil that should be stripped
from cross sections before areas are calculated.
Maximum tolerance for areas Enter the maximum difference between cut and fill
areas (as a percentage) to accept as having
optimised a cross section. In other words, if the
difference between cut and fill areas expressed as a
percentage of the areas is less than or equal to the
value entered here, the cross section will be
accepted as optimised.
Apply - Template or Batters Select whether to apply a template or only
recalculate batters when optimising.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
If you selected the Batters option then the Batter Details dialog is
displayed.

7-16 Roads Reference

Minimum bank lengths Enter the minimum distance at which banks should
end for the various conditions. Should the
earthworks end before this distance has been
reached then the batter slope will be adjusted to
reach this offset. This offset can be relative to the
centreline or the shoulders as selected further on in
the dialog. An entry of 0 will ignore the minimum
bank length check.
Batters to set Enter the batter slope (as 1 in ?) that the batter
should be set to for the various conditions.
Set minimum bank lengths Select whether the minimum bank length should be
relative to checked relative to the offset from centreline or from
the shoulder.
Store adjusted batters in index Check this box to have the batters as adjusted in
order to reach the minimum bank lengths stored. If
not checked, then the batter slopes as entered will
be stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

Area/Volume Menu 7-17

Manual Optimize
Manual cross section area optimisation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolManualOptimize

This routine is used to visually balance cut and fill areas, or raise and
lower a road so the extent of its earthworks fall within specified offsets.
It is necessary to have two complete pre-formed layers, normally a
ground (base) and a road (batter) layer. The batter layer is floated up or
down manually with the mouse until it is in the position required. Road
reserves can be set so that the visual check can also ensure that the
extents of the earthworks remain within the bounds of the reserve.
The revised profile is stored. This data can then be plotted in the Road
window under Alignment ► Vertical as a basis for a graphical vertical
alignment design. If preferred, this can also be done on paper by plotting
a long section from this layer.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

7-18 Roads Reference

The cross sections of the selected layers are displayed in the Road
window and the following prompt is displayed:
Click on section, or use arrow keys to start adjusting
(Right click to change optimization plane)

Click on a position in the Road window. The cursor snaps to the nearest
point on the batter section, alternatively use the arrow keys to move the
batter layer at a specified distance (Shift arrow moves the batter layer
without prompting for an interval). The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate new position for section

Click on a new position and the batter section is updated to the new
position. The current batter section is displayed as the mouse is moved.
To change the optimization plane (Vertical or Horizontal) right click and
select the appropriate option from the popup menu.

Use [PageUp] and [PageDown] to move between chainages. Use the right
mouse button or [Esc] to cancel the current move if you are in the second
part of the function, or to cancel the function if you are still in the first
part.

Area/Volume Menu 7-19

Road Reserves
Set road reserve limits for manual optimisation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolRoadReserves

This option is only used in conjunction with Manual Optimize. It enables

the entry of offsets from the centerline for road reserves. These reserves
are then plotted on the layer and can be used to determine the optimum
cut/fill for the section so that the batters remain within the road reserve
offsets.

Procedure
The Road Reserve Details dialog is displayed.

Start and Stop - Chainage Enter the chainages at which the defined road
reserve starts and stops.
Start and Stop - Left offset Enter the offset from the centreline of the left edge of
the road reserve at the start and end of the defined
chainage range. Linear interpolation is used to
produce offsets between these defined values.
Offsets physically to the left of the centreline must be
entered as a negative value.
Start and Stop - Right offset Enter the offset from the centreline of the right edge
of the road reserve at the start and end of the
defined chainage range. Linear interpolation is used
to produce offsets between these defined values.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

7-20 Roads Reference

Recalculate
Area calculation using existing batter slopes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolRecalculate
This routine performs a revised area calculation using the current batter
slopes settings and is normally used in conjunction with the Set Batters
Function

Note: This function will update the toe points of the Batter Layer using
the current batter slope settings in order to correctly intersect the Base
Layer. Please be advised that this function may change Batter Layer
toe points. Use the Recalculate Areas function if you do not want the
Batter Layer to be altered.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings. If you selected the

Area/Volume Menu 7-21

Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard save dialog is
displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write. The drive and
path automatically default to the last used drive and directory for this
type of file.

Recalculate Areas
Area calculation of existing cross sections

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolRecalculateAreas

This routine performs a revised area calculation without changing any of

the section details.
Use this routine when the section has been edited manually and only the
cross sectional area needs to be recalculated.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages

over which this function should be applied.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages
over which this function should be applied.
Base layer Select the layer that forms the ground or base
surface.
Batter layer Select the layer where the template section must be
stored.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of the function
saved in comma-delimited format suitable for loading
into spreadsheets.

7-22 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

Road Footprint Area

Calculate Road footprint areas

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolFootprint

This routine will calculate the Plan and sloped areas in cut and fill for the
road footprint.

Procedure

The Chainage range dialog will be displayed

Press OK to calculate the quantities.

The plan and slope areas for cut and fill will be printed per chainage
interval. The total Plan and slope areas for cut and fill will be printed at
the end of the output.

Area/Volume Menu 7-23

Use Index
Carry out area calculation as defined in the road index

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolUseIndex

This routine is used for reruns if sectional areas have been taken out
previously. Whatever condition you originally applied to a particular
chainage stretch will be duplicated. In this way, areas can be run over
long stretches with a variety of different templates, batter slopes etc.
without the necessity of having to re-specify the individual conditions.
The Area Indicator value in the index controls the way the banks will be
created. The indicator values, batter slopes and template numbers used
are those recorded by the last area calculation. They could also have
been edited or manually entered in the Index item under Tools.

Once a profile has been generated with a template and then

individually modified in some way, it is a good idea to 'lock' it by setting
the index indicator to '2'. This means that any reruns will only adjust
the batters and never interfere with the center portion of the section.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.

7-24 Roads Reference

Masshaul Volume
Calculate masshaul volumes from cross section areas

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolMassHaulVolume

This routine calculates volumes yielding a normal Masshaul with the

imbalance between cut and fill as a result. The calculation may be
broken into stretches with varying compaction factors and topsoil
stripping depths, but yields a final global volume at the end.
End areas from one of the area routines must have been obtained before
it is possible to get answers from this routine.
A starting volume can be added to the overall run to allow for arbitrary
items such as borrowed material, bellmouths, culverts etc. A starting
chainage is also given. Thereafter the routine will cycle asking for a
depth of topsoil stripping, compaction factor and end chainage for each
stretch. The volumes for each stretch will be listed as they are calculated.
The compaction value applies to cut quantities and is in percent. A value
of less than 100 gives compaction and greater than 100 gives bulking. The
topsoil depth applies to the depth of material that will be removed from
the entire prism width of the road.
When the end chainage is reached, the option to print the final results
should be selected. Note that the Output Window should be open.
The results of this routine may optionally be stored in a Spreadsheet for
subsequent analysis.
See also Cumulative Volumes for an alternative calculation.

Procedure
The Volume Calculation Details dialog is displayed.

Area/Volume Menu 7-25

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages for
which volumes should be calculated.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages for
which volumes should be calculated.
Start volume Enter the volume that should be added to the overall
run to accommodate arbitary items such as borrow
material, bellmouths, culverts, etc. Enter a
POSITIVE value to indicate a Fill volume and a
NEGATIVE value to indicate a Cut volume.
Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil that should be stripped
from cross sections before volumes are calculated.
Bulking/Compaction factor Enter the bulking or compaction factor that should be
applied to calculated cut volumes. Factors of over
100 imply bulking while factors under 100 imply
compaction. A value of 100 will ignore any form of
bulking or compaction.
Batter layer Select the layer for which volumes should be
calculated.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of this function
written out in comma-delimited format suitable for
importing into a spreadsheet.
Print Results Button Click this button to print the final result of the volume
calculation. This button is activated after volumes for
the first defined range have been calculated.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
Calculations for the first defined range are carried out. The Volume
Calculation Details dialog is then redisplayed. The start chainage
defaults to the end chainage of the previous range. You may now enter a
new end chainage, change the topsoil stripping depth and/or change the
Bulking/Compaction factor. Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK]
button to continue, or click the [Print Results] button to end the function.

7-26 Roads Reference

Cumulative Volumes
Calculate cumulative volumes from cross section areas

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolCumulativeVolume

This routine calculates volumes yielding a cumulative total of cut and fill.
It is normally used to assess the amount of material in individual cuts or
fills. In all other respects, it is identical to the Masshaul Volume routine.

Procedure
The Volume Calculation Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages for
which volumes should be calculated.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages for
which volumes should be calculated.
Start volume Enter the volume that should be added to the overall
run to accommodate arbitary items such as borrow
material, bellmouths, culverts, etc.
Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil that should be stripped
from cross sections before volumes are calculated.
Bulking/Compaction factor Enter the bulking or compaction factor that should be
applied to calculated cut volumes. Factors of over
100 imply bulking while factors under 100 imply
compaction. A value of 100 will ignore any form of
bulking or compaction.
Batter layer Select the layer for which volumes should be
calculated.
Spreadsheet output Check this option to have the results of this function
written out in comma-delimited format suitable for
importing into a spreadsheet.

Area/Volume Menu 7-27

Print Results Button Click this button to print the final result of the volume
calculation. This button is activated after volumes for
the first defined range have been calculated.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
If you selected the Spreadsheet output option, then Windows’ standard
save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
Calculations for the first defined range are carried out. The Volume
Calculation Details dialog is then redisplayed. The start chainage
defaults to the end chainage of the previous range. You may now enter a
new end chainage, change the topsoil stripping depth and/or change the
Bulking/Compaction factor. Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK]
button to continue, or click the [Print Results] button to end the function.

7-28 Roads Reference

Layerwork Volumes
Calculate volumes of template layerworks

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadAreaVolLayerworkVolume

This routine calculates the volumes of layerworks that have been

included in the template(s) applied to the active road.
The layerworks must be consistent throughout the chainage run that you
want to calculate. If this is not the case, the routine will halt with an error
message.
The Cut and fill volumes for each layer will be calculated. The Cut and
fill preperation area for each layer will also be calculated.

Procedure
The Layerworks dialog is displayed.

Area/Volume Menu 7-29

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of
chainages to process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of
chainages to process.
Base Layer Select the layer containing Ground cross
sections.
Batter layer Select the layer for which volumes must be
calculated. This layer must have been
generated from a template which has
defined layerworks.

Fill in the relevant details and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

7-30 Roads Reference

Pipe Menu
The Pipe Menu allows you to generate Pipe long
sections very easily using three systems:
• Auto Manholes – generates a long section using
defined manholes
• Auto Lengths – calculates the levels at the inlet
and outlet of pipes of a specified length
• Parallel pipes – calculates the levels of a pipe that
follows the ground line with a specified cover
You can also calculate trench volumes by depth
increment.

Pipe Menu 8-1

Pipe Database
Create/Edit a Pipe database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

EditPipeDBase

This routine enables you to create multiple databases, which can contain
information regarding pipe services, for example Sewer pipes,
Stormwater culverts, Water networks, electrical layouts,
telecommunication cables etc. You can then use these databases to
indicate crossing positions of the pipes/cables on Road, Sewer, Storm
and Water Long Sections as well as the Road Vertical Alignment view.
The databases can also be used when running the Pipe Clashes routine.

Procedure
The following spreadsheet will be displayed:

Add a new Database

Press the [Add New Database] button to display the following dialog.

Use the browse button to specify a new database file.

Specify a name for the new database by which you will be able to select
this database in the other routines that use pipe databases.
Press [OK] to create the database.
Type in the relative Data, or import an ASCII file.
Close the spreadsheet to exit the function and save the changes.

8-2 Roads Reference

Database Fields
Column Database Field Name Field Type Description
Name NAME CHARACTER The name if the pipe
Y-Start Y1 NUMERIC Y-Coordinate for the
start of the pipe
X-Start X1 NUMERIC X-Coordinate for the
start of the pipe
Inv-Start INVERT1 NUMERIC Invert level of the start
of the pipe
Y-End Y2 NUMERIC Y-Coordinate for the
end of the pipe
X-End X2 NUMERIC X-Coordinate for the
end of the pipe
Inv-End INVERT2 NUMERIC Invert level of the end
of the pipe
Type TYPE CHARACTER Invert level of the end
of the pipe
Width/Diam OUTSIDE1 NUMERIC Diameter of a pipe, or
width of a rectangular
culver
Height OUTSIDE2 NUMERIC Diameter of a pipe, or
width of a rectangular
culvert

Pipe Menu 8-3

Import ASCII
Import and ASCII file into a Pipe Database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ImportPipeDBase

This routine enables you to Import ASCII data in various formats into
the Pipe Database spreadsheet

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
The drop down list of filetypes presents Data files (*.dat), Comma
separated values (*.csv) and All Files (*.*).
Select the appropriate type. Use "All files" if your ascii file does not have
a *.dat or *.csv extension, and then type in the extension yourself in the
file name edit box. Dat files can still be comma delimited - The csv option
is given merely to simplify exchange with other programs that read/
write csv files.
Once you have selected the file to import and clicked on the OK button,
the Pipe ASCII Import dialog is displayed

8-4 Roads Reference

File type - Fixed width Select the option that matches the format in which
or Delimited the data will be read. If you select the Other option
you must also enter the ASCII value of the
delimiter.
Apply constants Check this option in order to have the specified
constants applied to the Y, X and Z values of each
point imported.
Constants - Y Coord, X Enter the constants to be applied to the Y, X and Z
Coord and Z Coord values of each point imported.
Constants - Add or Select the manner in which the constants will be
Multiply applied. The Add option implies that the constants
will be added to the current values, while the
Multiply option implies that the current value will be
multiplied by the specified constant. In order to
accept one or more of the coordinate values
unchanged, specify a value of 0 for that constant if
Adding, or specify a value of 1 if Multiplying. Be
very careful about specifying a constant value of 0
and then selecting the Multiply option. Doing this
will result in the particular coordinate value being
set to 0 for every point imported.
Save settings as Check this option in order to retain the current
defaults settings as the default for future imports.
Next Button Click this button to display the next page of the
dialog. The page displayed depends on whether
Fixed Columns or one of the Delimited options was
selected as the file type.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Look at the 25 line extraction of the ASCII file and select the appropriate
File Type option.
Press NEXT to display one of the following dialogs.
If you have selected the Fixed Column option then the following dialog
will be displayed:

Pipe Menu 8-5

Graphically indicate where the field breaks should be, right click to
delete a break. Press NEXT to display the following page:

Click of the Column headings and select the appropriate Filed name for
each column.
Press FINISH to import the data.

8-6 Roads Reference

Import Pipes from drawing entities
Import drawing entities into a Pipe Database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ImportPipeDRG

This routine enables you to Import drawing entities into the Pipe
Database spreadsheet.

Procedure
Create a Pipe Database, or select the database into which you want to
import the data.
Select the menu item to start this function.
The Extract Pipes from Drawing dialog will be displayed.

Select Layer to Import Select a layer from the list box where the program
will find the data.
Import Start and end Each line entity in the selected layer will be extracted
coordinates as a pipe. The start and end point coordinates will be
entered into the Start and End columns of the active
Pipe database. The data will be added to the content
of the database.
Import Invert Levels Check this option to extract the invert levels from the
drawing. The closest text entity to the start and end
point of each pipe (within a 1m radius) will be
extracted as the Start and End invert levels. If the
"Import Start and end coordinates" option was not
checked, then the invert levels of att the existing
pipes will be updated, otherwise only the levels of the
newly extracted pipes will be extracted.
OK Button Click this button to accept the entries in the dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Pipe Menu 8-7

Edit Alignment
Edit a pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeEditAlignment

This routine may be used to enter a new alignment or to edit an existing

alignment.
Bend point data is entered in the spreadsheet by typing the Name,
Chainage, Invert In, Invert Out and a Type indicator (1 for a manhole, 0
for a bend). Invert In and Invert Out allow for drop inverts in pipes and
only apply to manholes. If Invert Out is set to 0, then it will automatically
take on the Invert In level.
At any manhole, Invert In is always the invert level coming in from (or
going out to) the manhole on the left of this one. Invert Out is always the
invert level going out to (or coming in from) the manhole on the right of
this one.
The vertical alignment is stored in ASCII format in the design file of the
active road file.

8-8 Roads Reference

Graphical Insert
Graphically insert a bend point in a pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeGraphicalInsert

This routine is used to insert a bend point into a pipe alignment.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate position for new bend point

Click on a position in the Road window and a bend point is inserted in

the pipe alignment at the current offset and elevation.

Pipe Menu 8-9

Graphical Delete
Graphically delete a bend point in a pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeGraphicalDelete

This routine is used to delete a bend point or manhole from a pipe

alignment.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate bend point to delete

Click on a bend point (or manhole) in the pipe alignment and the
following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to delete the indicated alignment point, or click
the [No] button to retain the point.

8-10 Roads Reference

Graphical Edit
Graphically indicate a bend point to edit in a pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeGraphicalEdit

This routine is used to edit a bend point or manhole in a pipe alignment.

When you change any of the Chainage, Invert In, Invert Out, In Slope or
Out Slope values, the other values will automatically be calculated when
you tab off the edit box or when clicking [OK]. For example, if you
change the In Slope value, the Invert In value will be updated.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate bend point to edit

Click on a bend point (or manhole) in the pipe alignment and the Node
Details dialog is displayed.

Chainage Enter the chainage of this node.

Invert in Enter the incoming invert level of this node. The pipe
from the manhole or bend to the left of this one
enters this node at this level.
Invert out Enter the outgoing invert level of this node. The pipe
from the manhole or bend to the right of this one
enters this node at this level. Only available if Node
type is set as Manhole. Enter a different level to the
incoming invert level for a drop manhole. An entry of
0 will automatically take on the incoming invert level.
In Slope Enter the slope of the pipe, in percentage, entering
the manhole or bend.

Pipe Menu 8-11

Out Slope Enter the slope of the pipe, in percentage, exiting the
manhole or bend.
Deflaction Displays the deflection angle in degrees between the
incoming and outgoing pipe
Node type Select either Bend or Manhole to specify whether
this node is to be processed as a bend or as a
manhole.
Manhole name Enter the name of this manhole. Only available if
Node type is set as Manhole.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

8-12 Roads Reference

Graphical Move
Graphically move a bend point to edit in a pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeGraphicalMove

This routine is used to move a bend point or manhole in a pipe

alignment.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate bend point to move

Click on a point in the pipe alignment and the following prompt is

displayed:
Indicate new position for bend point

Click on a position in the Road window and the bend point is updated to
the new offset and invert level. The revised alignment is displayed as the
mouse is moved. Right click the mouse or press [Esc] to cancel the move
before the second click.

Pipe Menu 8-13

Ground Lines
Display additional long sections in a pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeGroundLines

This routine is used to specify ground line long sections to display in

addition to the normal ground line.

Procedure
The Ground Line Details dialog is displayed.

On – Line 2 to Line 4 Check this option to turn on the display of the

selected line.
Layer – Line 2 to Line 4 Select the layer from which the long section should
be extracted.
Pen Button – Line 1 to Line 4 Click this button to select the pen in which the
selected line should be drawn.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

8-14 Roads Reference

Review Alignment
List pipe alignment data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeReviewAlignment

This function produces a detailed listing of the pipeline details.

Each bend point is listed with its invert level, the grade of the pipe
between this point and the next, the length from bend point to bend
point and the total or accumulated length up to this point. In the case of
a drop invert, the second invert is listed directly below the first.
Make sure the Output Window is open to see the listing on the screen.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Pipe Menu 8-15

Auto Manholes
Auto-generate a pipe alignment using manholes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeAutoManholes

This function permits the rapid insertion and visible display of manhole
and pipe details.
To use the routine it is essential that the long section should have been
collected from named bend points with Terrain ► Long Section ► Extract.
When the routine is selected, you are prompted to enter the layer to be
used for the ground layer. For every manhole on the pipeline, a dialog
box prompts for an invert level or the depth below the ground level.
To view the line, click the Redraw icon in the Roads window. The
pipeline created will then be displayed on the screen. It will be noted that
a secondary line, the minimum cover depth below the ground, will
appear as an aid to further editing.
The long section may now be edited by using the graphical routines or by
editing the data in the spreadsheet.
Select Review Alignment to list alignment details.

Procedure
The Layer Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
If there is an existing pipe alignment the following message is displayed:

8-16 Roads Reference

Click the [Yes] button to overwrite the existing alignment with the new
alignment, or click the [No] button to cancel the function.
For each of the named points in the extracted long section the Bend
Invert Details dialog is displayed.

Bend point invert Select either the Invert level or Depth below ground
option. This will define the invert level for this bend
point by an entered level or by an entered depth
below ground level.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Pipe Menu 8-17

Auto Lengths
Auto-generate a pipe alignment using pipe lengths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeAutoLengths

This routine permits you to set a start point, a length of pipe and a
minimum ground cover. The routine will create a run of manholes at that
minimum cover where each one is separated from the next by the sloped
length that has been set.
The start point can be either a new chainage or a continuation from the
last point entered. When selecting to start from a chainage, you also have
to enter a starting invert level that corresponds to this chainage.
The layer to be used for the ground layer, the pipe length and a
minimum depth must be entered. The routine will then generate invert
levels and grades using these criteria.
To view the pipeline, click the Redraw icon in the Roads window. The
pipeline generated will then be displayed on the screen. It will be noted
that a secondary line, the minimum cover depth below the ground, will
appear as an aid to further editing.
The long section may now be edited by using the graphical routines or by
editing the data in the spreadsheet. Select Review Alignment to list
alignment details.

Procedure
The Auto Generate Details dialog is displayed.

8-18 Roads Reference

Generate from Select either the Chainage option to start from a
specific chainage or the Continue from last point
option to continue from the last point currently
entered in the Pipe spreadsheet.
Elevation Enter the starting elevation of the entered chainage.
Only available if selecting to generate from a
chainage.
Ground layer Select the layer that contains the ground
longsection.
Minimum depth to invert Enter the minimum depth below ground level of the
pipe invert.
Pipe length Enter the length of pipe to be used in generation.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to add to the existing pipe data, click the [No]
button to overwrite the existing alignment, or click the [Cancel] button to
cancel the function.

Pipe Menu 8-19

Parallel Pipes
Auto-generate a pipe alignment parallel to the ground line

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeParallelPipes

This routine simply creates a pipeline a set depth below the ground. The
line “hugs” the ground and is therefore suitable for pressure mains,
irrigation lines, etc. A multitude of pipe lengths is created and it is
normal to graphically delete many of them immediately after creation.
The minimum depth below the ground line, the layer to be used for the
ground layer and the chainage to start from has to be entered. The
routine will then generate invert levels and grades that follow the natural
ground line of the section.
To view the pipeline, click the Redraw icon in the Roads window. The
pipeline generated will then be displayed on the screen. It will be noted
that a secondary line, the minimum cover depth below the ground, will
appear as an aid to further editing.
The long section may now be edited by using the graphical routines or by
editing the data in the spreadsheet.
Select Review Alignment to list alignment details.

Procedure
The Parallel Pipeline Details dialog is displayed.

Depth below ground level for Enter the depth that the pipes should be placed
pipes below ground level.
Ground layer Select the layer that contains the ground
longsection.
Extract from chainage Enter the chainage from which pipe generation
should begin.

8-20 Roads Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to add to the existing pipe data, click the [No]
button to overwrite the existing alignment, or click the [Cancel] button to
cancel the function.

Pipe Menu 8-21

Manhole Data
Edit data for the manholes in the pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeManholeData

This routine allows you to enter ancillary data for the pipeline. This data
is used for plotting purposes only.
The first two columns of this spreadsheet are automatically updated
when the long section is generated.
You may update the remainder of the data for plotting purposes.

Flow information is not calculated by this routine. Should you wish to

have flow information calculated then you should use the Sewer, Storm
or Water modules of Civil Designer.

Procedure
The Pipe Manhole Details dialog is displayed.

Manhole column Enter the name of the manhole.

Cover column Enter the cover level of the manhole.
Diam. Column Enter the manhole diameter for plotting purposes.

8-22 Roads Reference

Pipe column Enter the diameter of the pipe for plotting purposes.
Capac. Column Enter the flow capacity of the pipe for plot labeling
purposes. Note that this value is NOT calculated in
any way.
Veloc. Column Enter the flow velocity of the pipe for plot labeling
purposes. Note that this value is NOT calculated in
any way.
User 1 column Enter a user-defined value for plot labeling
purposes.
User 2 column Enter a user-defined value for plot labeling
purposes.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Pipe Menu 8-23

Invert Levels
List invert levels for the pipe alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeInvertLevels

This routine produces a listing of chainages and corresponding invert

levels.
To view the listing on the screen, make sure the Output Window is open.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

8-24 Roads Reference

Trench Volumes
Calculate pipe trench volumes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadPipeTrenchVolume

This function calculates the earthworks volume for the pipeline trench
broken up into various material types and for different pay depths.
You need to enter a start and end point name, the layer to use as a
ground layer, the layers on which the various types of material are
stored, the trench width and the layer the pipeline invert is to be stored
in. You also have the option of setting pay depth increments for
calculation. Note that the entry is in increments and not actual depths.
After the information is entered, the routine produces a listing of
volumes for each depth increment from manhole to manhole.

Procedure
The Trench Volumes dialog is displayed.

Start name Enter the name of the manhole at which to start the
volume calculation.
Stop name Enter the name of the manhole at which to stop the
volume calculation.
Ground layer Select the layer that contains the ground long
section.
Hard layer Check this option and select the layer that contains
the hard material long section if you wish to have
hard material volumes included in the calculation.
Rock layer Check this option and select the layer that contains
the rock material long section if you wish to have
rock material volumes included in the calculation.

Pipe Menu 8-25

Trench layer Select the layer on which the trench cross sections
should be placed.
Trench width Enter the overall width of the trench.
Set Depths Button Click this button to set the pay depth increments for
the calculation.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
In the Trench Volumes dialog you can click the [Set Depths] button to
display the Depth Categories dialog for setting up pay depth increments.

Fill in the depth increments you require and click the [OK] button to
continue. The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set
output options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings. The
following message is displayed:

Click the [Yes] button to overwrite any existing data on the selected
trench layer, or click the [No] button to continue with the calculation but
not to store the calculated trench layer.

8-26 Roads Reference

Tools Menu
The Tool Menu contains functions to manipulate the
road index, do construction checks on the road,
calculate precise levels at intersections, create and edit
road templates and insert long and short chains into
the road.

Tools Menu 9-1

Index
The basic structure of a roads database is called
the index. These routines allow editing and
manipulations for that structure.
The Index comprises a series of records that each
contains a number of fields. There are two types.
Chainage records and Surface records. At each
cross section location on the road, there will be one
chainage record that contains the details about
that particular position on the road. At the same
location there may be up to 128 surface records.
Once this data is available in the index, you can
perform re-runs just by drawing off this
information. However, because you can edit and
alter any of the items in the Index, a fully
customizable road can be set up. For example, localized special slope
conditions, frozen batters, switched off portions over bridges, allowances
for daylighting and a variety of other circumstances.

Chainage Record
Each chainage has a coordinate (probably) and a switched 'on or off' flag.
It also knows which chainage came before it, which one will come next,
and which layers have been acquired at that location.
Then, at every chainage, each layer carries certain data items. These are
the batter slopes, minimum bank lengths and indicators. By default,
these items are added automatically.
So if you list a set of freshly produced design sections, you will find that
all the values are shown as 0s. After applying a template in the
Area/Volumes menu, a listing will now show slopes and indicators with
the relevant values in place.

9-2 Roads Reference

A Chainage record contains the following fields:

Chainage the actual chainage value.

H Ordinate the horizontal ordinate for the chainage point.
V Ordinate the vertical ordinate for the chainage point.
Skew the angle from the normal for cross section extraction.
On/Off flag enables the chainage to become invisible to routines. A
value of '1' switches the chainage off.

The On / Off flag enables a chainage to become invisible to routines. By

default, every chainage is visible so a value of "1" switches the chainage
off and "0" switches it on.

Tools Menu 9-3

Layer Record
Each layer record contains the information that control the way areas
are formed with that layer. Most options in the Road menu will retrieve
certain items from the index and write others into it.
If the Use Index option is chosen in the Area/Volume functions then all
the required items are retrieved. As an example, by editing the template
number a different template would be applied and by changing the
batter flag from '1' to '0', new batters would be appended to the existing
ones, and so on. It should be remember that layer 128 is reserved for the
long section elevations.
A Layer record contains the following fields:

Area Indicator the type of areas calculated in Area/Volume when this layer
was last used as the batter layer. (See below)
Template Number the template number set in Alignment  Edge Levels when
edge levels were generated for this layer.
User Code reserved for future use.
Batter Flag flag to indicate that batters are present. (See note below)
Left Cut Slope of left cut batter (1:nn).
Left Fill Slope of left fill batter (1:nn).
Right Cut Slope of right cut batter (1:nn).
Right Fill Slope of right fill batter (1:nn).
Left Cut min offset from CL for the toe of the left cut batter.
Left Fill min offset from CL for the toe of the left fill batter.
Right Cut min offset from CL for the toe of the right cut batter.
Right Fill min offset from CL for the toe of the right fill batter

If the Batter Flag is set to '1' then batters are assumed to be present and
would first be removed and then re-calculated when areas are run in
Area/Volume. If set to '0' then it is assumed batters are absent and
when areas are run, new batters will be appended to the extremities of
the cross section as it stands.

9-4 Roads Reference

The Area Indicator value controls the way the banks will be created:

0 Will bypass the section altogether

1 A normal template addition.
2 Calculates batters. (No template added)
3 A dump calculation (Base connection)
4 Forces a join of the layer extremities
5 A dam calculation
6 An area calculation only

The indicator values, batter slopes and template numbers used are those
recorded by the last area calculation.

In the same way as Survey Editing makes fundamental changes to the

terrain database, the Index functions can have serious repercussions on
the road data. It is recommended that before making any changes you
backup the relevant road data file manually.

Tools Menu 9-5

List Chainage Records
List the data from chainage records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexListChainageRecords

This routine produces a listing of the chainage records in the road

database.
A start and stop chainage must be provided and all records in the
selected range will be listed.

Procedure
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-6 Roads Reference

Edit Chainage Record
Edit the data from chainage records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexEditChainageRecord

This routine enables the editing of the fields for a chainage record.
To locate a particular chainage record, the value may be typed in the
chainage box and the [Find] button clicked or the scroll bar may be used.
For a change to be recorded the [Save] button must be clicked.

Procedure
The Chainage Record Edit dialog is displayed.

Find Click this button to search for the current Chainage

entry.
Chainage Enter the chainage that should be found.
Previous chainage Click this button for the previous chainage in the road
database (if any).
Next chainage Click this button for the next chainage in the road
database (if any).
Scrollbar Click on the scrollbar to scroll through the chainage
records in the database.
Y Coord Enter the horizontal ordinate of the chainage record.
X Coord Enter the vertical ordinate of the chainage record.
Section skew Enter the skew angle at which cross sections should
be extracted for this chainage record.
Switch chainage off Check this option to make this chainage invisible to
normal section processing functions.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [Save] button to save changes. Click
the [Close] button to end the function.

Tools Menu 9-7

Set Chainage Fields
Set specific chainage field values

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexSetChainageRecord

This routine allows for the setting of one of the chainage fields to a
particular value.
The field to be set must be selected and the value it should be set to must
be entered. A start and stop chainage for the records to be altered must
also be provided. A common use would be to 'close off' a series of
chainages by setting the On/Off flag to '1'

Procedure
The Chainage Field Editing dialog is displayed.

Field to set Select the chainage field for which the value should
be set.
Value to set Enter the value to which the selected field should be
set.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

9-8 Roads Reference

The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-9

Batch On/Off Switch
Switch a batch of chainages on or off

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexBatchSwitch

This routine is used to switch a number of chainages in the road

database on or off.
A start and stop chainage must be provided and an interval between the
chainages to switch.
This permits parts of a road to be rendered 'invisible'. By incorporating
an interval that is not the original coordination interval, every alternate
(or third, fourth or fifth) chainage can be switched on or off. This is
useful for temporarily increasing the density of sections in a particular
area such as tight curves.

Procedure
The Batch Chainage On/Off Switch dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Chainage interval Enter the interval between chainages to process.
Switch chainage Select whether to make the chainages visible (On) or
invisible (Off) to other processing functions.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to proceed.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-10 Roads Reference

List Layer Records
List data from layer records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexListSurfaceRecords

This routine produces a listing of the layer records between two

chainages for a selected layer.
A start and stop chainage must be entered as well as the layer to list.

Procedure
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-11

Edit Layer Records
Edit data from layer records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexEditSurfaceRecord

This routine allows you to edit any of the fields for any one particular
layer record.
The layer to edit must be selected. To locate a particular layer record, the
value may be typed in the chainage box and the [Find] button clicked or
the scroll bar may be used. For a change to be recorded the [Save]
button must be clicked.

Procedure
The Layer Edit dialog is displayed.

Specify which layer to edit and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Layer Record Edit dialog is displayed.

Find Click this button to find the entered chainage.

Chainage Enter the chainage to be found.
Previous chainage Click this button for the previous chainage in the road
database (if any).

9-12 Roads Reference

Next chainage Click this button for the next chainage in the road
database (if any).
Scrollbar Click on the scrollbar to scroll through the layer
records in the database.
Area indicator Enter a value (0 to 6) to indicate the type of areas
last calculated.
Template number Enter the template number to use with this section.
User code This entry is not used by any functions and therefore
is available for any entry.
Batter flag Set to 1 if batters are present (and will therefore be
removed and recalculated when areas are run)
otherwise set to 0 to indicate that no batters are
present (and will therefore be added on when areas
are run).
Batter slopes Enter the relevant batter slopes as 1:x.
Min. batter offsets Enter the minimum offset from the centreline to the
relevant batter toe.
Save Click this button to save the current entries in the
dialog.
Close Click this button to end the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-13

Set Layer Fields
Set specific layer field values

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexSetSurfaceField

This option provides for the setting of one of the layer fields in all the
layer records over a specified chainage range.
The field to be set must be selected and the value it should be set to must
be entered. A start and stop chainage as well as the layer for the records
to be altered must also be provided.

Procedure
The Layer Field Editing dialog is displayed.

Field to set - Various Select the field for which the entered value should be
set.
Value to set Enter the value to which the selected field should be
set.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

9-14 Roads Reference

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-15

Transfer Layer Fields
Transfer specific layer field values between layers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexTransferSurfaceFields

This option allows the values of selected fields to be transferred from one
layer to another.
This is particularly useful where manual adjustments have been made to
bank slopes and a subsequent layer has to be created with the identical
edge conditions (e.g. monthly progress measurements). The field or fields
to transfer must be selected followed by a start and stop chainage and
the layers to transfer the fields between.

Procedure
The Layer Field Transfer dialog is displayed.

Fields to transfer Select the fields that should be transferred between

layers

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

9-16 Roads Reference

The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-17

Batter Slope Extraction
Set the layer batter field values to that of the cross section data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexBatterExtraction

This option enables the slope of existing batters to be extracted and

inserted in the relevant fields in the layer record. It is used in situations
where sections have been generated by means other than the area
program, or where they have been manually edited but the batter slope
details are now required for area calculations.
A typical example would be sections extracted across a terrace at an odd
angle. Due to the angle the bank slopes will vary from the normal 1:1.5 or
1:2 of the terrace. This routine would then be used to obtain the slopes.
A start and stop chainage must be entered as well as the layer for which
the batters should be calculated. The batter slopes will then be added to
the layer records. This routine automatically sets the Area Indicator to
indicate a normal batter calculation ('2') and the Batter flag will be set to
indicate that batter slopes are present ('1').

Procedure
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

9-18 Roads Reference

Batter Slope Adjustment
Apply a constant change to batter slopes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexBatterAdjustment

This function allows you to add a constant to the batter slopes or

multiply batter slopes between two chainages in the section file by a
constant. A typical use would be for "daylighting" sections.

Procedure
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-19

The Layer Batter Adjustment dialog is displayed.

Process - Left and Right cut Select any combination of the batter slopes to be
and fill slope processed.
Function - Add or Multiply Select whether the entered value should be added to
the batter slope or if the batter slope should be
multiplied by it.
Function - Value Enter the value with which batter slopes should be
adjusted.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings, or click the [Cancel]
button to use the previous settings.

9-20 Roads Reference

Delete Chainage
Delete a specified chainage from the index

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexDeleteChainage

This routine is used to remove a chainage record and all the layer
records linked to it from the road database.
The chainage to be deleted must be entered and it is then removed from
the index.

Deleting a chainage means that ALL associated cross sections for the
chainage will be deleted and cannot be recovered.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
The Chainage Deletion dialog is displayed.

Specify the chain to delete and click the [Delete] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-21

Batch Chainage Deletion
Delete a range of chainages from the index

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexBatchDelete

This routine is used to delete a number of chainages in the road

database.
A start and stop chainage must be provided. The entire range of
chainage records will be deleted from the road index.

Deleting a chainage means that ALL associated cross sections for the
chainage will be deleted and cannot be recovered.

Procedure
The Chainage Range Details dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range of chainages to

process.
Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range of chainages to
process.
Current layer Select the layer that should be processed. Availability
depends on the process being carried out.
Destination layer Select the layer to which the processing results
should be written. Availability depends on the
process being carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-22 Roads Reference

Insert Chainage
Insert a new chainage into the index

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexInsertChainage

This routine is used to insert individual chainages into the road database.
The chainage value to insert must be entered and a chainage record for
the chainage will then be created in the road index. All the fields in the
chainage record (except the chainage field) will be initialized to '0'.
Therefore inserting a new chainage does not automatically mean that it
has a coordinate value or any layer data. This data can be generated
using the respective Road menu functions, in particular Alignment ►
Horizontal ► Coordinate with the Chainages from index option selected in
order to calculate chainage coordinates.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.
The Chainage Insertion dialog is displayed.

Specify the chain to insert and click the [Insert] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-23

Batch Chainage Insertion
Insert a range of chainages into the index

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexBatchInsert

This routine is used to insert a number of chainages into the road

database.
A start and stop chainage must be provided and an interval between the
chainages to insert. A chainage record for each chainage at the specified
interval will be created in the road database (index). All the fields in the
chainage record (except the chainage field) will be initialized to '0'. You
have the option of automatically interpolating centreline levels from
existing cross section data.

After a pipeline longsection was extracted using Terrain ► Long Section

► Extract, levels may be interpolated at regular chainage intervals (e.g.
every 10m)
If a road is to be built up over a period of time from a variety of sources,
it is a good idea to use this routine at the beginning to establish a
framework on which to 'hang' the whole job.

Procedure
The Chainage Range Insertion dialog is displayed.

Start chainage Enter the first chainage of the range to insert.

Stop chainage Enter the last chainage of the range to insert.
Chainage interval Enter the interval at which chainages should be
generated.
Auto interpolate levels from Check this option and select a layer to have the
chainage elevation interpolated from the specified
layer.

9-24 Roads Reference

Graphical Insertion
Graphically insert a chainage at a skew angle.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexGraphicalInsert

This routine allows you to graphical insert a chainage in the index file,
straight or at a skew angle. After the chainage has been inserted, all the
calculations for the newly inserted chainage will be performed
automatically i.e. coordinate, extract ground sections, generate vertical
levels, generate edge levels and apply the template.

Procedure
The Graphical Chainage Insert Dialog will be displayed.

Extract Ground from DTM Specify the DTM surface from where the ground
surface cross sections should be extracted.
Store Ground to Road Layer Specify the Cross section layer to which the
extracted ground sections should be stored.
Store Batter to Road layer Specify the Cross section layer on which the batter
must be stored.
Enter the Skew Angle Specify the Cross section layer to which the Batter
data should be stored.
Angle Enter the angle in degrees. A positive angle indicates
a clockwise rotation from the cross section's normal
position. A negative angle indicates an anti-clockwise
rotation.
Graphically indicate Skew Check this option if you want to graphically indicate
Angle the skew angle.

Tools Menu 9-25

To graphically insert a chainage at a known skew angle:

The Program will prompt:

Indicate the position for new chainage

Graphically indicate, on the Design centre Window, the position for the
new chainage.

To graphically insert a chianage at an unknown skew angle:

The program will prompt:

Indicate a point on the new cross section, Left of the CL

Graphically indicate the position on the Design centre window to the left
of the centre line where the cross section line must run through.
The program will prompt:
Indicate a point on the new cross section, Right of the CL

Graphically indicate the position on the Design centre window to the

Right of the centre line where the cross section line must run through.

9-26 Roads Reference

Construction
These routines are used in the construction of roads.
The data to generate information for the setting up of
batter boards and final layer poles can be extracted
from the design cross sections. The build up of
construction layer works may also be monitored.

Tools Menu 9-27

Profile/Batters
Calculate Profile/Batter board data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadConstructionProfileBatters

This routine is used to calculate the coordinates, the height and the slope
of batter boards.
Obviously, cross sections of a design layer must already exist before
running this routine.
A start and stop chainage must be entered for the chainages to calculate
as well as the cross section layer to be used to obtain the batter
information. An offset from the toe of the batter to the front pole of the
batter board must then be entered, as well as the boning distance.
For each section, the following information is listed for both left and right
hand sides:
• the horizontal offset from the centreline to the front batter pole.
• the angle of the batter.
• the slope length of the batter.
• the XY co-ordinates for the front batter pole.
• the Z ordinate for the nail on the front batter pole.
The option to output this data to spreadsheet format is available.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

9-28 Roads Reference

The Profile/Batter Boards dialog is displayed.

Offset for profile board from Enter the offset from the toe of the batter to the front
batter pole of the batter board.
Boning distance Enter the boning distance to be used.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-29

Offset Poles
Calculate surface poles at a distance from the centreline

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIndexBatchInsert

This routine is used to generate the information necessary to control the

formation of final road layers by surface poles and string lines. These
poles are set at a constant distance from the centerline. Boning lines are
strung between the poles at the given elevations to give the crossfall and
elevation of the road layer being constructed.
A start and stop chainage must be entered for the chainages to calculate
as well as the cross section layer to be used to obtain the crossfall of the
road layer. A boning distance must be entered as well as a layer work
depth that should be deducted from the specified cross section layer. If
the cross section represents the final road layer then no deduction for
layer works would be required and the value should be set to '0'.
Distances from the centreline must be given for the position of the left
and right poles. There is nothing to prevent both poles being on the left
or right hand sides.
For a detailed description of the boning and target distances, refer to the
sketch in Relative Poles.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

9-30 Roads Reference

The Offset Poles dialog is displayed.

Distance from CL for poles - Left Enter the distance from the centreline at which the
and Right poles will be placed. Note that this is a distance
and not an offset so that negative left values are
NOT left of the centreline but rather right of it.
Distance for slope interpolation - Enter the target distance for the location of the
Left and Right plane that each string line will track. As mentioned
above, note that this is a distance and NOT an
offset.
Boning distance Enter the boning distance to be used.
Layer deduction Enter the layer depth to be deducted from the
selected layer.
Output - List, Level 1 or Level 2 Select whether to have output as a basic table of
setting out data suitable for total station work
(List), as a table suitable for use as a fieldbook for
direct setting out by spirit level and tape (Level 1),
or as a more compact version for spirit levelling
without field entries and which lists the height
difference between the two nails instead of two
elevations (Level 2).

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-31

Relative Poles
Calculate surface poles relative to the edges of the section

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadConstructionRelativePoles

This routine is used to generate the information necessary to control the

formation of final road layers by surface poles and string lines. These
poles are set distance from the road edge. Boning lines are strung
between the poles at the given elevations to give the crossfall and
elevation of the road layer being constructed.
A start and stop chainage must be entered for the chainages to calculate
as well as the cross section layer to be used to obtain the crossfall of the
road layer. A boning distance must be entered as well as a layer work
depth that should be deducted from the specified cross section layer. If
the cross section represents the final road layer then no deduction for
layer works would be required and the value should be set to '0'.
An offset for the origin of the calculations must be provided. This origin
is used to determine the offsets for the poles by specifying the number of
cross section points left and right of the origin that the poles should be
placed. The poles are then offset from the determined cross section
points by the amount specified for the 'Pole Offset from Edges'.

Offsets from the centreline must be given for the interpolation of the two
lines. This is a target offset for the location of the plane that each string
line will track. In other words, the first point left and the first point right
of the target offset will define the string line surface.
The type of listing must also be selected. One type yields a basic table of
setting out data suitable for total station work. The other provides
printout suitable for direct setting out by spirit level and tape.

9-32 Roads Reference

The listings provide offsets from the centreline for the poles and for each
boning line, the crossfall of the layer works (%) and the elevations on the
left and right pole in order to set the line. The same information is
provided by all the listings - only the format varies.

As both the offset for the poles and the plane along which the
interpolation of crossfall should take place are separately specified, this
routine can accommodate any type of road feature, e.g. Dish drains,
medians or dual carriageways. This means that the same set of poles
can control several features. Dual poles (where both are on one side of
the road) can also be specified.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Relative Poles dialog is displayed.

Tools Menu 9-33

Number of points L/R of origin Enter the number of points left and right of the origin
to be used to determine the placement of the poles.
Pole distance from edges Enter the distance from the determined points at
which the poles should be placed. Note that this is a
distance and NOT an offset.
Distance for slope Enter the target distance for the location of the plane
interpolation that each string line will track.
Distance from CL for origin Enter the distance from the centreline for the origin
of the point calculations.
Boning distance Enter the boning distance to be used.
Layer deduction Enter the layer depth to be deducted from the
selected layer.
Output Select whether to have output as:
List
A basic table of setting out data suitable for total
station work
Level1
A table suitable for use as a fieldbook for direct
setting out by spirit level and tape
Level2
A more compact version for spirit levelling without
field entries and which lists the height difference
between the two nails instead of two elevations

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-34 Roads Reference

Cross Check
Cross section level check

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadConstructionCrossCheck

This routine compares the shoulders of the constructed layer against the
batters of the design cross section. The purpose is to assist the
monitoring of progressive excavation of earthwork build up. The
horizontal difference between the offset of the constructed shoulder and
the interpolated offset of the batter at the constructed level is given. This
gives a quick check for over or under filling (or cutting).
A start and stop chainage must be entered for the chainages to calculate.
The cross section layer to check must be entered as well as the cross
section layer against which it should be compared. The layer to check
should consist of cross sections of the constructed layer works from
shoulder to shoulder. The layer to compare it against should be the
complete cross section of the design including batters.
The data printed out for each side of the road is:
• the interpolated offset of the batter at the constructed level
• the actual offset of the constructed shoulder
• the difference between the two

The points compared are the first (left) and last (right) elevations on the
layer being checked and matched to the theoretical distance that would
yield such an elevation on the design. Therefore, the two distances must
intersect.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-35

Full Level Table
Full table cross section level check

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadConstructionFullTable

This routine is used to monitor the elevations of constructed layer works.

It produces a printout in the form of a table that may be used to compare
the constructed layer work levels against the designed levels at set,
predetermined positions.
A start and stop chainage must be entered for the chainages to calculate
as well as the cross section layer from which to derive the levels. A list
box must be filled with offsets (maximum of 10) at which levels must be
interpolated from the specified cross section layer. Another list box with
the required layer names and depths below the specified cross section
must be completed. Up to six layer names and depths may be entered.
The tables produced will contain the design levels calculated at the
specified offsets and layer work depths. Spaces are provided in the tables
to manually enter the constructed elevation and the difference in level
between the constructed (actual) and design (theoretical) elevations.

Once interpreted and drawn up it is often convenient to enter this table

in a spreadsheet where the differences can be extracted and analyzed
automatically.

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

9-36 Roads Reference

The Full Layer Check dialog is displayed.

Offset to check Enter an offset at which the level check should be

done. Offsets left of the centreline must be entered
as a negative value.
Add Button Click this button to add the current offset entry into
the offset list.
Remove Button Click on an entry in the offset list and then click this
button to remove the highlighted entry from the list.
Layer heading Enter the heading (maximum 10 characters) that
should be printed for each layer check.
Layer depth Enter the depth in millimetres that should be
deducted from the layer for checking.
Add Layer Button Click this button to add the current heading and
depth entries into the layer list.
Remove Layer Button Click on an entry in the layer list and then click this
button to remove the highlighted entry from the list.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-37

Comparative Levels
Comparative cross section level check

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadConstructionComparativeTable

This routine is used to monitor the elevations of constructed layer works.

It is used to compare the levels of two layers with a tolerance check.
A start and stop chainage must be entered for the chainages to calculate.
The cross section layer to check must be entered as well as the cross
section layer against which to compare it. The layer to check should
consist of cross sections of the constructed layer works and the layer to
compare it against should be the design cross sections.
A list box must be filled with offsets (maximum of 6) at which levels must
be interpolated from the specified cross section layers. A layer depth to
be deducted from the layer to compare against may be entered.
Tolerances for the constructed levels above and below the compared
layer must also be supplied.
The output lists the offsets with the interpolated levels from both layers
with the differences in level between them. The output is completed with
the total number of differences calculated and the number of constructed
levels falling inside and outside the specified tolerances as well as
statistics about the data.
The constructed layer is frequently picked up by means of spirit leveling
or tache sections from a remote station. The facilities in Survey
Heighting enable the sections to be derived from these readings. Bear in
mind, although the check is required at predetermined positions, there is
no need for the survey point to be exactly at that spot.

9-38 Roads Reference

Procedure
The Chainage Range dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue. The
Tolerance Check dialog is displayed.

Offset to check Enter an offset that should be checked. Offsets to

the left of the centreline must be entered as a
negative value.
Add Button Click this button to add the current offset entry to the
offset list (maximum of 6 entries).
Remove Button Click on an entry in the offset list and then click this
button to remove the highlighted entry from the list.
Level tolerance - Nominal and Enter the tolerances for the levels of the two layers
Maximum being checked. Only available if the Check layer
depth option is selected.
Layer tolerance - Nominal and Enter the tolerances for the depths between the
Maximum layer being checked and the selected depth layer.
Only available if the Check layer depth option is
selected.
Layer depth to Select the layer for which depths between it and the
layer being checked are compared. Only available if
the Check layer depth option is selected.

Tools Menu 9-39

Designed layer depth Enter the designed depth between the two selected
layers. Only available if the Check layer depth option
is selected.
Check layer depth Check this option if you want the depth between the
layer being checked and another layer to be
checked in addition to the normal level check.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-40 Roads Reference

Intersection
The purpose of the Intersection routines is to facilitate
the geometric design of road intersections in both the
horizontal and vertical planes.
The data used for the geometric design is not linked to
any one of the road files of the project therefore there
is no need to select a road file before calculating.
Virtually all types of 'T' intersection can be handled. By
putting two T' intersections back to back, it is possible
to design a crossroad. By linking two T's one behind
the other, cul-de-sacs can be created.

Tools Menu 9-41

New Intersection
Start a new intersection calculation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionNew

When starting a new Intersection, there are two stages to providing the
design data.
The conventions followed for the provision of design data are:
• A Main Road that may be on a curve or a straight.
• An Intersecting Road that must be on a straight.
Standing on the point of intersection of the two centrelines and looking
up the intersecting road, there is a left and right side to the design. Each
side is treated as a separate entity.

Stage 1 - Existing Road Design Data

The initial stage is loaded or created from the functions New Intersection
or Load Intersection.
The data for this stage is entered in the Intersection Layout Details
dialog.
Four coordinated (x, y & z) points defining the two road centrelines must
be provided. These are the points shown as circles in the accompanying
diagram and labeled:
• (LC) - Main Road Left
• (RC) - Main Road Right
• (PI) - Point of Intersection
• (IP1) - Intersecting Road Centre

9-42 Roads Reference

The Y, X and Z coordinates, the width Left and Right and grade Left and
Right have to be entered for the above points. Only the coordinates have
to be supplied for the Intersection point on the Main Road.

L-CC Out

A
R-Beg
L-Beg

R-BC In

L-BC In

R-CC
L-CC In R-BCC
L-CC
R-End
m

L-BCC
20

R-BC
R

R2
5m Out 300

R-ECC

L-ECC
L-BC Out Point of
L-End Intersection

140

Tools Menu 9-43

Road width 'left' and 'right' in all cases is taken as viewed from the
Intersection point. The calculated edges will start opposite the
Intersecting Road Centre and end opposite the Main Road Left and
Right points. Therefore, each of the four points should lie outside the
anticipated horizontal design area. From each of these points, the road
width and crossfall must also be provided. This enables the routine to
establish the circled points.
These points are named:
• L-Start
• L-End
• R-Start
• R-End

Stage 2 - Designed Edge Data

The data for this section is entered in the Intersection Curve Details
dialog.
In this section, you will use a dialog box to provide the basic definition
details for each of the left and right edges. The horizontal (plan) design
can be in one of three forms.
• Simple curve
• Taper - curve - taper
• Curve - curve - curve
In the case of either of the latter two, an offset from the Intersection
Point to the edge intersection is required. See the dimension lines in the
illustration. The appropriate combination of curves and tapers will then
be fitted.
For a Curve or Taper, the appropriate box should be checked. If the
bellmouth consists of only a centre curve and no taper or lead in/out
curve, uncheck both options. The appropriate input data that is required
then appears non-grayed.
Tapers are specified as a '1:xx' ratio. A very flat ratio such as 1:10000 will
have much the same practical effect as no taper at all.
In order to set the vertical grades at the start and end locations, the
grade of the road at that point must also be provided. This grade, which
is set in the % Grade sections of the main data entry dialog box, does not
necessarily have to correlate to the actual road at that point. It is entered

9-44 Roads Reference

with the convention that, at every point facing into the intersection,
negative grade is down and positive is up.
In other words, if the main road was at a constant grade of 5% and the
left point was lower than the right, at the end point on the left side, you
would put in a grade of +5%, and for the end point on the right side you
would put in a grade of -5%.

It is very easy to specify impossible data for edges. This sort of problem
will either be blocked at calculation time or appear in a ridiculous form
on the screen plot. Therefore, every intersection should always be
plotted at least once before acceptance.

Procedure
The Intersection Layout Details dialog is displayed.

Intersection element Select the intersection element for which data must
be entered or updated.
Name Enter the name of the selected element. If a DTM
point name is entered here then the coordinates will
be extracted from the DTM.
Y Coord Enter the horizontal ordinate of the selected
element.
X Coord Enter the vertical ordinate of the selected element.
Z Coord Enter the height ordinate of the selected element.

Tools Menu 9-45

Width left Enter the carriageway width on the left side of the
selected element. Not available for Intersection point
on main road.
Width right Enter the carriageway width on the right side of the
selected element. Not available for Intersection point
on main road.
Grade left Enter the crossfall on the left side of the selected
element. Not available for Intersection point on main
road.
Grade right Enter the crossfall on the right side of the selected
element. Not available for Intersection point on main
road.
Update Button Click this button to update the settings for the current
element with the current entries.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Intersection Curve Details dialog is displayed.

Lead in - Radius Enter the radius of the lead in curve. Only available if
the Lead in Curve checkbox has been selected.
Lead in - Taper Enter the taper ratio as 1 in xx. Only available if the
Lead in Taper checkbox has been selected.
Lead in - PI offset Enter the distance from the point of edge
intersection where the specified feature should
begin.
Lead in - Grade Enter the grade of the road at this location. This
grade is entered with the convention that at every
point, facing into the intersection, negative grade is
down and positive grade is up.

9-46 Roads Reference

Lead in - Curve Check this option to fit a curve in the lead in portion
of the intersection.
Lead in - Taper Check this option to fit a taper in the lead in portion
of the intersection.
Centre - Radius Enter the radius of the central arc of the intersection
edge.
Lead out - Radius Enter the radius of the lead out curve. Only available
if the Lead out Curve checkbox has been selected.
Lead out - Taper Enter the taper ratio as 1 in xx. Only available if the
Lead in Taper checkbox has been selected.
Lead out - PI offset Enter the distance from the point of edge
intersection where the specified feature should end.
Lead out - Grade Enter the grade of the road at this location. This
grade is entered with the convention that at every
point, facing into the intersection, negative grade is
down and positive grade is up.
Lead out - Curve Check this option to fit a curve in the lead out portion
of the intersection.
Lead out - Taper Check this option to fit a taper in the lead out portion
of the intersection.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-47

Load Intersection
Load an existing intersection calculation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionLoad

Use this function to load intersection details that were saved previously.
The data would have been stored in a file with extension '.int'.
Once the data is loaded, the various menu items may be used to edit
existing data.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Save Intersection
Save the current intersection calculation data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionSave

Use this function to save intersection details to a file. The file will have an
'.int' extension.

Procedure
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

9-48 Roads Reference

Edit Layout
Edit the intersection layout details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionEditLayout

The data entered for the layout may be edited under this option. See the
sketch and description in New Intersection for details.

Procedure
The Intersection Layout Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-49

Edit Curves
Edit the intersection curve details

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionEditCurves

The data entered for the layout may be edited under this option. See the
sketch and description in the New Intersection section for details.

Procedure
The Intersection Curve Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

9-50 Roads Reference

Review Layout
List the current intersection data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionReviewLayout

Review all the geometry data that has been entered. Some of this
information is also available in the intersection calculation but it is not as
clear. It is recommended that any hard copy record of an intersection
include both printouts.
Intersection Data List
===============

Coordinates:
===========

Item Name Y ord X ord Elev

Main Rd Left 2380 -5080.658 83464.810 41.015
Main Rd Right 2560 -5234.213 83535.182 38.417
Intersection IP7 -5173.000 83505.000 46.300
Int Road Pt 420 -5203.683 83390.093 47.929

Left Side Geometry

==================

Item Cway Width % X fall % Grade

==== ========== ======== =======
Start Point 7.500 2.000 4.780
End Point 15.000 -6.000 -7.250

Lead In Portion - Radius = 124.000 PI offset 51.000

Central Portion - Radius = 24.000
Lead Out Portion - Radius = 60.000 PI offset 35.000

Right Side Geometry

===================

Item Cway Width % X Fall % Grade

==== ========== ======== =======
Start Point 7.500 2.000 3.050
End Point 15.000 -6.000 -7.250

Lead In Portion - Taper = 1 : 10.000 PI offset 50.800

Central Portion - Radius = 15.000
Lead Out Portion - Taper = 1 : 10.000 PI offset 50.800

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

Tools Menu 9-51

Calculate
Calculate the current intersection data geometry

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionCalculate

This option calculates the fundamental critical points as indicated in the

illustration in New Intersection by circles. It also prints out all the
defining horizontal geometric information.
Note that coordinates at the specified interval will only be calculated
once the Coordinate routine is run.
Once this routine has been run, the graphical image of the intersection is
shown in the Road window. The calculated data may be viewed in the
Output Window.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-52 Roads Reference

Coordinate
Calculate the current intersection data coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadIntersectionCoordinate

This routine coordinates the chainage points along the alignment and
produces a listing of the coordinates and setting out information.
The coordination interval (which is set in the Interval sections of the
main data entry dialog box) is set for left and right edges. Coordination
starts opposite the Intersecting Road Centre and finishes opposite Main
Road Left or Main Road Right. See the diagram in New Intersection.
All the coordinated points are given the prefix 'li' on the left and 'ri' on the
right side. Added to that is a single character identifier that you may
specify in the dialog box. In addition to the X, Y and Z coordinates, the
join direction and horizontal and vertical difference between each
successive pair is printed for setting out purposes.
Horizontal coordinates are generated exactly along the geometry
specified.
Vertical coordinates (elevations) are generated by means of two vertical
curves. First, the overall distance is divided into six parts. The first sixth
and the last sixth are straights that conform to the incoming road grades
that are specified in the dialog box. In the remaining space, two equal
and butting vertical curves are fitted. Therefore, the two VPI's are at one
third and two thirds of the way along the overall coordinated stretch.

It can therefore be seen that by manipulating the incoming grades and

the location of the start and end points, different vertical alignments can
be obtained.
Make sure the Output Window is open to see the listing on the screen.
An option is available to Save Points to Survey File. This will add all new
coordinated points to the terrain file in the surface that you have selected

Tools Menu 9-53

it to be stored in. If the Write Intersection Layout Points box is checked,
all curve geometry coordinates (BC's EC's and CC's ) will also be written
to the file. In the case of edges, the name that will be applied will bear the
suffix specified in the main dialog box. Each edge point will come into
the terrain file with lines connected to its neighbours. By then carrying
out an Intelli-Line routine with an appropriate name filter, sufficient
lines to generate contours of the intersection can be obtained very
quickly.

Procedure
The Coordination Details dialog is displayed.

Interval for coordinates Enter the interval at which coordinates should be

generated.
Write points to terrain surface Check this option to have the coordinated points
written to a terrain surface.
Surface Select the surface to which points should be written.
Suffix to add to names Enter the suffix (maximum 1 character) to be added
to the coordinated point names
Include intersection layout Check this option to have the road layout points
points written to the terrain surface in addition to the
coordinated points.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the [OK] button to accept the settings.

9-54 Roads Reference

Template Editor
Create new or edit existing road templates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadTemplateEditor
This function displays the Road Template Editor dialog that allows the
design or editing of templates to be applied to roads. Both single- and
dual carriageway templates can be designed.
See the Road Templates section for more details on templates.

Procedure
The Template Editor dialog is displayed. The display will vary according
to the number of carriageways.

Single Carriageway Templates

Tools Menu 9-55

New Button
Click this button to clear all current entries. You will be given the option
to save the current template if it has been changed.

Load Button
Click this button to load an existing template. You will be given the
option to save the current template if it has been changed.

Save As Button
Click this button to save the current template.

Print Button
Click this button in order to generate a listing of the current template
details.

Template Type
Select either the Single carriageway or Dual carriageway options. This
will define the type of road to which this template can be applied.

Carriageway Width
Enter the width of the carriageways. This setting is used for testing
purposes only, the actual crossfalls are set using Edge Levels.

Crossfall (%)
Enter the crossfalls (as a percentage) of the carriageway. This setting is
used for testing purposes only, the actual crossfalls are set using Edge
Levels.

Allow to Float
Select this option to allow the cut/fill test offsets to float out to the
position of greatest difference. The depth used will be the greatest depth
difference found between the last compulsory point in the batter section
and the points in the base section from the offset of the last compulsory
point plus or minus the cut/fill test offset to the base section extremities.

Cut and Fill Offset

Enter the offset from the last compulsory addition (or from the road edge
if no compulsory exists) at which the cut/fill state should be checked. The
result of this test determines whether the cut or fill template details
should be applied. An entry of 0 here is treated as an entry of 0.01m.

9-56 Roads Reference

Dual Carriageway Templates

Template Type
Select either the Single carriageway or Dual carriageway options. This
will define the type of road to which this template can be applied.

Pivot point to Shoulder break point

Enter the offset from the Pivot point at which the outer road edge should
be located. This offset is applied from the Pivot towards the outside of
the section. In conjunction with the Pivot to Median setting this
determines the carriageway width. This setting is used for testing
purposes only, the actual offsets are set using Edge Levels. This also only
applies to dual carriageway templates.

Pivot point to Median break point

Enter the offset from the Pivot point at which the inner road edge should
be located. This offset is applied from the Pivot towards the centre of the

Tools Menu 9-57

section. In conjunction with the Pivot to Shoulder setting this determines
the carriageway width. This setting is used for testing purposes only, the
actual offsets are set using Edge Levels. This also only applies to dual
carriageway templates.

Center Line to Pivot point

Enter the offset from the centreline around which the relevant
carriageway should pivot. This setting is used for testing purposes only,
the actual offsets are set using Edge Levels. This also only applies to dual
carriageway templates.

Crossfall (%)
Enter the crossfalls (as a percentage) of the carriageway. This setting is
used for testing purposes only, the actual crossfalls are set using Edge
Levels.

Allow to Float
Select this option to allow the cut/fill test offsets to float out to the
position of greatest difference. The depth used will be the greatest depth
difference found between the last compulsory point in the batter section
and the points in the base section from the offset of the last compulsory
point plus or minus the cut/fill test offset to the base section extremities.

Cut and Fill Offset

Enter the offset from the last compulsory addition (or from the road edge
if no compulsory exists) at which the cut/fill state should be checked. The
result of this test determines whether the cut or fill template details
should be applied. An entry of 0 here is treated as an entry of 0.01m.

9-58 Roads Reference

Compulsory Additions, Batters and Layerworks
These settings are made in the series of tables at the bottom of the
Template Editor and are common to both single and dual carriageway
roads.

LoMed and UpMed tabs

Enter the horizontal and vertical movements for median details that
should be added to the inside edge of the carriageways. The LoMed is
applied to the lower of the two median points, while the UpMed details
are applied to the upper of these two points. If the median points have
the same elevation, then LoMed is applied to the left carriageway and
UpMed to the right carriageway. For testing purposes the right
carriageway median is artificially raised in order to check the functioning
of the entries. This applies to dual carriageway templates only. Also see
Special vertical codes.

LComp and RComp tabs

Enter the horizontal and vertical movements for compulsory details that
are added to the road shoulder. Each entry (consisting of a horizontal
and vertical movement) is applied in succession to the previous point
starting from the outside edge of the carriageway. These details are
added irrespective of whether the road is in cut or fill. Also see Special
vertical codes.

LCut and RCut tabs

Enter the details that should be applied when the road is determined to
be in a cut situation at the test position. Enter horizontal and vertical
movements that should be applied from the previous point (starting from
the last compulsory point or the outside edge of the carriageway if no
compulsory exists), the batter slope to be applied from the final point, the
minimum and maximum cut heights at which this should be applied, and
the minimum offset that should be applied. A special vertical movement
code is available.
Multiple (or no) horizontal and vertical movements (a set) are possible
with the end of the set being defined by the presence of entries for the
batter slope, minimum and maximum heights. Multiple sets are also
possible using different minimum and maximum height settings. The
maximum height of the final entry in the final set must be set to 999.
The min/max offset entry can be either a maximum, or minimum offset
depending on the value of the Offset Type column. This option can be
used to force the toe point out to a minimum offset (Min) by flattening

Tools Menu 9-59

the batter slope if necessary, or forcing the toe point to a maximum offset
(Max) by increasing the batter slope if necessary.

Special Vertical Movement codes

Entering a value of 888 for a vertical movement will result in a vertical
movement calculated from the grade of the previous two points and the
entered horizontal movement.
Entering a value of 777 for a vertical movement will result in a vertical
movement calculated from the super elevation of the specific section.

LFill and RFill tabs

Enter the details that should be applied when the road is determined to
be in a fill situation at the test position. Enter horizontal and vertical
movements that should be applied from the previous point (starting from
the last compulsory point or the outside edge of the carriageway if no
compulsory exists), the batter slope to be applied from the final point, the
minimum and maximum cut heights at which this should be applied, and
the minimum offset that should be applied. A special vertical movement
code is available.
Multiple (or no) horizontal and vertical movements (a set) are possible
with the end of the set being defined by the presence of entries for the
batter slope, minimum and maximum heights. Multiple sets are also
possible using different minimum and maximum height settings. The
maximum height of the final entry in the final set must be set to 999.
The min/max offset entry can be either a maximum, or minimum offset
depending on the value of the Offset Type column. This option can be
used to force the toe point out to a minimum offset (Min) by flattening
the batter slope if necessary, or forcing the toe point to a maximum offset
(Max) by increasing the batter slope if necessary.

9-60 Roads Reference

LLayers and RLayers tabs
Enter the details of additional layerworks to be associated with this
template. Entries consist of the Left and Right PLC's at which the edges
of the layers should be created, optional shifts from the specified PLC's
in order to create a stepped layer, the depth of the layer and a
description of the layer. See the Road Templates section for more detail
on how these layer definitions can be used.
The RLayers tab is only accessible for dual carriageway roads. In this
case, if required, the details of the right side layers can be omitted and
the left side specification setup to extend across the entire road width.

Right-click on one of these grids and select the TRH 4

Pavements option in order to use a dialog to specify
layerworks according to TRH4. Right click on the
Pavement Designer option to display the Pavement
Designer dialog and specify layerworks according to a
user defined Pavement Library.

Tools Menu 9-61

TRH 4 Pavement Layer Designer
In the following dialog the appearance of the large buttons is dependant
on the preceding selections. Some combinations of selections have no
layer definitions, some have only one (in which case the left button will
be visible) and some have two (in which case both buttons will be
visible).

Pavement type Select the type of pavement.

Climatic region Select the climatic region. Only applicable to
Granular base pavements.
Road category Select the road category.
Traffic class Select the required traffic class.
Calculate class Button Click this button to display the Cumulative E80
Calculator dialog.
Left Button Click this button to select that layer definition which
will update the template accordingly.
Right Button Click this button to select that layer definition which
will update the template accordingly.

9-62 Roads Reference

Pavement Designer
In this dialog you can create various Pavement libraries containing
several manually defined pavement designs. These files can then be used
throughout an organization. The pavement symbol, as indicated on the
dialog, can be automatically generated on Cross Section plots. The
symbols for each material type is specified in a CAD symbol file called
PAVEMENT SYMBOLS.DRG in the Symbols sub directory. Standard
TRH4 pavement libraries are provided with the program in the
“..\Examples\Pavement” Designs sub-directory.

Pavement File Press this to display a File Open dialog. Use this dialog to open
Name (...) an existing Pavement file, or simply type in a new name to
create a new Pavement file. A Pavement file can contain
several pavement designs.

Pavement All the Pavement designs that are contained in the selected
Pavement file will be listed in this combo-box. The selected
pavement design will be displayed in the display area.

New Pavement Press this button to add a new pavement design to the selected
pavement file. You will be asked for a Pavement Name, which
will be listed in the Pavement combo-box. The newly inserted,
blank pavement design will automatically be selected. Use the
Add Layer option to add layers to the

Delete Pavement Press this button to delete the selected pavement design.

Tools Menu 9-63

Add Layer Press this button to add a pavement layer to the selected
pavement design. The Add Layer will be displayed. The new
pavement layer will be added on top of the existing layers.

Edit Layer Press this button to edit the properties of an existing pavement
layer. You will be prompted to "Indicate Layer to Edit". Click on
the desired layer to display the Edit Layer dialog layer.

Delete Layer Press this button to delete a layer from the selected pavement
design. You will be prompted: "Indicate Layer to delete". Click
on the desired layer to delete it.

Save As Press this button to save the selected Pavement file to another
file.

OK Press OK to save the changes to the selected pavement file.

The layers in the selected pavement design will be placed in
the LLayers or RLayers tabs of the Template Editor.

Cancel Press Cancel to close the dialog without saving the changes or
altering the Template Editor.

Add / Edit Layer Dialog

Descriptor Enter the descriptor that will be printed next to the layer symbol.

Material Select the layer material from the combo-box.

Thickness (m) Enter the layer thickness in meters here.

OK Press OK to Add or Update the layer to the Pavement design.

Cancel Press this button to aboard the Add/Edit process.

9-64 Roads Reference

View Page

Show grid Check this box to have a grid overlaid on the display
during redraws.
Vertical exaggeration Use the spin button to specify the exaggeration factor
to be applied to elevations during redraws.
Left test and Right test The calculated differences at the test offset are
displayed here.
Offset and Elevation The current offset and elevation of the cursor are
displayed here.
Add Ground Button Click this button to add a ground definition for testing
purposes. Click on positions in the display in order to
define the ground points.
Test Button Click this button to check the application of the
template on the current ground definition.
Keys Press [R] to redraw, [S] to refresh, [M] to magnify, [D]
to demagnify and [W] to pan the display.

Tools Menu 9-65

Template Paths
Associate a number with a template name and path

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadTemplatePaths

This option is used to establish the link between the disk path and file
name of a template file and the template number that is used in the road
file as a reference to that particular template.

The Template number has to be entered and the path selected with the
browse facility.

Usually a library of templates will be built up in a particular directory.

These templates can then be used by any user on any job. For example,
the template in 'D:\TEMPLATES\BUS1.TEM' might be called template
'2' in roads 1 and 5, but be called template '1' in road 4.

Procedure
The Road Template Paths dialog is displayed.

Template Path Enter the path to and the name of the template file.
Click on the […] button to display a file open dialog

Name Enter the template name by which the template will

be refer to in all other processing that requires a
template.

OK Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the

dialog.

Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

9-66 Roads Reference

 Right click on the desired row to display a popup
menu:

Delete Entry Delete the highlighted entry from the list.

Insert New Insert a blank row into the spreadsheet

Insert Button Click this button to add the current Template Path
entries as a new entry in the template list.

Template Editor Click this button to display the Template Editor

dialog and load the selected template.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-67

Chainage Equation
Enter long/short chainages for the road

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

RoadChainageEquation

This function allows you to add or subtract a constant from a certain

chainage run to accommodate long or short chainages.
A start chainage, stop chainage and a constant to apply on that stretch
must be specified. The result will be that all vertical and horizontal
alignments, as well as the resultant volume calculations, will take into
account the long or short chain at the start and/or end of the specified
stretch.
Within the stretch itself, generated points will be called by the chainage
name but be coordinated at the correct position.

The constant is applied to all chainages greater than the start chainage
but less than or equal to the stop chainage.

Procedure
The Chainage Equation dialog is displayed.

Delete Button Click on an entry in the equation list and then click
this button to delete the highlighted entry from the
list.

9-68 Roads Reference

Equation - Start Enter the chainage beyond which the chainage
equation comes into effect. This chainage is not
included in the effective range.
Equation - Stop Enter the chainage at which the chainage equation
ceases to have an effect. This chainage is included
in the effective range.
Equation - Chainage constant Enter the constant to be added on to all chainages in
the effective range.
Insert Button Click this button to add the current equation entries
to the equation list.
Update Button Click this button to update the highlighted entry in
the equation list with the current equation entries.

Fill in the relevant details and then click the [OK] button to continue.

Tools Menu 9-69

9-70 Roads Reference
 Index
Add Template....................................................................................................7-13
Angular Measure ................................................................................................2-2
Apply Template ..................................................................................................7-4
Area Indicator ..................................................................................7-6, 7-24, 9-18
Area optimisation ................................................................................... 7-15, 7-18
Areas ..............................................................7-4, 7-8, 7-10, 7-15, 7-18, 7-21, 7-22
Automatic Optimize .........................................................................................7-15
Basic Theory .......................................................................................................2-1
Batter Slope Adjustment ................................................................................9-19
Batter Slope Extraction ..................................................................................9-18
Batters .................................................................. 7-6, 7-21, 9-18, 9-19, 9-28, 9-35
Bellmouth ..........................................................................................................9-42
Berms..................................................................................................................7-13
Bulking/Compaction.............................................................................. 7-25, 7-27
Cards ...................................................................................................................4-15
Chainage ..............................................................................................................2-2
Chainage Equation...........................................................................................9-68
Chainage record
batch delete....................................................................................................9-22
delete ...............................................................................................................9-21
edit .....................................................................................................................9-7
insert ..................................................................................................... 9-23, 9-24
list.......................................................................................................................9-6
set fields ............................................................................................................9-8
switch on/off...................................................................................................9-10
Chainages.............................................................................................................2-2
Civil Designer......................................................................................................2-1
Comma-delimited .............................................................................................4-12
Comparative Levels .........................................................................................9-38
Connect Extremities ........................................................................................7-12
Conventions.........................................................................................................2-2
Coordinate .........................................................................................................9-53
Coordinate System.............................................................................................2-2
Cross Check .......................................................................................................9-35
Cross section
add or subtract constants............................................................................5-25
delete point ......................................................................................................5-7
edit ...................................................................................................................5-14
edit point ..........................................................................................................5-6
enter ................................................................................................................5-14
expand or shrink...........................................................................................5-28
go to .................................................................................................................5-11
 graphical edit...................................................................................................5-2
insert point.......................................................................................................5-5
interpolate elevation ....................................................................................5-16
layer deduction..............................................................................................5-37
layer display...................................................................................................5-12
layerworks......................................................................................................5-33
list.....................................................................................................................5-13
move point........................................................................................................5-8
remove points ................................................................................................5-19
transfer points ...............................................................................................5-22
width................................................................................................................5-28
Crossfall..............................................................................................................6-41
Cumulative Volumes........................................................................................7-27
Curve...................................................................................................................9-50
Cut slope.............................................................................................................9-59
Dam Areas .........................................................................................................7-10
Datum ...................................................................................................................2-2
Daylighting ........................................................................................................9-19
Delete Chainage................................................................................................9-21
Design criteria...................................................................................................6-61
Dual Carriageway................................................................................... 6-28, 9-57
Dump Area...........................................................................................................7-8
Edge Control .....................................................................................................6-41
Edge Levels .......................................................................................................6-41
Edit Curves ........................................................................................................9-50
Edit Super..........................................................................................................6-41
Edit super-elevation.........................................................................................6-41
Export
cross sections....................................................................................... 4-23, 4-24
long section ....................................................................................................4-25
File Menu .............................................................................................................4-1
Fill slope .............................................................................................................9-60
Full Level Table................................................................................................9-36
Horizontal Alignment........................................................................................6-2
calculate..........................................................................................................6-14
coordinate ......................................................................................................6-14
curve fit ...........................................................................................................6-11
delete HPI ........................................................................................................6-8
edit .....................................................................................................................6-3
edit HPI ............................................................................................................6-9
insert HPI .........................................................................................................6-7
join data ..........................................................................................................6-16
list.....................................................................................................................6-13
move HPI........................................................................................................6-10
offset centreline.............................................................................................6-17
 setting out ...................................................................................................... 6-16
HPI........................................................................................................................ 6-2
Import
ASCII files...................................................................................................... 4-12
Cards cross sections..................................................................................... 4-15
cross sections ................................................................................................ 4-12
long sections .................................................................................................. 4-18
Stardust roads file ...............................................................................4-20, 4-22
Index............................................................................................................7-24, 9-2
chainage record .............................................................................................. 9-2
layer record ..................................................................................................... 9-4
Insert chainage ................................................................................................. 9-23
intersection
edit................................................................................................................... 9-49
Intersection ....................................................................................................... 9-42
bellmouth ....................................................................................................... 9-42
calculate levels .............................................................................................. 9-52
coordinate ...................................................................................................... 9-53
edit curves...................................................................................................... 9-50
layout .............................................................................................................. 9-51
load an existing............................................................................................. 9-48
save an existing............................................................................................. 9-48
taper ................................................................................................................ 9-42
Irregular chain.................................................................................................. 9-23
K Value............................................................................................................... 6-39
Kerb .................................................................................................................... 9-59
Latitude................................................................................................................ 2-2
Layer Deduction .............................................................................................. 5-37
Layer Design..................................................................................................... 9-62
Layer names...................................................................................................... 4-10
Layer record
edit................................................................................................................... 9-12
list .................................................................................................................... 9-11
set fields.......................................................................................................... 9-14
transfer fields ................................................................................................ 9-16
Layerwork Box ................................................................................................. 5-33
Layerwork Volumes ........................................................................................ 7-29
Layerworks.................................................................. 5-33, 5-40, 7-29, 9-61, 9-62
Levels .............................................................................................. 9-35, 9-36, 9-38
Line Intersection.............................................................................................. 5-10
Lines ..................................................................................................................... 2-2
LO.......................................................................................................................... 2-2
Long and short chains .................................................................................... 9-68
Longitude ............................................................................................................ 2-2
Manual Optimize.....................................................................................7-18, 7-20
Masshaul ............................................................................................................7-25
Masshaul Volume .............................................................................................7-25
Mean Sea Level ..................................................................................................2-2
Northern Hemisphere .......................................................................................2-2
Offset centreline ...............................................................................................6-17
Offset Poles ........................................................................................................9-30
Option settings ..................................................................................................4-31
Output.................................................................................................................4-28
Perimeter .............................................................................................................5-9
Pipe
auto lengths....................................................................................................8-18
auto manholes ...............................................................................................8-16
delete ...............................................................................................................8-10
display ground lines .....................................................................................8-14
edit ............................................................................................ 8-4, 8-7, 8-8, 8-11
insert .................................................................................................................8-9
invert levels.......................................................................................... 8-15, 8-24
long section .................................................................................8-14, 8-16, 8-18
manhole data .................................................................................................8-22
move ................................................................................................................8-13
parallel to ground .........................................................................................8-20
review alignment ..........................................................................................8-15
trench volumes..............................................................................................8-25
Pipeline.................................................................................................................2-1
Polygon Area .......................................................................................................5-9
Profile/Batters...................................................................................................9-28
Project
new ....................................................................................................................4-2
open ...................................................................................................................4-7
save ....................................................................................................................4-9
Recalculate .............................................................................................. 7-21, 7-22
Rehabilitation....................................................................................................6-55
Relative Poles....................................................................................................9-32
Road ......................................................................................................................2-1
Road Expert.......................................................................................................6-60
Road Reserves...................................................................................................7-20
Sections ........................................................................................................ 2-1, 2-2
Select Road File................................................................................................4-10
Set Batters ...........................................................................................................7-6
Setting Out.........................................................................................................6-16
Sidewalk .............................................................................................................9-59
Sight Distance ...................................................................................................6-75
Single Carriageway..........................................................................................9-55
Solidify Layerworks.........................................................................................5-40
Southern Hemisphere .......................................................................................2-2
Spool ................................................................................................................... 4-30
Super
broken back curves...................................................................................... 6-73
compound curves ......................................................................................... 6-74
delete............................................................................................................... 6-44
display setup.................................................................................................. 6-48
edit..........................................................................................................6-41, 6-45
expert.............................................................................................................. 6-49
graph............................................................................................................... 6-70
insert ............................................................................................................... 6-43
levels ............................................................................................................... 6-53
move................................................................................................................ 6-47
reverse curves ............................................................................................... 6-72
runoff .............................................................................................................. 6-69
single curve.................................................................................................... 6-71
Super-elevation ................................................................................................ 6-41
Super-Elevation ............................................................................................... 6-67
Taper .................................................................................................................. 9-42
Template........................................................................................... 7-4, 7-13, 9-55
files .................................................................................................................. 9-66
paths................................................................................................................ 9-66
Template
layerworks ..................................................................................................... 9-62
Template Editor ............................................................................................... 9-55
Trench Volumes ............................................................................................... 8-25
TRH 4 ................................................................................................................. 9-62
TRH design standards .................................................................................... 6-61
Use Index........................................................................................................... 7-24
Vertical Alignment
curve fit .......................................................................................................... 6-40
delete VPI ...................................................................................................... 6-30
display ground lines..................................................................................... 6-33
edit................................................................................................................... 6-24
edit VPI........................................................................................................... 6-31
insert VPI ....................................................................................................... 6-29
introduction................................................................................................... 6-23
levels ............................................................................................................... 6-37
list .................................................................................................................... 6-36
move VPI........................................................................................................ 6-32
Vertical levels.................................................................................................... 6-37
SEWER V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, Civil
Designer, on the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
3. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any subsidiary,
agent or third party, sell, lease, license, sub-license or otherwise deal
with the software.
5. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the software
shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor and it’s
principals.
6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk, or security module the license must be re-purchased in
full.
8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
application of the software or it’s fitness for any particular purpose.
The verification of all results and output is entirely the responsibility
of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s
employees and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage
(including in particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and
penalties) suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause
whatsoever in connection with the Civil Designer program or the use
thereof whether such loss or damage results from breach of contract
(including a fundamental breach), negligence or any other cause and
whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee
arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil
Designer program or the use thereof whether or not this contract is
at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents
WELCOME
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3

BASIC THEORY
Unit Flow Method 2-2
Unit Flow Example 2-3
Harmon Formula Method 2-4
Flow resistance in pipelines 2-5
The Manning Equation 2-5
The D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation 2-5
Erf Connection Design 2-7
Sewer in Midblock 2-7
Sewer in Road Reserve 2-9

TUTORIAL - SEWER DESIGN

Create a new data file 3-2
Import coordinate data from an ASCII file 3-4
Display the nodes and links 3-7
Display additional link data 3-10
Extracting node cover levels from the terrain model 3-12
Set node and link parameters 3-14
Edit the Link Tables 3-16
Input inflow data 3-17
Analyze the network 3-20
Display link sizes and slopes 3-23
Calculate Quantities 3-25
Erf Connection Defaults 3-26
Add Erf Connections 3-27
Analyse Erf Connections 3-32
Printing input data and results 3-35
Creating the final layout plan 3-36
Plotting Sewer Longsections 3-39

FILE MENU
New Project 4-2
Drawing File 4-3
Terrain File 4-3

i
 Sewer File 4-4
Storm File 4-4
Locale 4-4
Open Project 4-7
Edit Project 4-8
Save Project 4-9
Save Project As 4-9
Close Project 4-9
Import 4-10
ASCII File 4-10
Version 3 Data 4-13
MAP Theme 4-14
Inflow Hydrograph 4-15
Convert Drawing Entities 4-16
Export 4-17
ASCII FILE 4-17
MAP Theme 4-18
Merge Sewer File 4-19
Remove Deleted Records 4-20
Remove Deleted Erf Connections 4-21
Print 4-22
Output Manager 4-25
Spool Output 4-27
Option Settings 4-28
General 4-29
Survey 4-32
Terrain 4-33
Roads 4-37
Plot 4-40
Output Window 4-41
Security 4-42
Authorize 4-42
Check Network Dongles 4-43
Exit 4-43

EDIT MENU
Default Settings 5-2
Design Parameters 5-3
Inflow Calculation Method 5-3
Friction Loss Formula 5-3
Geometric Controls 5-4
Flow Controls 5-4
Erf Connection Defaults 5-5
Erf Connection Types Dialog 5-7
Unit Flow Parameters 5-8

ii
 Inflow Classes 5-8
Attenuation Curve Dialog 5-9
Harmon Parameters 5-10
Inflow Hydrograph Parameters 5-11
Name List 5-11
Hydrograph Array 5-12
Pumps 5-13
Name Page 5-14
Sump Page 5-15
Pumps Page 5-16
Depth Increments 5-17
Bedding Classes 5-18
Link Tables 5-20
Name 5-21
Sizes 5-22
Link Flow Curve Dialog 5-26
Node Data 5-27
Node 5-28
Link 5-29
Inflow 5-30
Control 5-33
Results 5-34
Delete/Recall 5-34
Find 5-34
Show 5-34
Node Data Spreadsheet 5-35
Erf Connection Data 5-36
Erf Connection 5-37
Erf details 5-38
Link Details 5-40
Results 5-41
Delete/Recall 5-41
Find 5-41
Show 5-41

ANALYSIS MENU
Network 6-2
Analysis options 6-5
Quantities 6-7
Erf Connections 6-8

iii
VIEW MENU
Input Data 7-2
Node Data 7-2
Link Data 7-2
Inflow Data 7-3
Results 7-4
Summary 7-4
Inflow 7-4
Flow 7-5
Overflow 7-6
Layout 7-6
Hydraulic Grade 7-7
Quantities 7-8
Excavation Lengths 7-8
Excavation Volumes 7-8
Culvert Lengths 7-9
Bedding and Backfill Volumes 7-9
Manhole Depths 7-10
Erf Connections 7-11
Link Hydrograph 7-12
Graph 7-12
Array 7-13
Multiple Hydrographs 7-14
Links 7-14
Graph 7-15

GRAPHICAL MENU
Classify Nodes and Links 8-2
Edit Node and Link Data 8-4
Select 8-5
Single 8-5
Branch 8-5
Upstream 8-6
All 8-6
Clear 8-7
Toggle Show Selected 8-7
Add Node 8-8
Delete Node 8-9
Insert Node 8-10
Connect Node 8-11
Move Node 8-12
Cover Levels 8-13
Add Erf Connection 8-14
Delete Erf Connection 8-16
Edit Erf Connection 8-17

iv
 Move Erf Connection 8-18
Move Minimum Ground Level Point 8-19
Rename 8-20
Renumber Branches 8-21
Create Subnetwork 8-22
Set Parameters 8-23
Clashes 8-24
Check Link Cover 8-27
Vertical Alignment 8-30
Move Network 8-34

SETTINGS MENU
Index Order 9-2
Rebuild Index 9-3
DTM Surface 9-4
Display Settings 9-5

v
vi
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil engineers
for civil engineers, to save you time, effort and money. Now you can
work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience with
the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start an analysis
• How to view and output the results of the calculations
For more detail simply refer to the on-line help file: it contains detailed
information on each function.

Welcome 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard or a button on
the screen.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
or
“Click on the [OK] button.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose by
opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse button is
required, the terms right click or right clicking is used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 Sewer Reference

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays
excluding public holidays from our Customer Support Centre at
[email protected].
You can also call our Customer Support Centre at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have about
features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program. The
help items can be printed using the Print icon on the toolbar.

Welcome 1-3
Notes:

1-4 Sewer Reference

Basic Theory
The Sewer Analysis and Design module is a complete tool for the design
of foul water or sewerage networks. It will calculate the invert levels,
slopes and diameters of the culverts as well as the design flow, capacity
and the flow velocity of each culvert.
The program will model a network consisting of both existing and new
culverts. Any culverts which do not have a size, invert level and/or slope
will automatically be designed according to the design parameters.
In most cases multiple inflows may be specified at each node. Inflows
may be user-defined in the inflow parameters tables.
The program will simulate a complex system of local storage (surge
tanks) and overflows thereby enabling you to model the intricate
networks that are typical of modern cities. The network size is only
limited to your hard drive capacity.
Each model may have multiple sub networks and outfalls. You may specify
the outfall levels if you wish to connect to existing systems. Alternatively,
the program will determine the best possible outfall level in accordance
with the design parameters.
The Guidelines for the Provision of Engineering Services in Residential
Townships published by the Department of Community Development
have been followed in the calculation of unit flows.
In addition the design flows may also be calculated according to the
Harmon formula or using unit inflow hydrographs. A brief discussion on
each method of flow determination is included.
The design is controlled by a number of parameters which are set by the
user. This facility enables the design to be tailored to your own
requirements or that of the local authorities or councils.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 2-1

Unit Flow Method
The Unit Flow method is an empirical method that assigns an inflow
class to each type of contributing unit.
The number of contributing units of each class is specified at each node.
The Sewer module calculates the peak design inflow from the
information in the Unit Flow Class table according to the following
formula.
(ADF x PF)
2 C = (1 + EF) 2
(24 x 60 x 60)
where
C = Unit design flow rate in liters/second/unit
EF = Extraneous Flow factor (infiltration) as a decimal i.e. 0.15
ADF = Average Daily Flow in liters/unit/day
PF = Peak Flow factor
During the data input you may assign up to 5 classes or types of inflow to
any node, i.e. you may allocate say 45 low income dwelling units and 16
medium income units to a node.
A point source inflow (in liters/second) may also be allocated to the node
as well as the 5 inflow classes described above. The point source inflow is
not attenuated.
The design module will calculate the attenuation for the 5 inflow types
and then the design flow in liters per second for each class or type. These
flows will then be added as well as the point source inflow (if any).
The result will be an inflow in liters per second which is representative of
all the contributing units at that node.
During the network analysis the program will keep a total of all the units
of each inflow class. At each node in the network it will calculate the total
design flow as described above, as well as the total contributing
population.
The design flow is attenuated according to the attenuation curve for the
total contributing population at that point.

2-2 Sewer Reference

Unit Flow Example
Let us look at a manhole which has 322 low income dwelling units
contributing to the inflow. Each low income dwelling unit has an average
daily flow of 500 liters per dwelling unit per day and an average total
persons per dwelling unit of 7 as specified in the Inflow Class Table.
If we had specified the peak factor to be 2,5 and the percentage
extraneous flow to be 15% the following design inflow would be
calculated as:
500
Avg Daily Flow = 24 x 60 x 60
= 0.00579 l/s

Peak Flow Rate = avg daily flow x peak factor

= 0.00579 x 2.5
= 0.01447

Design Flow Rate = Peak flow + extraneous flow

= 0.01447 x (1.0 + 0.15)
= 0.01664 l/sec per unit

Therefore, for 322 units

Design Flow = 0.01664 x 322
= 5.358 l/s
This figure has to be attenuated as the population equivalent is 2254 (that
is 322 x 7). The attenuation factor is determined from the attenuation
curve, in our case 1.80 / 2.50 = 0.860.
Attenuation factor = 0.860
Design Flow = 0.860 x 5.358
= 4.608 l/s

Tutorial - Sewer Design 2-3

Harmon Formula Method
In this option the peak design flow is determined according to the
Harmon formula which is:
14
Design Flow = 1+
4+ n
where
n = number of contributors in thousands
The number of contributing dwelling units may be input for each
manhole. During the design process the cumulative number of
contributing units is determined at each node and from that the design
flow is calculated as described above.

2-4 Sewer Reference

Flow resistance in pipelines
Various formulae for head losses in pipes are recognized in theory.
Hydraulic engineers favour two of them:
• Manning equation
• D'Arcy-Weisbach with Colebrook-White friction co-efficient.

The Manning Equation

2 1
R 3S 2
v=
n
Where:
v = velocity (m/s)
R = wetted perimeter (m)
S = slope (m/m)
n = Manning roughness coefficient
The advantage of this formula is that it is easy to implement.

The D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation

The head loss due to pipe resistance is related to the flow through the
pipe by the equation

λLV 2
H=
2gD

Where:
H = head loss (m)
L = length of pipe (m)
D = pipe diameter (m)
V = velocity (m/s)
g = gravitational acceleration

λ = friction coefficient

Tutorial - Sewer Design 2-5

The Colebrook-White friction factor
The most suitable formulation for the friction factor required by the
D'Arcy-Weisbach equation is generally regarded as being the Colebrook-
White equation. This equation provides an implicit definition for the
friction factor as follows:

1  2.51 k 
= −2.0 log  + 
λ  R λ 3 . 7D 

where:

λ = friction coefficient
D = the pipe diameter
k = the mean height of roughness in the pipe
Re = Reynold's number defined as:
Re = ρ V D / F
where:
ρ = the liquid density
v = the velocity of flow
D = pipe diameter
F= the dynamic viscosity
The D'Arcy-Weisbach formula, with friction coefficient calculated from
the Colebrook-White equation is accurate for any pipe diameter or fluid
velocity.

2-6 Sewer Reference

Erf Connection Design
The Sewer Erf Connection Analysis and Design module enable you to
quickly check that all your erven will be able to drain successfully to your
designed Sewer network. It will calculate the maximum allowable invert
level of the sewer line at the connection, the physical invert level of the
sewer at the connection point and the required minimum invert level of
the erf connection according to the specified design parameters.
The design is controlled by a number of parameters which are set by the
user. This facility enables the design to be tailored to your own
requirements or that of the local authorities or councils.

Sewer in Midblock

Property A Property B Legend:

Has S+D Serv Ground Line
Servitude Line

Erf Connection
Erf Boundary

Erf Boundary

Erf Boundary
Main Sewer Line

LE LE
MGL GLC
DH

DC
1:60 min
DS

ILC ILC
MILS

ILS

B A B

Sewer Main Inside Erf Sewer Main Outside Erf

Tutorial - Sewer Design 2-7

LE This is the length of an erf. The engineer must decide whether this length
is enough to drain the whole erf and if necessary, adjust it upwards.
B The distance the erf connection point on the erf is located from the erf
boundary for Outside Erf or from the municipal sewer line for Inside erf.
A The distance a municipal sewer is located from the erf boundary.
(Negative in the results if the municipal sewer line position is Inside Erf.)
MGL The minimum or lowest ground level on an erf. There is an option on the
Erf Connection Defaults Dialog that if selected the minimum ground level
on the erf will be calculated when the erf is indicated while the erf
connection is added. Else the position for the minimum ground level point
must be indicated by the user self.
GLC Ground Level at the erf connection.
MILS The maximum or highest invert level of the sewer.
This is the highest invert level the municipal sewer can have at the plan
position of the erf connection Y-piece in relation to the MGL on an erf.
This level is only required at the design stage in order to be able to place
the sewer vertically for a row of erven. The actual invert level of the
designed sewer at an erf connection Y-piece position must then be equal
to or lower than the MILS.
Design Formulae:
Sewer inside erf:
MILS = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE - A) - Sewer DIA
Sewer outside erf or in road reserve:
MILS = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE + A) - Sewer DIA
ILS Invert level of sewer.
These invert levels should be equal to or lower than the MILS.
ILC Invert level of erf connection.
This is the highest level at which the erf connection can be in order to be
able to drain the erf in relation to MGL.
Design Formulae:
Sewer inside erf:
ILC = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE - A - B)
Sewer outside erf or in road reserve:
ILC = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE - B)
DS Depth of sewer below MGL on erf.
Design Formulae:
DS = MGL – ILS
DC Depth of erf connection below GLC. (DC = GLC - ILC)
DH Depth of house connection below MGL on erf. (DH = MGL - Minimum
Cover on house connection - Erf Connection DIA)

2-8 Sewer Reference

Sewer in Road Reserve

Erf Boundary

Erf Boundary

Erf Boundary

Erf Boundary
Legend:
Ground Line
Erf Connection
Road Reserve
Main Sewer Line

LE LE
MGL GLC

ILC

DH
DC
ILC

min
MILS 1:60 E= ILC - ILS
E
ILS

B A A B

Sewer Main Line in Road Reserve

LE This is the length of an erf. The engineer must decide whether this length
is enough to drain the whole erf and if necessary, adjust it upwards.
B The distance the erf connection point on the erf is located from the erf
boundary.
A The distance a municipal sewer is located from the erf boundary.
MGL The minimum or lowest ground level on an erf. There is an option on the
Erf Connection Defaults Dialog that if selected the minimum ground level
on the erf will be calculated when the erf is indicated while the erf
connection is added. Else the position for the minimum ground level point
must be indicated by the user self.
GLC Ground Level at the erf connection.
DC Depth of Erf connection below GLC. (DC = GLC - ILC)
DH Depth of House connection below MGL on Erf. (DH = MGL - Minimum

Tutorial - Sewer Design 2-9

 Cover on house connection - Erf Connection DIA)
MILS The maximum or highest invert level of the sewer.
This is the highest invert level the municipal sewer can have at the plan
position of the erf connection Y-piece in relation to the MGL on an erf.
This level is only required at the design stage in order to be able to place
the sewer vertically for a row of erven. The actual invert level of the
designed sewer at an erf connection Y-piece position must then be equal
to or lower than the MILS.
Design Formulae:
Sewer inside erf:
MILS = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE - A) - Sewer DIA
Sewer outside erf or in road reserve:
MILS = MGL – DH - SLOPE x (LE + A) - Sewer DIA
ILS Invert level of sewer.
These invert levels should be equal to or lower than the MILS.
ILC Invert level of erf connection.
This is the highest level at which the erf connection can be in order to be
able to drain the erf in relation to MGL.
Design Formulae:
Sewer inside erf:
ILC = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE - A - B)
Sewer outside erf or in road reserve:
ILC = MGL - DH - SLOPE x (LE - B)
E The height difference between Invert Level of Sewer (ILS) at the y-piece
and the Invert Level of the erf connection (ILC) at the end of the
connection.
Design Formulae:
Sewer inside erf:
E = ILC - ILS
Sewer outside erf or in road reserve:
E = ILC - ILS

2-10 Sewer Reference

Tutorial - Sewer Design
In order to familiarize yourself with Civil Designer it is advisable to
complete the following tutorial that will teach you how to import manhole
data from an ASCII file and build up the data set in preparation for
analysis. Thereafter you will generate contract drawings. You will be
shown how to:
• add a sewer data file to the project or create a new sewer data file
• import coordinate data containing node names, Y and X coordinates
from an ASCII file
• generate a manhole layout plan from the coordinate data
• connect the nodes by means of links
• edit and set the link parameters
• edit the link tables
• input inflow data
• change the display settings
• run the analysis and view the results
• generate and view long sections
• calculate quantities according to SABS 1200
• set erf connection defaults and types
• graphically add erf connections
• run the erf connection analysis and view the results
• change the erf connection display settings
• view the erf connections on the graphical vertical alignment
• generate a layout drawing with manhole names and a link schedule

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-1

Create a new data file
The first step is to create a new data file into which the manhole data will
be imported. This file is added to the project file.
Open the Tutor project using File ► Open Project.
Add the sewer file to the project using File ► Edit Project. Check the Sewer
option and specify the name of the sewer file by clicking on the [Browse]
button on the right as shown below.

The standard Windows File Open dialog will be displayed. Select the
directory where the file must be and specify the file name as
TUTOR.SEW.

3-2 Sewer Reference

If the file does not exist it will be created.
Close the Project dialog and change into Sewer mode with Mode ► Sewer
Mode.
Data may be input in a number of ways:-
• use the Edit ► Node Data menu option
• import an ASCII list of node coordinates
• import an ASCII file which includes the next node name and link
types and sizes
• load an existing layout drawing and classify it
• convert drawing entities from an existing layout drawing.
In this example you will import the manhole data from an ASCII file
containing the manhole name, the next manhole name, Y coordinate and
X coordinate for each manhole. The data items may be separated
commas, spaces or tabs.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-3

Import coordinate data from an ASCII file
Select the File ► Import menu option. The Import ASCII Data dialog will
be displayed.

Click on the [Browse] button just to the right of the top edit control and
select the ASCII file SEWER.YXZ from the TUTOR sub-directory. The
first lines of the import file will now be displayed on the dialog.
Select the Comma delimited option under the File Type section and click
on the [Next] button. The following view will be displayed.

3-4 Sewer Reference

Click on the column heading to display a list of available data types for
each column of data as shown below.

Your settings should look like this when you have allocated all the
columns:

Click on the [Finish] button to import the file into the newly created data
file.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-5

If you import data into an existing data file the program will search the
existing data for matching node names, and if it finds an existing record,
it will update the fields in the record with the imported data.

3-6 Sewer Reference

Display the nodes and links
Civil Designer has many graphical functions to simplify the definition of
nodes and links in the network. Obviously these functions can only be
used if your data includes coordinates for the nodes.
Activate the display of the newly imported data by clicking on the Display
Settings icon or select the Settings ► Display Settings option.
The Display Settings dialog will be displayed. This dialog allows you to
specify how the data must be displayed (and plotted). Set up the Sewer
page as shown below:

The Show sewer layout check box specifies that the Design Centre must
display the sewer node and link data during redraws.
The Show erf connection layout check box specifies that the Design
Centre must display the sewer erf connections during redraws.
The Annotation Font dropdown box allows you to select the font that will
be used to label the nodes and links.
Now click on the Nodes sub-item on the left of the dialog. The Node
settings allow you to define the pen, symbol size and line type for the
node, the text pen and text size in points for the node annotations as well
as which annotations must be displayed.
The dialog will display the following:

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-7

In the Node text box simply right click and select the {NAME} option
from the displayed list. You can also add a pre- or post-script to this text.
Now click on the Links sub-item and the following will be displayed:

The Link settings allow you to define the pen, line thickness in mm and
line type of the link display as well as the text pen and size in points.
Adjust the settings to conform to the pictures above and click on the [OK]
button.
The Design Centre display will be updated to display the sewer nodes
and links.

3-8 Sewer Reference

Position your cursor near a node and zoom in using the [Z] key to display
the zoom menu or the [M] key to magnify. The node name is displayed
next to a circle representing the manhole.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-9

Display additional link data
You are going to change the display settings to show the link type and
length at the midpoint between nodes. You may use the Settings ► Display
Settings Sewer page option to specify the text items to be displayed
above and below the link in the Text above link and Text below link edit
controls.

To define the text to be placed above

the link, position the cursor in the
edit control and click on the right
mouse button. A list of available items
will be displayed. Select the {TYPE}
option.

The edit control will be updated to display

{TYPE}

In a similar manner add the following text to the Text below link edit
control by selecting the {LENGTH} option and adding ‘m’.
{LENGTH}m

Click on the [OK] button. The display will be updated as follows:

3-10 Sewer Reference

If you want to add a box behind the link annotation simply click on the
Box option in the Link display settings.
You can vary the distance the link annotation is displayed from the link
line by changing the Offset distance from link setting.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-11

Extracting node cover levels from the terrain model
You will now extract node cover levels from the digital terrain model.
Select the Graphical ► Cover Levels option. The following dialog is
displayed.

Here you specify from which terrain surface the cover levels must be
interpolated. You may select any one of the 128 surfaces that contains
valid data. The Intermediate and Hard Material settings are only used for
quantity calculations and the graphical long sections. Click on the [OK]
button.
Civil Designer will interpolate the cover level from the specified surface
and replace the current value.

3-12 Sewer Reference

To check the results, let us update the display settings to show the cover
level next to each node. Select the Settings ► Display Settings option, go to
the Sewer Node settings and add the ‘CL = {COVER}m’ option to the
node annotation.
Click on the [OK] button. The display will be updated to display the node
names as well as the cover level at the node with the ‘CL=’ subscript.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-13

Set node and link parameters
At this stage you have node data and connections but have not yet
specified link types and sizes. The node and link parameters have been
set to the values and settings as set in the Defaults that can be edited
using Edit ► Default Settings option. The easiest way to change these
parameters is to select all the links graphically and then to set the link
parameters.
Alternatively you may set up each link using the Edit ► Node Data option.
We will specify the link types, minimum cover and bedding class for the
links. You may also specify the diameter or allow Civil Designer to
calculate the appropriate size.
Select the Graphical ► Select ► All option to select the entire network. The
selected links are displayed as a dotted line.
Now select the Graphical ► Set Parameters option. This will display the Set
Parameters dialog. Set the following values:

These settings will set all links to be a ‘Vitro Clay’ pipe on a ‘Class B’
bedding with a minimum cover of 1.2 m. At the same time the nodes will
be set to have the inverts of the pipes common. Click on the OK button to
change the parameters.
Refresh the display with the [S] key. Notice that the link type text has
been updated to ‘Vitro Clay’.

3-14 Sewer Reference

You may also change the link data of a selected branch only. To do this
first select a branch by using the Graphical ► Select ► Upstream option.
This function will select a specific branch and all the incoming or
upstream branches connected to it. Thereafter follow the steps above
with your required settings.
You may change a single link by using the Graphical ► Edit Node and Link
data option. Click on the node or link you want to edit to display the Node
Data dialog with the data for the selected node and link.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-15

Edit the Link Tables
We require that 150mm diameter is the minimum pipe size in the
network. Therefore we need to go to the Link Table to view the possible
sizes of the Vitro Clay link type that was selected previously. Select the
Edit ► Link Tables ► Vitro Clay option and click on the Sizes tab. The
following dialog is displayed.

The smallest link size in the table is 100mm diameter, which we need to
deactivate. Enter a zero in the On column to deactivate the specific size.
The sizing will then start with the next active record.
Click on the [Close] button.

3-16 Sewer Reference

Input inflow data
The inflow data must now be input for each node. The Sewer program
makes provision for Unit Flow, Harmon or Inflow Hydrograph inflows.
This example uses Unit Flows.
Up to 5 unit flow classes may be input at a node. These classes are
defined in the Edit ► Unit Flow Parameters menu option.
Activate the Node Data dialog using the Edit ► Node Data menu option or
graphically using Graphical ► Edit Node and Link data. Click on the Inflow
tab to display the inflow data page.

Select the required inflow class from the list boxes and specify the
number of units that contribute to this node and link.
Input the following Unit Flow inflows:
Node Name Number of Units Inflow Class
001 2 Low Income
002 0 None
003 0 None
004 0 None
005 0 None
006 0 None
007 2 High Income
008 1 Middle Income
009 1 Middle Income

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-17

Node Name Number of Units Inflow Class
010 2 Middle Income
011 4 Middle Income
012 0 None
013 4 Middle Income
014 3 Middle Income
015 0 None
016 1 Middle Income
017 2 Middle Income
018 2 Middle Income
019 0 None
020 4 Middle Income
021 0 None
031 0 None
032 0 None
033 5 High Income
034 7 High Income
035 8 High Income
041 0 None
042 0 None
043 0 None
051 3 Low Income
052 2 Middle Income
053 4 Middle Income
054 7 Middle Income
061 0 None
071 6 Middle Income
072 5 Middle Income
073 4 Middle Income
074 0 None
075 5 Middle Income
076 5 Middle Income
077 1 Middle Income
078 5 Middle Income
081 8 Middle Income
082 3 Middle Income
083 2 Middle Income
091 6 Middle Income
101 5 Middle Income
111 4 Middle Income
121 3 Middle Income

3-18 Sewer Reference

Node Name Number of Units Inflow Class
201 5 Middle Income
202 2 Middle Income
203 3 Middle Income
204 6 Middle Income
205 6 Middle Income
206 5 Middle Income
207 5 Middle Income
208 5 Middle Income
209 3 Middle Income
210 5 Middle Income
211 3 Middle Income
212 4 Middle Income
213 0 None
221 2 Middle Income
222 2 Middle Income
223 3 Middle Income
231 2 Middle Income
232 2 Middle Income
301 3 Middle Income
302 0 None
303 3 Middle Income
304 5 Middle Income
305 3 Middle Income
306 4 Middle Income
307 1 Middle Income
308 1 Middle Income
309 3 Middle Income
311 2 Middle Income
312 4 Middle Income
313 3 Middle Income
314 0 None
315 3 Middle Income
316 1 Middle Income
321 5 Middle Income
322 3 Middle Income
331 5 Middle Income
332 0 None
Outfall 2 Low Income

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-19

Analyze the network
At this stage you may analyze the network. During the analysis you will
be informed by means of a progress dialog.
Select the Analysis ► Network menu option. The Analysis Wizard will be
displayed.

The Level Tolerance option determines the accuracy that will be applied
in calculating the incoming and outgoing link levels in each node.
Sometimes when you are evaluating an existing network with the links at
fixed slopes the rounding off of the slopes will result in an incoming pipe
which is, say 2mm, lower than the outgoing link which has been given a
fixed inlet level.
Normally Civil Designer will display an error message and then adjust
the inlet level of the outgoing link to be lower then the incoming link.
This setting prevents the level adjustment if the difference is within the
tolerance.
The Proportional Flow Depth determines the maximum flow depth that
will be allowed in the links. Usually a value of 80% is used.
The Infiltration defines the percentage extra inflow due to storm water
infiltration.
The Peak Factor is used in conjunction with the attenuation curve to
calculate the attenuation at every node in the network.

3-20 Sewer Reference

Click on the Next button. The following page is displayed. You may
return to the previous page by clicking on the Back button.

This page allows you to specify whether you want to analyze all the nodes
by clicking the All option or just the selected nodes by clicking the
Selected option. This allows you to select only a branch using Graphical
► Select ► Upstream and then analyze just that portion of the network.
If this is the first time you are analyzing the entire network you must
select the Renumber branches and links option. The Recalculate link
lengths from coordinates option calculates the length of each link from the
coordinates of the upstream and downstream node coordinates.
Set up the page as shown above and click on Finish.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-21

The Print Manager dialog will be displayed. This allows you to specify the
destination of the log that will be generated during the analysis. In this
instance direct the log to the Output Window by checking the Screen
output option.
After the completion of the analysis the results windows will be
displayed. Each window displays certain aspects of the results such as
flows, overflows, levels and slopes, and the hydraulic gradient.

3-22 Sewer Reference

Display link sizes and slopes
You may now update the display settings to show the calculated link sizes
and slopes.
Select Settings ► Display Settings and set up the sewer page as shown
below. Take particular note of the Text above link and Text below link
settings.

Insert {SIZE}, {TYPE}, {LENGTH} and {RATIOSLOPE} by right-

clicking as previously and insert ‘mm’ and ‘m @ 1 :’ manually. Then click
on OK to update the display.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-23

3-24 Sewer Reference
Calculate Quantities
Quantities are calculated according to the parameters specified in the
Bedding Class and Depth Increment dialogs. These parameters can be
changed from the Edit menu.
Select the Analysis ► Quantities option.
You may calculate the quantities of the entire network or just the
selected links. Specify All.
After the analysis the quantities will be displayed in a series of windows.
Each window contains the results of a particular quantity calculation.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-25

Erf Connection Defaults
Select the Edit ► Erf Connection Defaults option. The Erf Connections
Defaults dialog will be displayed.

Set the values as shown above. The settings are for erf connections that
connect onto a mid-block sewer for the erven adjacent to the sewer
servitude. The connections will be inside the erf 1m from the erf
boundary and the main sewer is positioned inside the adjacent erven 2m
from the erf boundary. Click [OK] to accept the settings.
Select the Edit ► Erf Connection Types menu option. The Erf Connection
Types dialog will be displayed.

Set the depth increment envelopes as shown above. If the difference

between the invert level of the main sewer line (ILS) and the invert level of
the erf connection (ILC) is less than 0.15m, the connection is not possible.
The type of connection will depend on the height difference envelopes
that have been specified.

3-26 Sewer Reference

Add Erf Connections
We will enter the erf connections for sewer node 205 and 204, which is
situated in the bottom right corner of the site. Switch the site contours on
in the display settings to see the slopes on the erven. We will first enter
the erf connections that are situated on the northern side of the sewer
line, therefore the erven without the servitude.

Select the Graphical ► Add Erf Connection option to enter the erf
connections. The program will prompt:
Add Erf Connection: Indicate position on correct side of
sewer link (Esc to end): Height = 1556.791

Indicate the position of the new erf connection. You may use any of the
snap modes to do so. As the cursor is moved the project elevations are
interpolated from the selected soft material dtm surface and displayed in
the prompt. Once you have clicked with the mouse or pressed Enter the
program will prompt:
Add Erf Connection: Input New Erf Name

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-27

Type in a new erf connection name, e.g. erf1 and click on
. If the
Calculate Minimum Ground Level on Erf option is selected in the Erf
Connection Defaults dialog the program will prompt:
Minimum Ground Level: Indicate erf for minimum ground level
calculation

Click in the middle of the polygon that indicates the erf for which you are
adding the erf connection. The program will trace the drawing lines that
form the erf boundary around the selected erf and then search for the
lowest point inside the erf. The minimum ground level will be extracted
from the soft material dtm surface and the erf connection data dialog will
open.

The drawing elements forming the erf boundary must be a closed

polygon for this function to work.

The following data will have been calculated and entered by the program
from the erf connection defaults, sewer network and the dtm:
• Node Name
• Erf Connection Y Coordinate
• Erf Connection X Coordinate
• Erf Length
• Distance of Sewer from Erf Boundary
• Sewer Position
• Ground Level at Erf Connection (GLC)

3-28 Sewer Reference

• Minimum Cover on Erf Connection
• Minimum Cover on House Connection
• Erf Connection Slope as Percentage or Ratio
• Erf Connection Diameter
• Link Length
• Link Slope
• Node Invert Level
• Distance from Node
• Link Y Coordinate
• Link X Coordinate

Activate the display of the newly created erf connection by clicking on

the Display Settings icon or select the Settings ► Display Settings option.
The Display Settings dialog will be displayed. Select the Show erf
connection layout option and click on the Erf Connections sub-item on the
left of the dialog. The Erf Connections settings allow you to define the
pen, line width and line type for the erf connection, the text pen, text size
in points and text placement settings for the erf connection annotations
as well as which annotations must be displayed.
The dialog will display the following:

The Minimum Ground Level on Erf check box specifies that the symbol
indicating the lowest point on the erf will be drawn together with the
height level.
After closing the display settings the erf connection will be drawn.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-29

The program will continue to prompt:
Add Erf Connection: Indicate position on correct side of
sewer link (Esc to end): Height = 1556.345

Continue to add the other five erven on the northern side of the sewer
line. Press [ESC] to terminate the function.

3-30 Sewer Reference

Now change the erf connection default settings to enter the erf
connections where the sewer line falls inside the erven.
Set the Sewer Position as Inside Erf.
Set the Distance of Connection from Sewer Line value to 2.3m, but
remember this will now be the distance from the sewer line that the erf
connection is situated.
Then add the erf connections on the southern side of the sewer link in
the same manner as above. Refresh the display with the [S] key.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-31

Analyse Erf Connections
Erf Connections are calculated according to the parameters specified in
the Erf Connection Data and Erf Connection types dialogs. These
parameters can be changed from the Edit menu.
Select the Analysis ► Erf Connections option.
After the analysis the erf connection results will be displayed.

We can see that we have a problem since in the Type of Connection

column only 3 erven are Type 1 and the rest are Not Possible. This means
that only 3 erven can drain to the main sewer line, the rest are too deep to
connect to the main sewer line. We therefore need to lower the main
sewer line.
We can do this by specifying a larger minimum cover value for these
specific nodes.
Select the Graphical ► Edit Node and Link data option and click on Node 205
or the outgoing link to open the Node data dialog for this Node.
Click on the Link tab and change the minimum cover value to 1.7m. Do
the same for Node 204 and 203.

3-32 Sewer Reference

Now you need to analyse your sewer network again to incorporate the
above changes. Then also analyse the erf connections to see what the
influence is on the erf connections.

All the erf connections now can drain successfully to the main sewer line.
We can view the erf connections on our graphical longitudinal section.
Select the Graphical ► Vertical Alignment option and select the Show
Crossing Pipes option. The Crossing Pipes dialog will open.
Select the Erf Connections option in the Available Services section and
click on the [Select>] button. Erf Connections will be added to the Plot
Crossings For: section.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-33

Click [OK] to accept the settings. You can zoom into the long section with
the toolbar zoom functions or by using [M] for magnify and [D] for
demagnify.

3-34 Sewer Reference

Printing input data and results
At this stage you may want to produce a hard copy of the design. This is
done with the Print Control Panel that will output selected data items to
a printer or an ASCII file.
Select the File ► Print option.
The Print Control Panel will be displayed. Select the data items that you
want and the output device as shown below.

Click on the [OK] button to start printing.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-35

Creating the final layout plan
Now that the design is complete it is time to update the original cadastral
drawing with the sewer layout along with a coordinate list and a link
schedule.
Select Plot ► Generate. The Plot Wizard dialog box appears.

Select the “:\CivDes64\Examples\SheetFiles\Plan.sht” sheet file. Click on

[Next]

3-36 Sewer Reference

You now have the option to edit the sheet file. Click on the [Sheet File
Editor] Button
Click on [Next]. The Plan Plotting Setup dialog box will appear.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-37

If the spreadsheet is empty click on the [Add New] button.
Click at the center of the drawing.
You can now position the paper.
Click again to indicate the desired position. Select [No] to keep the same
rotation
Right click on any unwanted plots to change the plot column to [No].
The [Key Plan] option can now be selected if you have multiple sheets for
your plan drawing and you would like to plot a key plan. Select scale and
rotation of key plan as normal.
Click on [Finish] to generate the plan drawings.
Input a file name to save the drawings.

If you are plotting more than one plan drawing Civil Designer will save
them sequentially i.e. “Filename1”, ”Filename2” ect.

To toggle between drawings and the Design Centre – choose the desired
visible window from the Windows menu bar.
All additional changes can now be made in the CAD mode.

3-38 Sewer Reference

Plotting Sewer Longsections
Select Plot ► Generate.
The following menu will appear:

Select the Sewer Longsection sheet and set the sheet size to A0.
Click on [Next].

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-39

Specify the Horizontal and Vertical scales, what must be plotted, where
the levels must be labeled as well as whether the program must scroll to
next page or not. Click on the [Next] button.

3-40 Sewer Reference

You have the option to Edit Long Section Data if required. If selected, the
Long Section Editor will be displayed and you will be able to edit any data
item.
Once the data is to your liking, Click the [Finish] button, give the drawing
a name and the long section/s will be generated.

Tutorial - Sewer Design 3-41

Notes:

3-42 Sewer Reference

File Menu
The File Menu contains all the functions to
create, load and save projects, import and
export sewer data, merge sewer data files, as
well as removing deleted records. In addition
it also includes options to set up the program
authorization.

File Menu 4-1

New Project
Create a new project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectNew

This option allows you to set up a new project and specify the data files
that must be used.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a drawing to the project simply click in the check box next to
Drawing, click on Browse on the right of the dialog, and select the
drawing using the standard Window file open dialog. The drawing name
will be displayed as shown above.
Similarly, to add a data file to the project click in the check box next to
the required data type and select the file to use with the [Browse] button.
If the file does not exist it will be created.
To use the Survey, Terrain or Roads functions, you must select or create
a Terrain data file.

4-2 Sewer Reference

Drawing File
You may only use an existing drawing file. The drawing may be an
AllyCAD DRG, AutoCAD DWG, Caddie CEX or a DXF file.

Terrain File
If you select a terrain file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the DTM file.

After you have clicked [OK] on the New Project Dialog the following
dialog will be displayed for a new DTM file.

Enter the Y and X coordinates of the centre of the site, or of the area of
principal interest, and a diameter that will encompass the site or, once
again, the area of principal interest. It is acceptable to leave the settings
at their default values, but you should then either import data from an
ASCII file which will offer a rescale that centers the site, or add data
manually and then use Tools ► Rescale Survey from the Terrain menu
which does the same thing.

File Menu 4-3

Sewer File
If you select a sewer file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the sewer database file.

Storm File
If you select a storm file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the storm database file.

Locale
You must make the settings that determine the manner in which the
stored coordinates are projected onto the display surface (the Design
Centre window).

Hemisphere
Select either the Southern Hemisphere or Northern Hemisphere options
to set the hemisphere in which the data is located.

Projection
Select the mapping projection to be used. Currently only three
projections are available, namely Local, Transverse Mercator and UTM
(Universal Transverse Mercator). Selecting Local will automatically set
the Datum to Cape and causes Civil Designer to treat the Terrain and
Road database coordinates in the same way as Stardust used to.

4-4 Sewer Reference

Datum
Select the datum on which the data is to be based. This determines the
ellipsoid on which the projection is based and therefore the constants
used for the mapping projection. Note that the Cape datum is the
equivalent datum for that used by Stardust.

Prime Longitude
Enter the central LO of the panel in which the data falls (actually the
longitude on which the 0 value of the horizontal ordinates of the
coordinate system falls) and also select whether this LO is East or West
of 0° longitude (Greenwich).

Origin Latitude
Enter the latitude on which the 0 value of the vertical ordinates of the
coordinate system falls and also select whether this latitude is North or
South of 0° latitude (the Equator). This should normally be set to 0°
(origin at the equator where North or South are immaterial) but could be
different for some projections.

Scale factor at prime longitude

Enter the factor by which coordinates are adjusted in order to fit the
projection. This should normally be set to 1.0 except if you are using
UTM coordinates (see Remarks below).

False Easting and False Northing

Enter the values to be subtracted/added to the LO coordinates during
projection conversion. These should normally be set to 0 except if you
are using UTM coordinates (see below).

DO NOT use the False Easting and False Northing settings to apply
some constant to the data coordinates, as the projection calculations
rely on full coordinates and will give incorrect values if these entries are
used incorrectly.

Remarks
In order to use a UTM system the following settings should be made for
Locale:
• Convert the UTM block number to LO using the formula
(BLOCKNUMBER x 6°) - 183°. This calculates the Longitude of the
central meridian in degrees.

File Menu 4-5

• Set the scale factor at the central meridian to 0.9996.
• Enter the correct False Easting and False Northing values of +500
000m Easting, and 0m Northing for Northern Hemisphere or +10 000
000m Northing for Southern Hemisphere.

4-6 Sewer Reference

Open Project
Load an existing project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectOpen

You can select which project to open using the standard Windows Open
dialog.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the project file (.CDP) to open and click on [OK].

The existing project (if any) will be saved and the new project will be
opened. The associated data files will automatically be opened and
displayed in the Design Centre.

Only data that includes coordinates can be displayed in the Design

Centre.

File Menu 4-7

Edit Project
Edit the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectEdit

This option allows you to add design elements to the project or to change
the data files associated with the project.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a design element to the project simply set the check box of that
element and select the data file using the [Browse] button. The standard
Window Open dialog will be displayed. Select the file to add to the
project or type in a new file name to create a new data file.

You may not change the locale settings of an existing project as the
projection settings have already been applied to data files and may not
be changed.

Click on the [OK] button.

4-8 Sewer Reference

Save Project
Save the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSave

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files.

Save Project As
Save the current project to another name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSaveAs

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files to new file names. You may specify a new file name for the
project file and each of the active design files in turn.

Close Project
Close the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectClose

This option allows you to close the active project and clear the Design
Centre. You will be given the option to save the associated data files.

File Menu 4-9

Import
These functions allow you to import data from ASCII text files, Sewer
V3.x data files and from a MAP spatial database.

ASCII File
Import ASCII space-delimited or comma-delimited file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerImportAscii

This option allows you to import the data in an ASCII or text file into an
existing data file. As you import the data the program will first see if the
data file includes a record with the imported node name. If it does the
program will update the data with the values in the imported file.
If the data file does not already include a record with the imported node
name then a new record will be appended to the data file and the
imported data copied into the record.
The ASCII file must contain all the data items to be added to a record in
one line of text. The data must include a node or manhole name. The
data items may be separated by commas (comma-delimited file) or
spaces (space-delimited file).

Procedure
The following dialog box will be displayed:

4-10 Sewer Reference

Click on the [Browse] button just below the top edit control and select the
ASCII file to import. The first lines of the import file will now be
displayed on the dialog.
Set the File Type option and click on the [Next] button. The following
view will be displayed.

Click on the column heading to display a list of available data types for
each column of data as shown below.

File Menu 4-11

Your settings should look like this when you have allocated all the
columns:

Click on the [Finish] button to import the file into the newly created data
file.
The program will read the ASCII file and assign the data items according
to the sequence specified.

4-12 Sewer Reference

Version 3 Data
Import a sewer V3.x data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerImportData3

All the sewer network information from the existing version 3.x data file
will be imported into the new Civil Designer Sewer file.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the storm version 3.x file (.sdt) to open and click on OK.

File Menu 4-13

MAP Theme
Import data from a MAP theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerImportMap

This option allows you to import an existing MAP theme as Sewer

elements to a sewer network.
The MAP theme must be included in a MAP database that forms part of
the Civil Designer project.

Procedure
The Import dialog will be displayed.

Select the Theme from which to import the sewer network and match
the Map Fields with the appropriate Sewer Fields.
Click OK to import the sewer information from the map theme.

4-14 Sewer Reference

Inflow Hydrograph
Import ASCII Hydrograph files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerImportHydro

This option allows you to import the data for a hydrograph in an ASCII
or text format, which will then be converted to the Civil Designer
Hydrograph file (.hyd) format.

Procedure
The following dialog box will be displayed:

Type in the address for the ASCII files or browse to the drive and path
for the directory where the files are saved. Select the type of files that
must be listed. Choose the file or files that you want to convert and
browse to the destination directory.
Select the file format for the ASCII file that must be converted and click
Import.

File Menu 4-15

Convert Drawing Entities
Convert drawing entities to sewer database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerConvertEntities

This option allows you to convert CAD entities into an intelligent

Stormwater network. The CAD drawing may have been created in the
CAD module of Civil Designer or alternatively in other CAD software and
read into Civil Designer in the CAD module by importing a DXF, DWG,
or CEX file.

Procedure
The Convert drawing entities dialog will open.

The program will pick up all the named CAD layers. Select the cad layer
containing the required information and click on the OK button.
Outfalls The only entities on this layer must be circles indicating
the outfall nodes.
Node Names The manhole names must be on this layer close to the
line origins.
Links The lines indicating the stormwater network must be on
this layer. No circles indicating manholes must be on this
layer, since it will cause duplicate nodes. Ensure that the
lines are not polylines and that the line length is not more
than 500m, which is the maximum length for
classification.
Diameters The diameters must be drawn in the middle of the line.
This item can be ignored if you want the stormwater
module to size the pipes during the analysis.

4-16 Sewer Reference

Export
The Export functions allow you to convert your sewer network into a GIS
theme and to export the network to an ASCII text file.

ASCII FILE
Export sewer data to an ASCII text file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerExportAscii

This function exports all the following sewer network information to an

ASCII file.

Design Parameters Manhole conditions, i.e. culvert inverts or soffits common,

drops, or a specified step in manholes.
Node Data The node, next node and overflow node names, branch
and link numbers, Y and X coordinates, cover level,
manhole bottom conditions, maximum inflow and
maximum storage.
Link Data Link type, sizes, bedding, number, length, fixed inlet level
and fixed slope / fixed outlet level.

Procedure
The Save As dialog will be displayed.

Select a file to which to export. The drive and path automatically default
to the last used drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you select the file the export is carried out.

File Menu 4-17

MAP Theme
Export data to a Map theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerExportMap

This function exports all the sewer network information to a new theme
in an existing MAP database.

Procedure
The Export to MAP Project dialog will be displayed.

Enter a name for the new theme and change the Map Field names in the
table if required.
Click on OK to export.

4-18 Sewer Reference

Merge Sewer File
Merge two sewer database files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerMergeDB

This option merges the specified sewer database file with the currently
open sewer database.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
sewer file to merge. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this function.

Browse for the file you wish to merge with the active data file. Select
Open once you have selected the desired file. Repeat this process as
many times as necessary.
The merging process will import the sewer database as is. The operator
will have to rename any duplicate nodes and any user defined link types
in the imported data file will need to be created in the active data file.

File Menu 4-19

Remove Deleted Records
To remove deleted records from database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerRemoveDelRec

This function permanently removes the deleted records from the sewer
database file.

You must run this function to remove records that has been deleted in
the Node Data or by Graphical Delete Node.

Procedure
A confirmation dialog is displayed.

Click on YES to permanently delete the deleted records from the sewer
database. Click on NO to not delete the deleted records from the sewer
database.

4-20 Sewer Reference

Remove Deleted Erf Connections
To remove deleted erf connection records from database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerRemoveDelECRec

This function permanently removes the deleted erf connection records

from the erf connection database file.

You must run this function to remove records that has been deleted in
the Erf Connection Data or by Graphical Delete Erf Connection.

Procedure
A confirmation dialog is displayed.

Click on YES to permanently delete the deleted records from the erf
connection database. Click on NO to not delete the deleted records from
the erf connection database.

File Menu 4-21

Print
Output a selection of design parameters, input data and results to a printer or
ASCII file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerPrint

This option allows you to output data to a printer or to an ASCII file. You
can select which data types you want to print or export.

Procedure
The Print Control Panel is displayed.

Specify the destination of the output by clicking on the Printer or Ascii

File button.

Input Data
You may specify any combination of the following input data by checking
the box next to that item. Add a heading to the top of each printed page
or the top of the Ascii file by adding text in the Heading box.

Design Parameters Inflow Method, manhole conditions, minimum cover

to culverts, minimum velocity in culverts, maximum
velocity in culverts, freeboard on manholes
Node Data The node, next node and overflow node names,
branch and link numbers, Y and X coordinates, cover
level, manhole bottom conditions, maximum inflow
and maximum storage

4-22 Sewer Reference

Link Data Link type, sizes, bedding, number, length, fixed inlet
level and fixed slope/fixed outlet level
Inflow Data Depending on the inflow method
Unit Flow Inflow classes and units, plus point source inflow
Harmon Contributing units and point source inflow
Hydrograph Inflow hydrograph names and units

Results
You may specify any combination of the following results by checking
the box next to that item.
Summary Active inflow method, number of nodes, outfall level
and outflow
Inflow Analysis Depending on the inflow method:
Unit Flow Total point source, total inflow, contributing
population, attenuation factor and design inflow
Harmon Total point source, contributing units, contributing
population, average flow, peak factor and design
inflow
Hydrograph Design inflow
Flow Analysis Link name, next link name, number of links, link type,
calculated size, flow, capacity, velocity and
percentage flow depth
Overflow Analysis Link name, next link name, inflow, point source
inflow, design flow, actual flow, capacity and
overflow.
Layout Analysis Link name, next link name, number of culverts, link
type, calculated size, length, slope, inlet level, outlet
level and cover to link.
Hydraulic Grade Link name, hydraulic grade level, cover level, soffit
level, velocity and flow depth

Quantities
You may specify any combination of the following quantities by checking
the box next to that item.

Excavation Lengths Length of excavation in depth increments for each

culvert type and diameter for soft, medium and hard
materials.
Excavation Volumes Excavation volumes in depth increments for each
culvert type and diameter for soft, medium and hard

File Menu 4-23

 materials.
Bedding Volumes Bedding and backfill volumes for each bedding class
Culvert Lengths Cumulative lengths of each culvert type and size
Manhole Depths Number of manholes in each depth increment

Erf Connections
Erf Connections Results Erf number, Length of erf, Boundary distance,
Minimum ground level (MGL), Ground level at erf
connection (GLC), Maximum invert level of sewer
(MILS), Invert level of sewer(ILS), Invert level of erf
connection (ILC), Difference between ILC and ILS,
Type of connection, Minimum floor level, Depth of
sewer below MGL, Depth of end of erf connection
below GLC.

Click on OK to print the data or create the output file.

4-24 Sewer Reference

Output Manager
Set output defaults

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputManager

This function allows you to set up the Output Window's printing and file
export capabilities. If you select to send output to the screen and the
Output Window is not visible, use Window | Toggle Output Window to
display the window.

Procedure
The Output Manager is displayed.

Screen output Check this option to have output directed to the Output
Window. If this window is not visible then select Window |
Toggle Output Window
Printer output Check this option to have output directed to a selected
printer. If this option was selected and you now turn it off,
any output previously directed to the printer will be spooled.
If this option was not selected and you now turn it on, you
will be asked to select the required printer.
File output Check this option to have output directed to a file. If this
option was selected and you now turn it off, the output file
will be closed. If this option was not selected and you now
turn it on, the selected output file will be created.
Don't show this dialog Check this option to retain the current settings for all future
in future output. You will no longer be prompted to make settings. In
order to adjust the settings, or to turn off this option, use File
| Output Manager.
Page Heading Enter the heading to be printed at the top of each page. Only
available if the Printer output option is selected.

File Menu 4-25

Output filename Enter the path and name of the output file to be created.
Only available if the File output option is selected.
Browse Button (...) Click this button to browse for the output file using the
standard Windows Save As dialog. Only available if the File
output option is selected.
Page Number Enter the page number to be printed at the top of the first
page. The number will increment automatically for
subsequent pages. Only available if the Printer output option
is selected.
Start printing on new Check this option to have any printer output still in the print
page queue spooled before printing starts. If this option is not
selected then printer output will be added to that currently in
the print queue. Only available if the Printer output option is
selected.
Append to existing file Check this option to have output appended to that which
already exists in the selected file. If the selected file does not
exist, it will be created. If this option is not selected then the
selected file will be deleted (if it already exists) and then
recreated. Only available if the File output option is selected.

Make the required settings and press [OK] to continue.

If [OK] is clicked and Printer output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, any output that has not yet been spooled to the printer will be
sent and the current document ended. If Printer output is now checked,
and it was not previously checked, you will be asked to select the printer
to which output should be directed and a new document will be started.
If [OK] is clicked and File output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, the specified file is closed. If File output is now checked, and it
was not previously checked, the specified file is opened and will
overwrite an existing file of the same name if the Append to existing file
option is not checked.

4-26 Sewer Reference

Spool Output
Spool unprinted data to the printer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputSpool

Any output (print) data that has been sent to the printer but not yet
printed is spooled to the printer.
Windows tends to hold printed output in a spool file until the print job is
complete. In order to end a print job in Civil Designer you must deselect
the print option in the Output Manager, or exit the program.
Alternatively, this function will carry out the same procedure.

File Menu 4-27

Option Settings
Set INI file defaults that are not set by the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OptionSettings

The settings for various items in Civil Designer are stored in the file
CivDes6.ini which is located in your User directory. While most settings
in this file are manipulated from within the program itself, some settings
have no menu option or dialog associated with them.
In order to facilitate the changing of these settings, we have implemented
a dialog specifically for adjusting these settings. This saves you from
having to edit the INI file and making the changes by hand.
The left side of the dialog displays a tree list of available items. Click on
the top-level item to display the relevant page. Some of the top-level
items have further pages implemented as sub-items. Click on the + sign
to the left of any top-level item to display the sub-items. Click on a sub-
item to display the relevant page.

Certain settings are only read at program startup. These items are
marked with an asterisk (*). Changes to these settings will only be
implemented once the program has been exited and restarted. All other
settings are read at the start of relevant functions and changes to these
settings will therefore be available the next time the relevant function is
activated.

The possible top-level items and their respective sub-items are as

follows:
• General
• Southern Hemisphere
• Northern Hemisphere
• Survey
• Terrain
• Spreadsheets
• Pens
• View 3D
• Roads
• Spreadsheets
• Pens
• Plot
• Output Window

4-28 Sewer Reference

General

Percentage RAM Enter the percentage of physical RAM (from 25 to 75

allocated to DTM percent) that must be allocated for DTM point caching.
The default value is 25. The more RAM allocated to
cache, the faster DTM point processing can be done but
the less RAM will be available for general operations in
Windows.
Permanent Road window Check this option to have the Road window permanently
displayed. If this option is not checked then the window
will be created and destroyed as needed. This can save
some screen space in tight situations.
Delimiter Enter the ASCII code of the delimiter to be used during
some DTM export functions. The default value (44) is a
comma and it is not recommended that this be changed.
You might however require tabs as delimiters. In this
case enter ASCII code 9 as the delimiter value.
Default pen Click this button to set the CAD pen colour for drawing
all design items that do not have an associated pen. This
setting is made available in order to compensate for the
fact that you can change the background colour of the
current drawing.

File Menu 4-29

Southern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern Hemisphere
projects.

4-30 Sewer Reference

Northern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern Hemisphere
projects.

File Menu 4-31

Survey

Screening radius for Enter the radius (in metres) within which successive
ASCII Serial import coordinates in a Serial file import will be screened out.
Number of data columns Select the number of data columns to generated during
for MOSS export a MOSS file export. Your options here are 3 or 6.
Number of entries in Enter the limit of point names to be stored in the Names
names list list.
Include numerical names. Select whether you want numerical names to be
included in the Names list.

4-32 Sewer Reference

Terrain

Separator between Enter the single character to be displayed between the

degrees, minutes and degree, minute and second portions of bearings when
seconds for printing printing. The default separator is a space.
Default point name suffix Enter the single character default to be added as a suffix
for Tache Reduction to point names during Tache Reduction.
Additional file extension Enter an extension to be used in addition to the standard
for Tache files DAT file extension when selecting Tache field books to
load.
Field number of Enter the number of the field that contains the orientation
orientation station name in station name in Booker tache files. This is normally 1 but
Booker files files with the name in the eighth field have been found.
Each field in a Booker file is separated by a tab with the
first field being number 1.
4 decimal places in Level Check this option to have levels displayed to 4 decimal
Reduction places rather than the standard 3 decimal places in
Level Reduction.
Percentage of screen size Enter the percentage of the current screen size to be
for polygon auto-close used as the separation between starting and current
snap indicated points in order to automatically close an
indicated polygon.
Rotation angle about eye Enter the angle (in degrees) by which to increment
position for Line of Sight rotation about the eye point when generating the visible
sweep boundary in Line of Sight calculations.
Display lines for terrace Check this option to display the lines of the selected
surface only during terrace surface only when selecting a terrace. Line
terrace selection display for all other surfaces will automatically be
switched off.

File Menu 4-33

Display autosuffix Check this option to have any defined autosuffix appear
together with point name as part of the point name in the screen display. It will not
appear on a plot generation.
Prompt for confirmation Check this option to have a confirmation window to
for breaklines over feature popup when a breakline will be drawn over a feature
lines line.

Spreadsheet

Minimum number of Enter the default number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.

4-34 Sewer Reference

Pens

Intelli-Lines Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
four Intelli-Lines processing passes.
Graphical Error Figure Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in a Graphical Error Figure.
Banks Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in banks during Terrace Banks
generation.
DTM Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in DTM Grid generation.
Perimeter indication Click this button to set the indicator colour of the
perimeter polygon when selecting items such as
terraces.

File Menu 4-35

View 3D

Depth buffer bits Select the number of bits available for depth buffering.
Your options here are 16, 24 and 32. Your setting will
depend on your video card and some experimentation
might be required.
Colour depth bits Select the number of colour bits available. Your options
here are 16,24 and 32. Your setting here should match
the colour depth of your Windows Desktop for optimal
results.
Field of view Enter the vertical field of view in degrees to generate the
correct perspective view. In order to calculate the
required field of view for your particular setting, measure
the distance from your normal seated eye position to the
screen and measure the height of the view area from top
to bottom. Divide the second measurement by the first
measurement, take the arc sin of the result, and round
that result to the nearest degree.
Contour separation Enter the value (in metres) to be added to contour
heights in order to prevent contours dissappearing
underneath the 3D View.
Enable mouse dragging Uncheck this option to prevent mouse dragging within
the 3D View from changing the view parameters. This
should normally be left checked, but some video cards
have problems with the rapid updates required.
Ignore video driver Check this option to have the OpenGL acceleration
acceleration capabilities of your graphics card ignored. This should
normally be left unchecked, but some video cards have
problems with the accelerated drivers.

4-36 Sewer Reference

Roads

Maximum number of road Specify the maximum numbers of roads per project. The
files value must be between 100 and 250.
Use Interactive Roads Check this button to enable the Interactive Roads
Expert Expert. Before every roads operation the program will
check if there are any operations that still needs to be
done before the specified operation can commence. If
there are then the Roads Expert will appear with the
relative operations checked. Simply press OK to perform
all the necessary operations and display the dialog for
the specified operation.
Use TRH format when Check this option to use TRH format when slaving Edge
slaving Edge Control Control. If this option is checked then the distance given
for the development length of the superelevation will be
applied from the stage where the grade is 0 (flat) until it
is fully developed. The initial portion where the normal
crossfall is picked up (or reduced) to 0, is automatically
calculated and added to the specified development
length.
Use element entry for Check this option to enter horizontal alignments by
horizontal alignment element (straights and curves) rather than by PI (with
instead of PIs and radii associated curve radius).
Use element entry for Check this option to enter vertical alignments by element
vertical alignment instead (grades) rather than by VPI (with associated curve
of VPIs length).
Display VPI names when Check this option to have VPI names displayed during
editing a vertical graphical editing of vertical alignments.
alignment

File Menu 4-37

Text size for Horizontal PI When Editing the Horizontal alignment, the PI names
Names and Warnings and Design Criteria warnings will be displayed using this
text size (points). A text size of 0 will cause the PI names
and warnings not to be displayed.
PI Names and Warnings Warnings will be displayed using this text size (points). A
text size of 0 will cause the PI names and warnings not
to be displayed.
Box out Check this option to box the Horizontal PI names and
warnings. The text will be drawn within a rectangular
frame, filled with the background colour.
Extension to use when Enter the default extension to be used when selecting
importing CARDS cross data files for CARDS cross section import.
section files

Spreadsheet

Maximum number of Enter the maximum number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.
Focus to Spreadsheet Select this option if the function must start with the focus
on the spreadsheet.

4-38 Sewer Reference

Pens

Horizontal alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Vertical alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Pipeline Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Intersection Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Template Editor Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Layerworks Note: The Layerworks pen will be used to draw the
layerwors in Graphical Edit mode as well.

File Menu 4-39

Plot

Number of lines Enter the maximum number of lines that can be

plotted/labelled in a long generated when plotting a long- or cross section. The
section and cross section default is 20.
Interpolate long section If this option is set then, when plotting longsections and
level for 0 values a zero level is encountered for a chainage, the level at
that chainage will be interpolated from the nearest
chainages on either side that do have levels.
Ignore 0 values when If this option is checked then all zero values will be
plotting Long Sections ignored when plotting road long sections. Long Section
lines will be drawn between non-zero points and zero
points will not be annotated.
Split height labels into two If this option is set, then when generating a plot with
at the decimal point heights displayed, the height for a point will be shown as
two distinct text entities separated at the decimal point.
This is useful for where the height is obscured by say a
symbol inserted at the point and you wish to move the
values apart for clarity.

4-40 Sewer Reference

Output Window

Number of lines retained Enter the number of lines of output that should be
in memory retained at any time for the various output windows. This
will be the last x number of lines that have been sent to
the Output Window for display, enabling you to scroll
back to see lines that have disappeared off the top of the
window.
Display/Print Font Enter the display/print font size (in points) and the
position at which a right margin marker should be
displayed in the Output Window.

File Menu 4-41

Security
When you first install your copy of Civil Designer, it will allocate a 30-day
trial license, allowing you to run the full program for 30 days. During this
time you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent authorization
code. Refer to the chapter on Security for more details.

Authorize
Authorize the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

cyAuthorize

This option allows you to obtain your user code and input the
authorisation code to activate the various modules in the program.

Procedure
The authorisation dialog box is displayed. Your User Code is displayed in
the centre of the dialog.

Call the contact number to obtain your authorisation code. Alternatively

click on Save to write the user code into a file which can be e-mailed to
Knowledge Base at [email protected]. Click on the Authorise
button once you have input the confirmation code in the bottom edit
control. This code is stored in the security module.

4-42 Sewer Reference

Check Network Dongles
Toggle network security on/off

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CheckNetworkSecurity

This function switches the search for a network security module on or

off.

Exit
Quit Civil Designer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

quit

This function closes down Civil Designer.

File Menu 4-43

Notes:

4-44 Sewer Reference

Edit Menu
This menu allows you to set the default
settings and edit the node data. Options are:
• Default settings
• Design parameters
• Erf Connection Defaults
• Erf Connection Types
• Unit Flow inflow classes and attenuation
curve
• Harmon Formula parameters
• Unit inflow hydrographs
• Pump combinations and specifications
• Depth increments for quantity
calculations
• Bedding classes
• Link types and specifications
• Node and link data in a easy to
understand dialog or in a spreadsheet
• Erf Connection Data

Edit Menu 5-1

Default Settings
Set node and link parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditDefaults

This function allows the designer to set certain parameters as default

settings for the network before it is created.

Procedure
The Defaults dialog is displayed.

To change one of the displayed items click on the arrow on the right of
the item and a list of the options will be displayed. Click on the required
option to select it. Click on OK once all the required parameters have
been set.
Manhole Conditions This may be one of the following settings:
Drop - links placed at minimum slope
Invert - incoming and outgoing invert levels common
Soffit - inside top of the culverts common
0.075 - an absolute step between the invert levels
Type The link type may be selected from a drop-down list.
Diameter The diameter of the link in millimeters.
Bedding Class The bedding class for this link.
Number of pipes The number of identical and parallel links between this
node and the downstream node, ie. 2 x 900 mm pipes.
Minimum Cover The minimum distance from the ground line to the top of
the culvert.
Fixed Slope The fixed slope as a percentage of the outgoing link
Freeboard Height that the manhole cover must be above the
extracted cover level.

5-2 Sewer Reference

Design Parameters
Set the inflow method, minimum and maximum velocity, etc

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditDesignParameters

The Design Parameters Dialog allows the designer to select the flow
calculation method and to establish guidelines for the design.

Procedure
The following dialog is displayed:

The following overall design parameters may be specified:

Inflow Calculation Method

The Sewer module supports three inflow calculation methods, viz.:
1. Unit Flow Method.
2. Harmon Formula
3. Inflow Hydrographs
Select from these the required inflow method. The option selected will
determine the input data required in the Edit Node data option.

Friction Loss Formula

You may use either the Manning or the Colebrook-White friction loss
coefficients.

Edit Menu 5-3

Geometric Controls
The geometric controls affect the placing of links relative to the natural
ground line and the calculation of node inverts.

Manhole Conditions
Specify whether incoming and outgoing culverts in the manhole should
have their inverts at a common level (Inverts) or soffits at a common level
(Soffits), be placed at the minimum depth possible given the other design
parameters (Drops), or be placed with a user-defined step through the
manhole. An entry of 0.075 will specify a step of 75 mm through each
node.

Minimum Cover
This is the minimum distance from the manhole cover level to the top of
the culvert.

Flow Controls
The flow controls set the hydraulic design parameters used in the
calculation of link slopes and sizes.

Minimum Velocity
Culverts will be placed at a slope with the objective to try and maintain
the minimum flow velocity specified here or the maximum slope
specified in the Link Tables, whichever is the least. This setting will
result in all links where the velocity is less than the specified value being
highlighted in the results in red.

In practice this results in the first (upstream) culverts being placed at

the maximum link slope, typically 1 to 1.5%, and as the link flows
become significant down the line the link slopes start flattening to the
minimum slope specified in the Link Table.

Maximum Velocity
This setting will result in all links where the velocity exceeds the
specified value being highlighted in the results in blue.

Use Minimum Full-Bore Velocity

If this option is selected the velocity will be calculated with full - bore
flow and not for actual flow. Else the velocity will be calculated with the
actual calculated flow. The calculated full - bore velocity will then be
compared with the specified Minimum Velocity for the design.

5-4 Sewer Reference

Erf Connection Defaults
Set erf connection parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditECDefaults

This function allows the designer to set certain parameters as default

settings for the erf connections before they are created.

Procedure
The Erf Connection Defaults dialog is displayed.

To change one of the displayed items enter the required value or click on
the arrow on the right of the item and a list of the options will be
displayed. Click on the required option to select it. Click on OK once all
the required parameters have been set.

Erf Length This is the length of an erf. The engineer must decide
whether this length is enough to drain the whole erf and
if necessary, adjust it upwards.
Distance of Connection The distance a connection point of an erf connection is
from Erf Boundary located from the erf boundary for sewer positions
Outside erf and In road reserve.
Distance of Connection The distance a connection point of an erf connection is
from Sewer Line located from the municipal sewer line for sewer position
Inside erf.
Distance of Sewer from The distance a municipal sewer is located from the erf
Erf Boundary boundary.

Edit Menu 5-5

Sewer Position The method that the Erf connection distance from the
sewer main is used in the calculations depends on the
Sewer position.
Outside Erf - The municipal sewer is located outside the
erf boundary.
In Road Reserve - The municipal sewer is located inside
the road reserve.
Inside Erf - The municipal sewer is located in a servitude
inside the erf boundary.
Minimum Cover on erf The minimum values of cover to the outside of the pipe
connection barrel for connecting sewers. Recommended minimum
values are:
Inside Erf - 600mm
Outside Erf / In Road Reserves - 1000mm
Minimum Cover on house The minimum value of cover at the head of the house
connection drain. The recommended minimum value is 300mm.
Erf Connection Diameter The external diameter for the erf connection sewer link.
Erf Connection Slope The slope of the erf connection sewer link.
Calculate Minimum If this option is selected the minimum ground level on the
Ground Level on erf erf will be calculated when the erf is indicated while the
erf connection is added. Else the position for the
minimum ground level point must be indicated by the
user self.

The drawing elements forming the erf boundary must be a closed

polygon for the program to be able to correctly calculate the lowest
point on the erf.

5-6 Sewer Reference

Erf Connection Types Dialog
Edit the erf connection types

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditErfConTypes

The erf connection types allow the designer to define up to 6 different erf
connection types according to the height difference between the invert
level of the sewer and the invert level at the end of the connection.

Procedure
The Erf Connection Types dialog is displayed.

To change one of the displayed items enter the required value in one of
the white cells. The value in the associated grey cell will be updated as
soon as the focus is removed from the edited cell by clicking on another
cell. Click on OK once all the required parameters have been set.
Type Not Possible - Erf connection is not possible if the height
difference between the ILS and ILC is smaller than the
value specified.
Type 1 to Type 4 - Erf connection is of specified type if the
height difference between the ILS and the ILC falls in the
specific category.
Type 5 - Erf connection is Type 5 if the height difference
between the ILS and ILC is larger than the specified value.
Height difference ILS - Invert Level of Sewer at the Y-piece.
between ILS and ILC ILC - Invert Level of the erf Connection at the end of the
connection.
Change the difference increments by entering the required
value in one of the white cells. The value in the associated
grey cell will be updated as soon as the focus is removed
from the edited cell by clicking on another cell.

Edit Menu 5-7

Unit Flow Parameters
Set the inflow classes and attenuation curve for the Unit Flow method

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditUnitFlowParameters

Here you may input the general parameters applied during a Unit Flow
analysis.

Procedure
The Unit Flow Parameters dialog will be displayed. It has two pages –
Classes and Attenuation.

Inflow Classes
Here you can input or modify up to 10 inflow classes. You are able to
specify the following data for each inflow class:

Class Name The name of the inflow class. This name will be
displayed in the inflow class combo box in the Edit Node
Data dialog.
Average Daily Inflow The average daily inflow expressed in terms of liters per
dwelling unit per day. This value is used to calculate the
inflow into the system.
Population per Unit The equivalent population per unit. This value is used to
determine the total number of contributors and hence the
attenuation factor to apply to calculate the design flow.

5-8 Sewer Reference

Attenuation Curve Dialog
The attenuation curve dialog allows you to change the standard
attenuation curve to suit the characteristics of your particular region.
The attenuation curve is used to determine the adjusted peak factor at
any point in the network according to the total contributing population at
that point in the network.
Up to 10 points may be input into the attenuation curve table. The graph
will be updated as you input the curve coordinates.

Population (1000’s) Specify the population in 1000’s for a particular peak

factor.
Peak Factor Specify the Peak Factor to be applied for the contributing
population in the column on the left.

Edit Menu 5-9

Harmon Parameters
Set the average daily inflow and equivalent population for the Harmon formula

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditHarmonParameters

The parameters applied during a Harmon formula analysis may be input

in the Harmon Parameters dialog box.

Procedure
The Harmon Parameters dialog will be displayed:

Design Unit Flow The inflow expressed in liters per dwelling unit per day.
Contributors per Dwelling The equivalent population per dwelling unit. This value is
Unit used to determine the total number of contributors and
hence the Harmon peak factor used to calculate the
design flow.

5-10 Sewer Reference

Inflow Hydrograph Parameters
Create and edit the inflow hydrographs

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditInflowHydrograph

The Inflow Hydrograph method uses unit inflow hydrographs to

determine the flow in the network over a period of time. The inflow
hydrographs may be input with any time increment.

Procedure
The Inflow Hydrograph Parameters dialog will be displayed. There are
two pages:

Name List
Here you specify a short name that is associated with the full hydrograph
file name. If the hydrograph file does not exist it will be created.

Name Type in a short name, up to 15 characters, to identify the

hydrograph
File Name To enter the file name click on the […] button in the row
where the file's name must be placed. The standard

Edit Menu 5-11

 Windows Open dialog is displayed. Select the file you
want or type in a new file name and click on OK.

Moving up or down in the table changes the active (or selected)

hydrograph.
To delete or insert a row right click on the row of interest and a menu
with the two options will open. You may now view the hydrograph array
and graph by clicking on the Hydrograph tab at the top of the page.

Hydrograph Array
This page displays the hydrograph array that you can edit as well as a
graph of the hydrograph.

Time (min) Specify a time coordinate on the inflow hydrograph. The

first time increment must be 0.
Inflow Rate (l/s) Specify an inflow coordinate in l/s on the inflow
hydrograph.

The array table allows you to input and edit the inflow hydrograph. The
array may contain up to 5040 flow values. The time increments may be at
irregular intervals. As you change the hydrograph array the adjacent
graph will be updated.
The hydrograph may be printed using the [Print] button.

5-12 Sewer Reference

Pumps
Create and edit pump data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditPumps

This dialog allows you to create and edit pump files, i.e. profiles that
define the pump station hydraulic characteristics.

How it works
The inlet and outlet levels are calculated based on the incoming and next
node levels. It is possible, but not necessary, to fix these levels. All sump
dimensions (i.e. sump depth, overflow depth, on and off levels) are then
set in relation to inlet level.
For each step of the analysis the water depth in the sump is obtained
using the previous water depth, inflow, outflow and sump depth to
volume curve. Water depth is used to automatically switch the pumps on
or off, depending on the user settings.
The pumping head is than calculated as a difference between outlet level
and water level in the sump (static head), and increased by friction
losses. The resulting flow is then calculated for each pump and pump
station as total.
After that the outflow hydrograph is passed on to the next node.
The capacity is calculated as the maximum flow with all the pumps
running on minimum head i.e. with the maximum water level in the
sump.
The following restrictions apply:
• If next node of the pump is the system outfall the invert level at the
outfall must be fixed.
• Each node must use a unique pump file. If you use the same pump
file on more than one node the results will be incorrect.

Edit Menu 5-13

Name Page

Name Name of the pump

File Name To enter the pump file name click on the […] button in the
row where the file's name must be placed. The standard
Windows Open dialog is displayed. Select the file you
want or type in a new file name and click on OK.

Moving up and down in the table changes the active or selected pump.
To delete or insert a row right click on the row of interest and a menu
with the two options will open. The active pump name is displayed in the
Pump Station Dialog title.

Suction Pipe and Delivery Pipe

Diameter Specify the desired diameter.
Roughness Specify the roughness of the pipe. Typical values are
around 0.4 to 1.0
Minor losses Specify a minor loss factor produced by valves, check
valves and bends.

For a pump station layout as seen on next page without a dry chamber
and suction pipe the Suction Pipe values should be zero

5-14 Sewer Reference

Sump Page

The schematic layout on the right hand side explains the measurements.
It is not a design guideline.
Depth Always measured from the sump floor
Storage Corresponding volume of water in the sump / pond
Sump depth Distance from the floor to invert of the inlet pipe
Initial depth Depth of water in the sump at the beginning of the
analysis
Overflow depth Distance from the floor to bottom of the overflow

If an initial depth is not specified, or if the initial depth is below the

lowest pump’s OFF level, the analysis will start with the water depth
specified for the lowest pump’s OFF level.

Edit Menu 5-15

Pumps Page

A pump station can contain up to 4 pumps, possibly of different

characteristics, each of them with separate set of control levels.
Add Appends a new pump to the pump station
Remove Removes a pump
Copy Copy the pump characteristics
Paste Paste previously copied characteristics to active pump

To change the active pump use the [Pump x] buttons at the top of the page

Pump model Optional

Switch-on level Water depth in the sump (see previous page) that
triggers a pump on
Switch-off level Water depth in the sump that triggers a pump off
Delivery Set in l/s for sewer or m3/s for storm
Head Pumping head in m
Efficiency Optional, for future energy consumption calculations

The pump’s delivery, head and efficiency are obtainable from pump
catalogues.

5-16 Sewer Reference

Depth Increments
Set the depth increments for quantities

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditDepthIncrement

This option allows you to specify the depth increments used in the
quantity calculations.

Procedure
The Excavation Depth Increment dialog will be displayed.

Increment 1 - 20 Input the depth increments in millimeters. In the

illustration above the depth increments are from 0 to 0.5
meters, 0.5 to 1.0 meters, and so on.
Increment Select the increment box if the depth increments must be
generated automatically. Enter the Increment value and
click on the Generate Increments button.

Input the depth increments in millimeters. In the illustration above the

depth increments are from 0 to 0.5 meters, 0.5 to 1.0 meters, and so on.
The increments can also be generated with the Increment option.
Click on the [Print] button to output the depth increment list to a
printer.

Edit Menu 5-17

Bedding Classes
Define the bedding classes used in quantity calculations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditBeddingClass

Seven basic bedding classes are supported. They are:

Class A
Class B
Class C
Class D
Flexible
Box
Portal
Custom

Procedure

The following data must be input for each class:

Bedding Class Select the class name you wish to view or edit.
Invert to Trench Floor The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the bottom of the
trench. May be specified in terms of the diameter or vertical
size, ie. D/2 or as an absolute value.
This distance is labeled A in the diagram.

5-18 Sewer Reference

The minimum and maximum distances may be set for soft and hard
materials as described below.

Soft Material
Minimum Distance The minimum distance between the bottom of the culvert and
the bottom of the trench in soft material. This must be an
absolute value.
Maximum Distance The maximum distance between the bottom of the culvert and
the bottom of the trench in soft material. This must be an
absolute value.

Hard Material
Minimum Distance The minimum distance between the bottom of the culvert and
the bottom of the trench in hard material. This must be an
absolute value.
Maximum Distance The maximum distance between the bottom of the culvert and
the bottom of the trench in hard material. This must be an
absolute value.

Thereafter the following parameters may be specified:

Invert to Bedding Top The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the top of the
bedding specified in terms of the vertical size, ie. D+300, or as
an absolute.
This distance is labeled as B in the diagram.
The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the top of the
Invert to Fill Top selected backfill specified in terms of the vertical size, ie.
D+300, or as an absolute.
This distance must be greater than or equal to the invert to
bedding top or 0.
This distance is labeled as C in the diagram.

The bedding diagram will be updated as you change any of the main data
items. The [Default] button will reset the bedding parameters to the
SABS 1200 specification.

Edit Menu 5-19

Link Tables

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

The Link Tables allow the designer to define up to 15 different link types
or culverts between nodes. These links may be circular (pipes),
rectangular (box culverts), portal/skew haunch, or custom link types.
Custom link types allow you to input the depth to proportional flow and
depth to proportional area curves, thus enabling the use of non-standard
culvert shapes such as egg-shaped pipes, portal culverts or even
parabolic channels.

5-20 Sewer Reference

Name
This page allows you to set the link name, friction factors and link type.

The Link Name page functions in conjunction with the Link Sizes Dialog
and the Link Flow Curve Dialog. Every link type must have the following
characteristics:
Name Specify a link name in up to 15 alpha-numeric
characters. This name will be displayed on the Link
Table Menu as well is in the Edit Node Data dialog.
Manning Factor Specify the Manning Factor to be used in the hydraulic
calculations of all links of this type.
Colebrook-White Specify the Colebrook-White roughness coefficient in
Roughness mm
Type Specify the link type as one of the following:
Pipe
Standard round pipe.
Box
Rectangular box culvert.
Portal
Portal culvert with linked side walls.
Custom
Any other culvert or channel type. The flow
characteristics may be specified in the Link Flow Curve
dialog.

Edit Menu 5-21

Sizes
The link size table allows you to specify your own range of link sizes. The
table will require the following data depending on the Link Type.

Right click on a row in the table to access a menu with Cut, Copy, Paste,
Insert Rows and Delete Rows options.

Pipe Culverts

Nominal Diameter The nominal size of the pipe as displayed in the combo
box in the Edit Node Data dialog and all views and
printouts.
Internal Diameter The actual internal diameter of the pipe. This value is
used for all of the hydraulic calculations.
Overall Diameter The outside diameter of the pipe. This value is used for
minimum cover and quantities calculations.
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.

5-22 Sewer Reference

Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

Box Culverts

Nominal Width The standard width of the box culvert (usually the
internal dimension) which will be displayed in the Edit
Node Data dialog and all views and printouts. This value
is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Nominal Height The standard height of the box culvert (usually the
internal dimension) which will be displayed in the Edit
Node Data dialog and all views and printouts. This value
is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Overall Width The outside width of the link. This value is used in the
quantities calculations
Overall Height The outside height of the link. This value is used in the
minimum cover and quantity calculations
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

Edit Menu 5-23

Portal Culverts

Nominal Width The standard width of the portal culvert (usually the
internal horizontal dimension) which will be displayed in
the Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.
Nominal Height The standard height of the portal culvert (usually the
internal vertical dimension) which will be displayed in the
Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.
Overall Width The outside width of the link. This value is used in the
quantities calculations
Overall Height The outside height of the link. This value is used in the
minimum cover calculations
Knee Height The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the bend
point in the side.
Top Offset The horizontal offset from the knee to the top of the
culvert.
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis

5-24 Sewer Reference

Custom Culverts

Nominal Width The standard width of the custom culvert (usually the
internal horizontal dimension) which will be displayed in
the Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.
Nominal Height The standard height of the custom culvert (usually the
internal vertical dimension) which will be displayed in the
Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts. This value
is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Overall Width The outside width of the link. This value is used in the
quantities calculations
Overall Height The outside height of the link. This value is used in the
minimum cover calculations
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

Edit Menu 5-25

Link Flow Curve Dialog
This dialog allows you to specify the flow and area curves for each type of
link. By changing the flow and area curves it is possible to accommodate
non-standard link types, i.e. egg-shaped sewer pipes or parabolic
channels.

Prop Proportional depth increments from 0.05 to 1.00

Proportional Flow The proportional flow at the relevant depth increment
Proportional Area The proportional area at the relevant depth increment

The area and flow curves must be input for every depth increment. The
data is proportional to the full flow condition, i.e. values start at 0.0 and
increase to 1.0 for the proportional depth. Flow and area values must be
input accordingly.
The graph of the flow and area curves is continuously updated.

5-26 Sewer Reference

Node Data
Edit the node data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditNodeData

The node data dialog allows you to input or edit node, link and inflow
data. It also includes a page which displays the results relating to the
node.
An overflow node is optional. If no overflow node is specified all
overflows will be taken into local storage.
Use the arrow buttons to page through the database or click on the
record number button to search for a particular node or record number.

Procedure
The Node Data dialog will be displayed. There are 5 data pages:

Edit Menu 5-27

Node
The node data page describes the relationship between the nodes and
defines the direction of flow from the node to the next node.

Node Name The name or reference to this node and outgoing link in
up to 25 alpha-numeric characters.
Next Node The name of the downstream node.
Overflow Node The name of the node to which overflows must be
directed. If no overflow node is specified all overflows
will be taken into local storage.
Cover Level The level of the node (manhole) cover in meters.
Lock Option to lock the cover level to the specified level.
Freeboard Height that the manhole cover must be above the
extracted cover level.
Manhole Conditions The state of the node invert. This may be one of the
following settings:
Drop - links placed at minimum slope
Invert - incoming and outgoing invert levels common
Soffit - linside top of the culverts common
0.075 - an absolute step between the invert levels
Subnet/Branch /Link No These items are usually calculated by the analysis
module. However the designer may wish to specify that
a certain branch is the trunk or collector. In this instance
he would input his data and specify the branch number
of 1 for the main branch, 2 for the secondary, and so on.
Link numbering starts at 1 for the most upstream link in a
branch and increases towards the outfall.

5-28 Sewer Reference

Link
The link data defines the link type, bedding and optional link controls
such as fixed invert, fixed slope and fixed sizes.

Type The link type may be selected from a drop-down list.

Diameter The diameter of the link in millimeters. The diameter is
selected from a drop-down list.
Height The optional height of a box, portal or custom culvert in
millimeters.
Width The optional width of a box, portal or custom culvert in
millimeters
Bedding The bedding class for this link. The class is selected
from a drop-down list.
Number The number of identical and parallel links between this
node and the downstream node, ie. 2 x 900 mm pipes.
Minimum Cover The minimum distance from the ground line to the top of
the link. This value is applied at each node only.
Length The length of the link, ie. the distance between this node
and the downstream node.
Fixed Invert The fixed invert level of the outgoing link
Fixed Slope The fixed slope as a percentage of the outgoing link
Fixed Ratio Slope The fixed slope as a ratio of the outgoing link

Edit Menu 5-29

Inflow
The program will display a different Inflow data page for each inflow
method.

Unit Flow Method

Each node may have up to 5 inflow classes, each with it’s own number of
contributing units. This information is used to calculate the attenuation
factor.

The following data items are required for the Unit Flow method.
Inflow Units The number of contributing units of this particular class
of inflow.
Inflow Class The class of the contributing units as defined in the Unit
Flow Parameters. Click on the right of the control to
display a list of available classes.
Point Source A constant inflow expressed in terms of liters/second.
This item is to make provision for constant inflows that
cannot be defined by a particular inflow class.

5-30 Sewer Reference

Harmon Formula Method

The following data items are required for Harmon Formula inflows:

Inflow Units The number of contributing units at this node.

Point Source A constant inflow expressed in terms of liters/second.
This item is to make provision for constant inflows which
cannot be defined by a particular inflow class.

Edit Menu 5-31

Hydrograph Method
Each node may have up to 5 inflow hydrographs, each with it’s own
number of contributing units.

The following data items may be input for the Inflow Hydrograph
inflows:
Inflow Units The number of contributing units of this particular inflow
hydrograph.
Inflow Hydrograph Name The name of the inflow hydrograph may be selected
from the list displayed in the combo box. The path to the
inflow hydrograph files is specified in the Inflow
Hydrograph Parameters.

5-32 Sewer Reference

Control
Each node may have certain flow and local storage restrictions placed on
it.

Maximum Inflow The flow into the link may be limited to a specific value
regardless of the capacity of the link. This may be
caused by the size of the inlet structure.
Maximum Flow The flow into the outgoing link may be limited to a
specific value regardless of the capacity of the link.
Maximum Storage If no overflow node is specified the analysis module will
assume that excess link flows will be taken up in some
form of local storage, ie. a surge tank.
In many instances one would wish to take a specified
volume of flow up in local storage and then pass the
excess flow on to an overflow node.
Node Y Coordinate The Y coordinate of the node or manhole.
Node X Coordinate The X coordinate of the node or manhole.

Edit Menu 5-33

Results
Selected results are presented on this page for your information.

Delete/Recall
This button will mark the current record for deletion or if it has already
been deleted it will remove the deletion flag. Deleted records can be
removed with the File ► Remove Deleted Records function or will be
removed from the database when you close the project and answer Yes to
the question "Do you want to remove deleted records". Once the database
has been packed it is impossible to recover the deleted records.

Find
By clicking on the button that displays the current record number, i.e.
the button that displays "00001:00075", you may search for a specific
record.

Show
Click on this button to zoom the view around the current link.

5-34 Sewer Reference

Node Data Spreadsheet
Edit the node data in a spreadsheet format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditNodeSheet

This option allows you to edit the data in a spreadsheet format. You may
cut and paste between cells in the spreadsheet.

Procedure
The Node Data spreadsheet is displayed. You may change the size of the
dialog by clicking and dragging a corner.

You may use the following shortcuts:

Cut Ctrl+X
Copy Ctrl+C
Paste Ctrl+V

Click on OK to save your changes.

Edit Menu 5-35

Erf Connection Data
Edit the erf connection data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerEditErfConData

The erf connection data dialog allows you to edit erf connections, erf
details, and link details. It also includes a page which displays the results
relating to the erf connection.
Use the arrow buttons to page through the database or click on the
record number button to search for a particular erf connection or record
number.

Procedure
The Node Data dialog will be displayed. There are 4 data pages:

5-36 Sewer Reference

Erf Connection
The erf connections data page describes the relationship between the erf
connections and nodes.

Erf Number The name or reference to this erf connection in up to 25

alpha-numeric characters. Searches may be performed
on these names.
Node The name of the node and link to which the erf
connection is connected.
Difference between ILC The calculated height difference between the invert level
and ILS of sewer at the y-piece and the invert level of the erf
connection at the end of the connection.
Type of Connection The type of connection according to the height difference
between ILC and ILS as defined in the Erf Connection
Types.
Erf Connection Y The Y coordinate of the erf connection.
Coordinate
Erf Connection X The X coordinate of the erf connection.
Coordinate

Edit Menu 5-37

Erf details
The erf details data defines the erf and erf connection dimensions and
position.

Erf Length The length of the erf. The engineer must decide whether
this length is enough to drain the whole erf and if
necessary adjust it upwards.
Distance of Connection The distance a connection point of an erf connection is
from Erf Boundary located from the erf boundary for sewer positions
Outside erf and In Road Reserve.
Distance of Connection The distance a connection point of an erf connection is
from Sewer Line located from the municipal sewer line for sewer position
Inside erf.
Distance of Sewer from The distance a municipal sewer is located from the erf
Erf Boundary boundary.
Sewer position The method that the Erf connection distance from the
sewer main is used in the calculations depends on the
Sewer position.
Outside Erf - The municipal sewer is located outside the
erf boundary.
In Road Reserve - The municipal sewer is located inside
the road reserve.
Inside Erf - The municipal sewer is located in a servitude
inside the erf boundary.

5-38 Sewer Reference

Minimum Ground Level Minimum or lowest Ground Level on an erf. The level will
(MGL) be interpolated from the dtm on the position as indicated
by the operator when entering the erf connection.
Ground Level at Erf The ground level of the erf connection at the connection
Connection (GLC) point.
Minimum Cover on erf The minimum distance from the ground line to the top of
connection the link at the erf connection.
Minimum Cover on house The minimum distance from the ground line to the top of
connection the link at the house connection.
Erf Con Slope The fixed slope for the erf connection link can be
specified as a percentage (%) or as a Ratio (1 : x).
Erf Connection diameter The diameter of the link in millimeters.

Edit Menu 5-39

Link Details
The link details data defines the link dimensions and position of the link
where the erf connection connect to.

Link Length The length of the sewer link to which the erf connection
connect.
Link Slope The slope of the sewer link.
Node Invert level The invert level of the starting node of the link that the
erf connection connect to.
Distance from Node The distance on the link that the erf connection
connection point is from the node.
Invert Level of Sewer The invert level of the link at the erf connection
(ILS) connection point.
Link Y Coordinate The Y coordinate of the erf connection connection point
on the link.
Link X Coordinate The X coordinate of the erf connection connection point
on the link.

5-40 Sewer Reference

Results
Selected results are presented on this page for your information.

Delete/Recall
This button will mark the current record for deletion or if it has already
been deleted it will remove the deletion flag. Deleted records will only be
removed from the database when you close the project and answer Yes to
the question "Do you want to remove deleted records". Once the database
has been packed it is impossible to recover the deleted records.

Find
By clicking on the button that displays the current record number, i.e.
the button that displays "00001:00075", you may search for a specific
record.

Show
Click on this button to zoom the view around the current link.

Edit Menu 5-41

Notes:

5-42 Sewer Reference

Analysis Menu
This menu allows you to analyse or evaluate part or the
entire network, calculate the quantities according to
SABS 1200 standards and analyze the erf connections
and calculate levels and types.

Analysis Menu 6-1

Network
Analyse the network flows, sizes and grades

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerAnalysisNetwork

This option allows you to analyze the network and calculate flows, link
sizes, levels and slopes. During the analysis you will be informed by
means of a progress dialog.

Procedure
The Analysis Wizard will be displayed. The first page will vary depending
on the inflow method specified in the Design Parameters.

Unit Flow

Level Tolerance Determines the tolerance that will be allowed when

comparing the incoming and outgoing link levels in each
node.
Proportional Flow Depth Determines the maximum flow depth that will be allowed
in the links.
Infiltration Defines the percentage extra inflow due to stormwater
infiltration.
Peak Flow Used in conjunction with the attenuation curve to
calculate the attenuation at every node in the network.

6-2 Sewer Reference

Sometimes when you are evaluating an existing network with the links at
fixed slopes the rounding off of the slopes will result in an incoming pipe
which is, say 2mm, lower than the outgoing link which has been given a
fixed inlet level.
Normally Civil Designer will display an error message and then adjust
the inlet level of the outgoing link to be lower then the incoming link.
This setting prevents the level adjustment if the difference is within the
tolerance.
The Proportional Flow Depth is usually set to 80%. The Infiltration factor
is added to the calculated flows.
Click on the Next button. The Analysis options page is displayed. You
may return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

Harmon

Level Tolerance Determines the tolerance that will be allowed when

comparing the incoming and outgoing link levels in each
node.
Proportional Flow Depth Determines the maximum flow depth that will be allowed
in the links – usually set to 80%.

Sometimes when you are evaluating an existing network with the links at
fixed slopes the rounding off of the slopes will result in an incoming pipe
which is, say 2mm, lower than the outgoing link which has been given a
fixed inlet level.

Analysis Menu 6-3

Normally Civil Designer will display an error message and then adjust
the inlet level of the outgoing link to be lower then the incoming link.
This setting prevents the level adjustment if the difference is within the
tolerance.
The Proportional Flow Depth is usually set to 80%.
Click on the Next button. The Analysis options page is displayed. You
may return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

Hydrograph

Level Tolerance Determines the tolerance that will be allowed when

comparing the incoming and outgoing link levels in each
node.
Proportional Flow Depth Determines the maximum flow depth that will be allowed
in the links. Usually this will be set to 80%.
Infiltration Defines the percentage extra inflow due to stormwater
infiltration. The calculated inflows are increased by this
factor.
Time Step Defines the time increments used in the routing and
analysis of flows.
Routing Method Determines the routing method. You may use the
Continuity Equation of the Time Shift method

Sometimes when you are evaluating an existing network with the links at
fixed slopes the rounding off of the slopes will result in an incoming pipe
which is, say 2mm, lower than the outgoing link which has been given a

6-4 Sewer Reference

fixed inlet level. Normally Civil Designer will display an error message
and then adjust the inlet level of the outgoing link to be lower then the
incoming link. This setting prevents the level adjustment if the difference
is within the tolerance.
Click on the Next button. The Analysis options page is displayed. You
may return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

Analysis options

This page allows you to specify whether you want to analyze all the nodes
by clicking the All option or just the selected nodes by clicking the
Selected option. For example, if you had selected only a branch using
Graphical ► Select ►Upstream the program will only analyze that portion
of the network.
If this is the first time you are analyzing the entire network you must
select the Renumber branches and links option.
The Keep existing subnetworks option locks the subnet numbering to the
previously calculated numbering.
The Recalculate link lengths from coordinates option calculates the length
of each link from the coordinates of the upstream and downstream node
coordinates.

Analysis Menu 6-5

The Keep previously calculated levels and link sizes option locks the levels
and link sizes to the previously calculated ones, although the inflow has
been changed.
Click on the Finish button to proceed. The Output Manager dialog will be
displayed. This allows you to specify the destination of the log that will be
generated during the analysis. To direct the log to the Output Window
check the Screen output option.
After the completion of the analysis the results windows will be
displayed. Each window displays certain aspects of the results such as
flows, overflows, levels and slopes, and the hydraulic gradient. These
windows or views are discussed in the View Menu chapter.

6-6 Sewer Reference

Quantities
Calculate the quantities

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerAnalysisQuantities

This option allows you to calculate the quantities of the selected links in
the network according to the parameters defined in the depth
increments and the Bedding Classes.

Procedure
The Print Manager will be displayed. Specify where you want the output
to be directed. Click on OK.
A progress window will be displayed during the calculation. You may
terminate the quantity analysis at any time by clicking on the Cancel
button. Thereafter the results will be displayed in a series of windows or
views as discussed in the View Menu.

Analysis Menu 6-7

Erf Connections
Analyse the erf connections

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerAnalysisErfConnections

This option allows you to analyze the erf connections and calculate levels
and types.

Procedure
The Print Manager will be displayed. Specify where you want the output
to be directed. Click on OK.
A progress window will be displayed during the calculation. You may
terminate the erf connection analysis at any time by clicking on the
Cancel button. The Erf Connection Results window will be displayed.

6-8 Sewer Reference

View Menu
These functions allow you to view input data, results,
quantities, erf connection results and link
hydrographs if you are using the Inflow Hydrograph
analysis method.

View Menu 7-1

Input Data
The input data views display the data you have input in the following
three windows.

Node Data
Display node input data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewInputNodeData

This view includes the following data items:

• Node name
• Next node name
• Overflow node name
• Branch number
• Link number
• Inlet condition
• Cover level
• Y coordinate
• X coordinate
• Maximum inflow
• Maximum storage

Link Data
Display link input data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewInputLinkData

This view includes the following data items:

• Link name
• Number of links
• Link type
• Link size or description
• Bedding class
• Minimum cover
• Length
• Fixed inlet level
• Fixed slope

7-2 Sewer Reference

Inflow Data
Display inflow input data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewInputInflowData

The data displayed by this view is determined by the inflow method.

Unit Flow
This view includes the following data items:
• Node name
• Point source inflow in l/s
• Number of units and inflow classes

Harmon
This view includes the following data items:
• Node name
• Point source inflow in l/s
• Number of contributing units

Hydrograph
This view includes the following data items:
• Node name
• Number of units and hydrograph names

View Menu 7-3

Results
The results views display the results of the last analysis in the following
five windows.

Summary
Display a summary of the analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewResultsSummary

This option displays a summary of the network analysis and includes the
outfall node data. The example below is generated for the Unit Flow
method.
Results Summary
---------------
File Name: C:\CivDes63\Examples\Tutor\sewer.sew

Inflow Calculation Method = Unit Flow

Peak Factor = 2.500
Infiltration = 15 %
Proportional Flow Depth = 80%
Number of Nodes analyzed = 87

Subnetwork 1

Outfall Data
Outfall Node = Outfall
Outlet Level = 1548.8480 m
Design Flow = 7.9740 l/s
Total Point Inflow = 1.1250 l/s
Peak Flow = 8.2640 l/s
Attenuation Factor = 0.9590
Equivalent Population = 1659
Contributing Units
Low Income = 22
Middle Income = 10
High Income = 5
Townhouse = 1

Inflow
Display the results of the inflow analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewResultsInflowAnalysis

This option displays the results data generated during the inflow
analysis. The data displayed will vary according to the inflow method.

7-4 Sewer Reference

Unit Flow
The data includes:
• Node name
• Next node name
• Total point source inflow in l/s
• Total Inflow in l/s
• Contributing or equivalent population
• Attenuation factor
• Design inflow in l/s

Harmon
The data includes:
• Node name
• Next node name
• Total point source inflow in l/s
• Contributing units
• Contributing population
• Average flow in l/s
• Peak factor
• Design inflow in l/s

Hydrograph
The data includes:
• Node name
• Next node name
• Design inflow in l/s

Flow
Display the results of the flow analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewResultsFlowAnalysis

Displays the results generated by the flow or hydraulic analysis. Data

items include:
• Link name
• Next link name
• Number of Links
• Link type
• Calculated size of the link

View Menu 7-5

• Flow in l/s
• Capacity of the link at the specified proportional flow depth in l/s
• Velocity at peak flow in m/s
• Full-bore velocity at capacity
• Flow depth expressed as a percentage of the link size

Overflow
Display the results of the overflow analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewResultsOverflowAnalysis

Displays the results generated by the overflow analysis. Data items

include:
• Link name
• Next link name
• Inflow from the contributing units
• Point source inflow in l/s
• Design flow in l/s which is the sum of the previous two columns
• Actual flow transported by the link in l/s
• Capacity of the link at the specified proportional depth in l/s
• Overflow from the link in l/s, i.e. the difference between the design
flow and the flow.

Layout
Display the results of the layout analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewResultsLayoutAnalysis

This option displays data relating to the geometric position of the link.
Data items include:
• Link name
• Next link name
• Number of links
• Link type
• Calculated size in mm or the link description
• Length in m
• Slope of the link expressed as a percentage
• Slope of the link expressed as a ratio
• Inlet level of the link in m
• Outlet level of the link in m

7-6 Sewer Reference

• Cover level of the link in m
• Cover to the link in m
• Manhole depth in m

Hydraulic Grade
Display the results of the hydraulic grade analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewResultsHydraulicAnalysis

This option displays the elevation of the hydraulic grade line as well as
other hydraulic control data. Data items include:
• Link name
• Hydraulic grade in m
• Cover level of the node (manhole) in m
• Soffit level of the link in m
• Velocity of flow in m/s
• Full-bore velocity at capacity in m/s
• Flow depth in the link in m

View Menu 7-7

Quantities
The quantities windows display the results of the SABS1200 quantity
calculations. You must have run Analysis ► Quantities before you access
these functions.

Excavation Lengths
Display the excavation lengths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewQuantityExcLength

This option collects and displays the excavation lengths generated by the
quantity analysis. The data is sorted by link type and size and includes
the excavation length in every depth increment.

Excavation Volumes
Display the excavation volumes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewQuantityExcVolume

This option collects and displays the excavation volumes generated by

the quantity analysis. The data is sorted by link type and size and
includes the excavation volume in every depth increment as well as extra
over items for intermediate and hard material.

7-8 Sewer Reference

The trench widths are calculated from the overall width of the culvert
plus the side clearance specified in the Link Tables.

Culvert Lengths
Display the summary of culvert lengths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewQuantityCulvertLength

This function displays a summary of culvert lengths sorted by culvert

type.

Bedding and Backfill Volumes

Display the bedding, selected backfill and general backfill volumes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewQuantityBeddingVolume

This option collects and displays the bedding volume, selected backfill
and general backfill volumes of the selected links. The data is sorted by
bedding class.

View Menu 7-9

The bedding classes are defined in the Edit ► Bedding Classes option. The
selected backfill is the backfill defined in the Invert to Fill Top (C) edit
box. The general backfill is the fill on top of the selected backfill to the
top of the trench.

Manhole Depths
Display the summary of manhole depths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewQuantityManholeDepth

This function displays a summary of manhole depths in the depth

increments specified in Edit ► Depth Increments.

7-10 Sewer Reference

Erf Connections
The erf connections view displays the results of the last erf connection analysis.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewErfConnections

Displays the results generated by the erf connection analysis. Data items
include:
• Erf Number
• Length of Erf
• Boundary Distance
• Minimum Ground Level (MGL)
• Ground Level at erf Connection (GLC)
• Max Invert Level of Sewer (MILS)
• Invert Level of Sewer (ILS)
• Invert level of erf Connection (ILC)
• Difference between ILC & ILS
• Type of Connection
• Minimum Floor Level
• Depth of Sewer below MGL
• Depth of end of Erf Connection below GLC

View Menu 7-11

Link Hydrograph
Display a hydrograph of the flow through a link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewLinkHydrograph

This option displays the inflow, outflow, and overflow hydrographs as

well as the inlet inflow on a common set of axes. It is only available for
the Hydrograph inflow method.

Procedure
The Link Hydrograph dialog will be displayed. There are two pages:

Graph
Select the link from the dropdown list. The link inflow, outflow and
overflow hydrographs, as well as the inlet hydrograph will be displayed.
The graphs are plotted on one set of axes as shown below.

To view the hydrograph inflow array click on the [Array] tab.

7-12 Sewer Reference

Array
This page displays the hydrograph inflow array in a table.

Print
Click on the [Print] button to output the array and graph to a printer.
You will be able to select the destination device before printing.

Export
Click on the [Export] button to create a hydrograph file with the data
from the outflow array. The file is stored in the industry standard dBase
IV file format that can then be imported on the Node Data Inflow page.

View Outflow / View Inflow

Click on the [View Outflow] button to display the outflow array. The
button caption will change to [View Inflow].

View Menu 7-13

Multiple Hydrographs
Display a hydrograph of the flow through a link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerViewMultipleHydrographs

This function displays up to 10 hydrographs on a common set of axes. It

is extremely useful to see how various flows interact with each other.
This option is only available for the Hydrograph inflow method.

Procedure
The Multiple Link Hydrographs dialog will be displayed.

Links
This page allows you to select which link hydrographs to display. Select
the links from the dropdown lists.

7-14 Sewer Reference

Graph
Displays the outflow hydrographs of the selected links on a common set
of axes.

View Menu 7-15

Notes:

7-16 Sewer Reference

Graphical Menu
The graphical functions allow you to create
and manipulate the sewer and erf connections
database graphically.

Graphical Menu 8-1

Classify Nodes and Links
Convert drawing entities in database records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeClassify

This function allows you to create database records by indicating

drawing entities. The program will add a record to the dataset and copy
selected data into the record.
The drawing must contain circles representing the nodes with associated
text near each circle representing the node name.

Procedure
For example, in the picture below there are two circles with the node
names as text items, MH 123 and MH 124 respectively.

The program will prompt:

Classify: Indicate upstream node

Click on or near the circle that represents node MH 123. The program
will extract the centre coordinates of the circle, search for nearby text to

8-2 Sewer Reference

use as the node name, and also extract a cover level for the node from the
DTM if one is included in the project.
The program will prompt:
Classify: Indicate the downstream node (right mouse button
to stop)

Click on or near the circle representing MH 124. The Node Data dialog
will be displayed. You may now input any additional information that is
required.

Click on the [Close] button to exit the node data dialog. The nodes and
link will be displayed. The program will continue to prompt:
Classify: Indicate the downstream node (right mouse button
to stop)

Continue indicating downstream nodes or press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to

terminate the function.
Alternatively, if you want to connect the new node (MH 123) to an
existing node in the dataset (042 in this example), then click on or near
the existing node. In this instance the program will prompt for an
upstream node after you have closed the Node Data dialog.

Graphical Menu 8-3

Edit Node and Link Data
Query and edit node and link data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeEdit

This function allows you to query and edit existing node and link data.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Query: Indicate node or link to query

Click on a node or link. The Node Data dialog will be displayed with the
relevant data.
Press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to terminate the function.

8-4 Sewer Reference

Select
The select functions allow you to select nodes and links individually,
upstream from a specific point, or all the nodes and links. You can also
clear an existing selection.
The network analysis and the quantity calculations are only done on
selected records. In addition, the Cover Level and Set Parameters
functions only operate on selected records.
The display is updated when you activate the selection functions to
highlight all the selected nodes and links. Upon completion of the
selection functions the nodes and links will be re-drawn normally.

Single
Select a single node and link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSelectSingle

This function allows you to select or de-select a single node and link.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Select: Indicate link to select

Click on the node or link you want to select or de-select. The display will
be updated to reflect the status of the node and link.
Press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to terminate the function.

Branch
Select the nodes and links with the same Subnetwork and Branch numbers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSelectBranch

This function allows you to select all the nodes and links with the same
subnetwork and branch numbers by selecting one of the links in the
branch.

Graphical Menu 8-5

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Select Branch: Indicate link to start branch trace

Place the cursor on a link and click. All the nodes and links with the
same subnet and branch number as the indicated node or link will be
selected.

Upstream
Select the nodes and links upstream from a specified point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSelectUpstream

This function allows you to select all the nodes and links upstream from a
specified point. The program will clear the existing selection and then
track and select all nodes and links upstream of the indicated point.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Select Upstream: Indicate link to start upstream trace

Place the cursor on a link and click. All the nodes and links upstream of
the indicated node or link will be selected.

All
Select all the nodes and links

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSelectAll

This function allows you to select all the nodes and links in a data set.

Procedure
The program will redraw the network in selected mode.

8-6 Sewer Reference

Clear
Clear all the selected nodes and links

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSelectClear

This function allows you to de-select all the nodes and links in a data set.

Procedure
The program will redraw the network in normal mode.

Toggle Show Selected

Toggle between showing the selection highlighted or normal.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerToggleShowSelected

This function allows you to switch the display of the selected node and
links on or off. The program will redraw the selected section of the
network in normal mode and on the next click back in selected mode.

Graphical Menu 8-7

Add Node
Add a node and link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeAdd

This function allows you to graphically add a node and link to the data
set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Add Node: Indicate position of new node

Indicate the position of the new node. You may use any of the snap
modes to do so. Once you have clicked with the mouse or pressed Enter
the program will prompt:
Add Node: Input New Node Name

Type in a new node name and click on
. The node will be drawn and
the program will prompt:
Add Node: Indicate the next downstream node (right mouse
button to stop)

If you click on an existing node the program will insert the existing
node's name into the next node field and display the Node Data dialog. If
you click on a new node position the program will ask for the name of the
second new node before displaying the Node Data dialog.
The program will extract the Cover Level from the specified terrain
model surface and calculate the length of the link automatically. The
program will continue to prompt:
Add Node: Indicate position of new node

Press [ESC] to terminate the function.

8-8 Sewer Reference

Delete Node
Delete an existing node

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeDelete

This function allows you to graphically delete a node and it's associated
link from the data set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Delete Node: Indicate node to delete

Position the cursor on the node to be deleted and click with the left
mouse button. The node will be marked as deleted and the screen re-
drawn.
The node may be recalled by opening the Node Data dialog, displaying
the deleted record and clicking on the Recall button.
The program will continue to prompt:
Delete Node: Indicate node to delete

Indicate additional nodes or press [ESC] to terminate the function.

Graphical Menu 8-9

Insert Node
Insert a node into an existing link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeInsert

This function allows you to graphically insert a node into an existing link.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Insert Node: Indicate link to insert new node

Position the cursor near to the existing link to be "cut" and click. The
cursor will snap onto the link and the program will prompt you for the
name of the inserted node:
Insert Node: Input New Node Name

Type in the name of the inserted node and click on
. The Node Data
dialog will be displayed.
The program will extract the Cover Level from the specified terrain
model surface and calculate the length of the link automatically. It will
also adjust the length of the cut link.
The program will continue to prompt:
Insert Node: Indicate link to insert new node

Indicate additional nodes or press [ESC] to terminate the function.

8-10 Sewer Reference

Connect Node
Define the connectivity between nodes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeConnect

This function allows you to graphically define or change the connectivity

between nodes. If you change the connectivity of an existing link it will
be removed.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Connect Node: Indicate node

Position the cursor on the upstream node and click. The program will
remove the existing link (if any) and prompt:
Connect Node: Indicate downstream node to connect to (right
mouse button to stop)

Position the cursor on the downstream node and click. The link will be
drawn in the new position. The link from the downstream node will now
be erased from the display.
The program will continue to prompt:
Connect Node: Indicate downstream node to connect to (right
mouse button to stop)

Continue to indicate additional downstream nodes or press [ESC] to

terminate the function.

Graphical Menu 8-11

Move Node
Move an existing node

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeMove

This function allows you to graphically move a node and it's incoming
and outgoing links. The program will automatically extract the Cover
Level from the specified terrain model surface and re-calculate the
lengths of all the links connected to the node.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Move Node: Indicate node to move

Position the cursor close to the node to be moved and click. The cursor
will snap to the centre of the node and the program will prompt:
Move Node: Indicate new position of node

As you move the cursor the display is updated to show the position of the
node and it's attached links. Move the cursor to the new position and
click or press [Enter]. You may use the snap modes to place the node
accurately.
The program will continue to prompt:
Move Node: Indicate node to move

Continue to indicate additional nodes to move or press [ESC] to

terminate the function.

8-12 Sewer Reference

Cover Levels
Update node cover levels

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeCoverLevels

This function will extract levels from the digital terrain model and
update the node cover levels of all the selected nodes.

Procedure
The DTM Surfaces dialog will be displayed.
Specify the surface to be used to interpolate the cover level and click on
[OK]. The program will scan the database and extract a cover level for
each selected node. If no nodes have been selected the following error
message will be displayed:
No nodes selected

Use the Graphical ► Select functions to select nodes.

Graphical Menu 8-13

Add Erf Connection
Add an erf connection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalErfConAdd

This function allows you to graphically add an erf connection to the data
set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Add Erf Connection: Indicate position on correct side of
sewer link (Esc to end): Height = 1561.756

Indicate the position of the new erf connection. You may use any of the
snap modes to do so. As the cursor is moved the project elevations are
interpolated from the selected soft material dtm surface and displayed in
the prompt. Once you have clicked with the mouse or pressed Enter the
program will prompt:
Add Erf Connection: Input New Erf Name

Type in a new erf connection name and click on
.

If the Calculate Minimum Ground Level on Erf option is selected in the
Erf Connection Defaults dialog the program will prompt:
Minimum Ground Level: Indicate erf for minimum ground level
calculation

The program will trace the drawing lines that form the erf boundary
around the selected erf and then search for the lowest point inside the
erf. The minimum ground level will be extracted from the soft material
dtm surface and the erf connection data dialog will open.

The drawing elements forming the erf boundary must be a closed

polygon for this function to work.

Else if the Calculate Minimum Ground Level on Erf option is not selected
in the Erf Connection Defaults dialog the program will prompt:
Minimum Ground Level: Indicate position of minimum ground
level on erf: Height = 1561.572

8-14 Sewer Reference

As the cursor is moved the project elevations are interpolated from the
selected soft material dtm surface and displayed in the prompt. The
program will extract the minimum ground level from the dtm and the erf
connection data dialog will open.
The following data will have been calculated and entered by the program
from the erf connection defaults, sewer network and the dtm:
• Node Name
• Erf Connection Y Coordinate
• Erf Connection X Coordinate
• Erf Length
• Distance of Sewer from Erf Boundary
• Sewer Position
• Ground Level at Erf Connection (GLC)
• Minimum Cover on Erf Connection
• Minimum Cover on House Connection
• Erf Connection Slope as Percentage or Ratio
• Erf Connection Diameter
• Link Length
• Link Slope
• Node Invert Level
• Distance from Node
• Link Y Coordinate
• Link X Coordinate

After closing the erf connection data dialog the erf connection will be
drawn and the program will continue to prompt:
Add Erf Connection: Indicate position on correct side of
sewer link (Esc to end): Height = 1560.016

Press [ESC] to terminate the function or enter the next erf connection.

Graphical Menu 8-15

Delete Erf Connection
Delete an existing erf connection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalErfConDelete

This function allows you to graphically delete an erf connection from the
data set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Delete Erf Connection: Indicate erf connection to delete

Position the cursor on the erf connection to be deleted and click with the
left mouse button. The erf connection will be marked as deleted and the
screen re-drawn.
The erf connection may be recalled by opening the Erf Connection Data
dialog, displaying the deleted record and clicking on the Recall button.
The program will continue to prompt:
Delete Erf Connection: Indicate erf connection to delete

Indicate additional erf connections or press [ESC] to terminate the

function.

8-16 Sewer Reference

Edit Erf Connection
Query and edit erf connection data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalErfConEdit

This function allows you to query and edit existing erf connection data.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Query: Indicate erf connection to query

Position the cursor on the erf connection to be edited and click with the
left mouse button. The Erf Connection Data Dialog will be displayed with
the relevant data.

Press [ESC] to terminate the function.

Graphical Menu 8-17

Move Erf Connection
Move an existing erf connection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalErfConMove

This function allows you to graphically move an erf connection to a new

position. The program will automatically update all the levels and
coordinates from the digital terrain model and update the node and link
details.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Move Erf Connection: Indicate erf connection to move

Position the cursor close to the erf connection to be moved and click. The
cursor will snap to the end point of the erf connection and the program
will prompt:
Move Erf connection: Indicate new position of erf
connection: Height = 1560.894

As you move the cursor the display is updated to show the position of the
erf connection and a line to the previous position. The project elevations
are also interpolated from the selected soft material dtm surface and
displayed in the prompt. Move the cursor to the new position for the erf
connection and click. You may use the snap modes to place the erf
connection accurately.
The program will continue to prompt:
Move Erf Connection: Indicate erf connection to move

Indicate additional erf connections to move or press [ESC] to terminate

the function.

8-18 Sewer Reference

Move Minimum Ground Level Point
Move an existing minimum ground level point.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalMGLMove

This function allows you to graphically move a minimum ground level

point to a new position. The program will automatically update the level
from the digital terrain model and update the erf connection details.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Move Minimum Ground Level Point: Indicate relevant erf
connection (Esc to end)

Position the cursor close to the erf connection, for which the minimum
ground level point must move, and click. The cursor will snap to the end
point of the erf connection and the program will prompt:
Move MGL Point: Indicate new position for minimum ground
level point: Height = 1559.698

Move the cursor to the new position for the minimum ground level point
and click. As you move the cursor the display is updated to show the
minimum ground level point symbol connected to the cursor. The project
elevations are also interpolated from the selected soft material dtm
surface and displayed in the prompt. You may use the snap modes to
place the minimum ground level point accurately.
The program will continue to prompt:
Move Minimum Ground Level Point: Indicate relevant erf
connection (Esc to end)

Indicate additional minimum ground level points to move or press [ESC]

to terminate the function

Graphical Menu 8-19

Rename
Rename existing node.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalNodeRename

This option allows you to graphically change the node names.

Procedure
The program will prompt.
Rename : Indicate node to rename

Position the cursor on the node to rename and click. The program will
read and show the existing node name and prompt:
Rename : Input new node name

Type in the new name for the node and click on the
. The program will
continue to prompt:
Rename : Indicate node to rename

Continue to change node names or press [ESC] to terminate the function.

8-20 Sewer Reference

Renumber Branches
Renumber existing branches.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalBranchRenumber

This option allows you to graphically change the numbering of the

branches.

Procedure
The program will prompt.
Renumber branches : Indicate branch to renumber

Position the cursor on the branch to renumber and click. The program
will read and show the existing branch number and prompt:
Renumber : Input new branch number

Type in the new branch number for the branch and click on the
. The
program will continue to prompt:
Renumber branches : Indicate branch to renumber

Continue to change branch numbers or press [ESC] to terminate the

function.

Graphical Menu 8-21

Create Subnetwork
Create new subnetworks from a selection in an existing network.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerCreateSubnet

This option allows you to graphically select a section of an existing

network and create a new sub-network from it.

Procedure
The program will prompt.
Create subnetwork : Indicate link to start upstream trace

Position the cursor on the branch where upstream trace must start and
click. The program will trace all the branches and links upstream from
the link and highlight them. A confirmation window will be displayed
asking:
Create subnetwork from selection?

Click on the YES button if you are happy with the selection. The print
manager will open and you can select options for the output type. The
renumbering of the subnetwork will be spooled to the specified output
options. The program will continue to prompt:
Create subnetwork : Indicate link to start upstream trace

Continue to create another sub-network or press [ESC] to terminate the

function.

8-22 Sewer Reference

Set Parameters
Update node and link parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSetParameters

This function allows you to set or change certain parameters of selected

nodes and links.

Procedure
The Set Parameters dialog is displayed.

To change one of the displayed items click on the check box. Thereafter
specify the value to set in the list or control on the right of the item. Once
you have set all the items you wish to change click on [OK]. All the
selected nodes and links will be updated.
If no nodes have been selected the following error message will be
displayed:
No nodes or links selected

Use the Graphical ► Select functions to select nodes.

Graphical Menu 8-23

Clashes
Check for clashes between two services

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GraphicalClashes

This function checks for clashes between any two services such as sewer,
storm, water, roads or other services defined in the pipe database. The
second service must be part of the project. See Edit Project for details on
setting up a project.

Procedure
The Service Clashes dialog is displayed.

Select which two services to test for clashes in the dropdown lists and
specify the clearance required between the services. In the example
above the program will test the sewer and stormwater networks for a
clearance of 0.3m between links.
Click on the Check button to start the analysis. As a clash is found the
details are displayed on the table as shown below.

In the example above the sewer culvert from node 008 to node 007
clashes with the storm culvert between nodes 1 and 22. To view the clash
right click on the row of interest and a menu with two options will open.

8-24 Sewer Reference

The Show Clash option will change the Design Centre display to position
the clash on the centre of the screen as shown in the following
illustration.

The Long Section option will open the Longitudinal Section dialog and
display a long section of the chosen branch as well as a symbol indicating
the crossing service.

Graphical Menu 8-25

Click on the Close button to close the Longitudinal Section dialog and
return to the Clashes Dialog.
Click on the Close button to return to the Design Centre.

8-26 Sewer Reference

Check Link Cover
Check the minimum cover over the length of the link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalLinkCover

This option allows the designer to test the length of all the links for
minimum cover and to view problem areas in plan or on a longitudinal
section.

Procedure
The Minimum Link Cover Dialog will open.

Enter the tolerance that must be allowed for when checking the
minimum cover on the links. In the example above the program will test
the sewer links for minimum cover with a tolerance of 0.3m.
Click on the Check button to start checking the minimum cover. As a
problem with cover is found the details are displayed on the table as
shown below.

Graphical Menu 8-27

In the example above the sewer link from node 053 to node 052 does not
comply with the minimum cover requirements. At chainage 12.810 there
is a low point with only 0.551m cover on the link. To view the cover
problem right click on the row of interest and a menu with two options
will open.

The Show Link option will change the Design Centre display to position
the link with the cover problem on the centre of the screen as shown in
the following illustration.

8-28 Sewer Reference

The Long Section option will open the Longitudinal Section Dialog and
display a long section of the branch with the cover problem.

Click on the Close button to return to the Minimum Link Cover Dialog.
Click on the Done button to return to the Design Centre.

Graphical Menu 8-29

Vertical Alignment
Display or Edit link vertical alignment.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerQuickLongSection

This option allows the designer to view a quick vertical alignment of the
branches and links of the network and to edit the invert levels of the
manholes. The Soft material line will be displayed on the long section as
well as the Intermediate and Hard material lines if these surfaces are
available.
Procedure
The Longitudinal Section dialog will be displayed.

The vertical alignment of subnetwork 1, branch 1 will be shown. The

designer can scroll through the vertical alignment of the whole network
by changing the subnetwork and branch numbers.
Toolbar The toolbar on the left of the window allows the designer
to move the invert level of the manholes up or down.
There are also four zoom buttons for zoom functions in
the graphical display. (Zoom Window, Zoom In, Zoom
Out and Zoom All)
Display The designer can select the detail options that he want
displayed in the legend at the bottom of the graphical
presentation of the vertical alignment.
Select Change the Subnetwork and Branch numbers to view the
vertical alignment of different sections of the network.

8-30 Sewer Reference

There is an option to Show Crossing Pipes. The Crossing Pipes Dialog
will open.

Services can be selected from the Available Services section with the
Select button, which will then be displayed in the Plot Crossings For
section. Services can be removed from the Plot Crossings For section
with the Remove button. The Longitudinal Section will be updated.

Graphical Menu 8-31

The Erf Connections option from the Crossing pipes dialog will display
the erf connections on the longitudinal section.

Click on [OK] to accept the settings.

8-32 Sewer Reference

The Show Minimum Cover option will display a line parallel to the
ground line at the depth of the specified minimum cover on the
longitudinal section.

Click on the Close button to return to the Design Centre.

Graphical Menu 8-33

Move Network
Move the nodes in the network by specified offset.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerMoveNetwork

This function allows you to move only selected or all the nodes and links
with a specified x and/or y and/or z coordinate.

Procedure
The Move Network Dialog is displayed.

Specify the values that the network x, y and z values must change by and
if only the selected nodes must be moved. Click on OK and the network
will be updated.

8-34 Sewer Reference

Settings Menu
The Settings Menu allows you to specify the index
order of the input data or results views, rebuild the
database index, specify the DTM surfaces from which
to extract cover and other levels, and change the
display settings.

Settings Menu 9-1

Index Order
To change to display order of dataset records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerDatabaseOrder

This function allows you to change the order of the records in the Node
Edit dialog and the various View options.

Procedure
The Node Data Index dialog is displayed.

Click on the arrow on the right to display a list of the available indexes.
Click on [OK] to set the order.
Any views (input data or results) that are currently open will be updated
to display the data in the selected order. The Node Data dialog will also
display the records in the active index order.

9-2 Sewer Reference

Rebuild Index
To re-create the index files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerReIndex

This function rebuilds the database index and re-calculates the

geographic index for each node and link.
You may sometimes have to run this function if the data is not being
displayed correctly or if the Zoom ► All function is not displaying the
entire network.

Procedure
The index will be rebuilt and the display refreshed to the extents of the
network data.

Settings Menu 9-3

DTM Surface
To specify which DTM surfaces must be used

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerDTMSurface

This function allows you to specify which DTM surfaces must be used to
extract the soft, intermediate and hard ground lines.

Procedure
The DTM Surfaces dialog will be displayed.

Specify which surface must be used for each material type by clicking on
the arrow and selecting a surface from the dropdown list. Thereafter
specify the search distance for relevant DTM data. Usually a search
distance of 100m will be sufficient. On digital terrain models with very
sparse data you should increase the search distance to 2 x the average
distance between survey points.
Click on [OK] to store the settings.

9-4 Sewer Reference

Display Settings
Opens the Display Settings Dialog

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DisplaySettings

This dialog allows you to specify the items that should be shown in the
graphical display and the manner in which they should be displayed.

Procedure
The Display Settings dialog is displayed.

Show sewer layout Check this option to display the Sewer layout.
Show erf connection Check this option to display the erf connection layout.
layout
Annotation Font Select the font to be used for all annotations on the Stormwater
layout.

Settings Menu 9-5

Symbol - Pen The node is displayed as a circle in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the circle in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Symbol - Linetype Specify the line type the circle must be drawn in. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotations - Pen The node annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotations - Size Specify the node annotation text size in points.
Annotations - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres horizontally from the actual node
Horizontal offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres vertically from the actual node
Vertical offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Text Select one of the 8 available positions for the annotation text
label origin origin. The centre position is the actual node position.
Annotations - Node Enter the text to be written as annotation at each node. A
text number of variables are available. These are {NAME},
{COVER}, {INVERT}, {DEPTH}, {YCOORD} and {XCOORD}.
Right click the relevant cell to select from a menu.
Annotations - Drop Enter the text to be written as annotation at the nodes with drop
Inlet text inlets. Right click and select {DROPINLET}. This will add the
level of the drop inlet and the upstream node name for the
relevant link in brackets.

9-6 Sewer Reference

Line - Default Pen The link is displayed as a line in the specified colour if Colour
Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the colour
click the button and select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Linetype Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available line styles.
Line - Arrow Length Specify the length and width (in millimetres on paper) of the
and Width flow direction arrow. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available sizes.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the link colours should be
Scheme determined. The options here are Default (which uses the
default line pen as specified previously), Size, Slope, Capacity,
Flow, Velocity, Depth of Flow and Link Type.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default or Link Type.
Colour Ramp Button Click this button to access the Colour Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to the Colour Range.
Annotation - Pen The link annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the link annotation text size in points. Use the arrows to
step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Offset Enter the offset in metres from the annotation text to the link.
distance The text label origin will be moved away from the link by that
amount.

Settings Menu 9-7

Annotation - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each link. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {SIZE}, {TYPE},
link {LENGTH}, {BEDDING}, {SLOPE}, {RATIOSLOPE}, {FLOW},
{CAPACITY}, {VELOCITY} , {FBVELOCITY}, {DEPTH},
{FIXEDSIZE}, {FIXEDSLOPE}, {FIXEDRATIOSLOPE} and
{LINKNUMBERING}. Right click the relevant cell to select from
a menu. You may also define the number of decimals for
numeric items. For example, an item "{LENGTH.1}" will display
the length of the link to 1 decimal. The default display is 3
decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Line - Default Pen The erf connection is displayed as a line in the specified colour
if Colour Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the
colour click the button and select a colour from the Colour
dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Linetype Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available line styles.
Minimum Ground Check this option to have a symbol with the heigh of the
Level on Erf minimum ground level displayed on the position of the minimum
ground level on the erf.

9-8 Sewer Reference

Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the circle symbol that indicates the minimum
paper ground level point in millimeters on paper. Use the arrows to
step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the erf connection colours
Scheme should be determined. The options here are Default (which
uses the default line pen as specified previously), ILC & ILS
Level Difference, Erf Connection Size, Length, Depth of Erf
Connection and Type.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range, except for Type which only
have 6 steps. Only available when Colour Scheme is not set to
Default or Type.
Colour Ramp Button Click this button to access the Colour Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to the Colour Range.
Annotation - Pen The erf connection annotations are displayed in the specified
colour. To change the colour click the button and select a
colour from the Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the erf connection annotation text size in points. Use
the arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres horizontally from the actual erf
Horizontal offset connection position at which the annotation text origin should
be placed.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres vertically from the actual erf
Vertical offset connection position at which the annotation text origin should
be placed.
Annotations - Text Select one of the 8 available positions for the annotation text
label origin origin. The centre position is the actual erf connection position.
Annotation - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotation - Erf Enter the text to be written as annotation for each erf
Connection Text connection. A number of variables are available. These are
{ERFNUM}, {COVER}, {TYPE}, {LEVDIFF}, {MILS}, {YCOORD}
and {XCOORD}. Right click the relevant cell to select from a
menu. You may also define the number of decimals for numeric
items. For example, an item "{COVER.1}" will display the cover
level of the erf connection to 1 decimal. The default display is 3
decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Settings Menu 9-9

Notes:

9-10 Sewer Reference

 Index

Add Node ....................................................................................................8-8, 8-14

Analysis ......................................................................................7-8, 8-5, 8-24, 8-27
ASCII .................................................................................................................. 4-22
ASCII file ........................................................................................................... 4-22
Backfill Volumes ................................................................................................ 7-8
Bedding.............................................................................................................. 4-22
Bedding Classes ................................................................................................. 7-8
Volumes.......................................................................................................... 4-22
Calculate .......................................................................... 7-8, 8-8, 8-10, 8-14, 8-18
Clashes ......................................................................................................8-24, 8-27
Classify Nodes..................................................................................................... 8-2
Colebrook-White ................................................................................................ 2-6
Connect Node ..........................................................................................8-11, 8-19
Coordinate ....................................................................................................7-2, 8-2
Cover Level ................................... 4-22, 7-2, 8-2, 8-5, 8-8, 8-10, 8-13, 8-14, 8-18
Culvert Lengths.........................................................................................4-22, 7-8
D'Arcy-Weisbach ................................................................................................ 2-5
DBase IV file ..................................................................................................... 7-12
Delete Node...................................................................................... 8-9, 8-16, 8-17
Depth .................................................................................................................... 7-8
Depth Increments .....................................................................................4-22, 7-8
design
attenuation of unit flows ............................................................................... 2-2
harmon flows................................................................................................... 2-4
Design Centre ..........................................................................................8-24, 8-27
Design Parameters .......................................................................................... 4-22
DTM...............................................................................................................8-2, 9-4
DTM Surface....................................................................................................... 9-4
Edit Node............................................................................................................. 8-4
Excavation Lengths..................................................................................4-22, 7-8
Excavation Volumes .................................................................................4-22, 7-8
File Menu............................................................................................................. 4-1
Flow
resistance ......................................................................................................... 2-5
Grade .................................................................................................................. 4-22
Ground Lines ...................................................................................................... 9-4
Hard Material ............................................................................................4-22, 7-8
Harmon .......................................................................................................4-22, 7-2
Hazen-Williams .................................................................................................. 2-5
Hydrograph .............................................................................4-22, 7-2, 7-12, 7-14
Hydrographs ............................................................................................7-12, 7-14
inflow
Harmon.............................................................................................................2-4
unit flow
example ........................................................................................................2-3
formula .........................................................................................................2-2
Inflow ....................................................................................... 4-22, 7-2, 7-12, 7-14
Inflow Class ............................................................................................... 4-22, 7-2
Inflow Data ..........................................................................................................7-2
Input Data............................................................................................................7-2
Insert Node .............................................................................................. 8-10, 8-18
Interpolate .........................................................................................................8-13
Invert........................................................................................................... 4-22, 7-8
Link Data ............................................................................................4-22, 7-2, 8-4
Link Type............................................................................................4-22, 7-2, 7-8
Links .. 7-2, 7-8, 7-12, 7-14, 8-2, 8-4, 8-5, 8-9, 8-10, 8-11, 8-12, 8-16, 8-17, 8-18,
8-19, 8-23, 8-24, 8-27, 8-34, 9-3
Manhole Conditions.........................................................................................4-22
Manhole Depths........................................................................................ 4-22, 7-8
Maximum Storage.................................................................................... 4-22, 7-2
Maximum Velocity ...........................................................................................4-22
Minimum Cover........................................................................................ 4-22, 7-2
Minimum Velocity............................................................................................4-22
Move Node .........................................................................................................8-12
Multiple Hydrographs .....................................................................................7-14
Network..................................................................................... 8-5, 8-24, 8-27, 9-3
Node Data ............. 4-22, 7-2, 8-2, 8-4, 8-8, 8-9, 8-10, 8-14, 8-16, 8-17, 8-18, 9-2
Node Name .............................................................. 7-2, 8-2, 8-8, 8-10, 8-14, 8-18
Option settings ..................................................................................................4-28
Output.................................................................................................................4-25
Overflow Node .......................................................................................... 4-22, 7-2
Plot ......................................................................................................................7-12
Point Source .............................................................................................. 4-22, 7-2
Project
new ....................................................................................................................4-2
open ...................................................................................................................4-7
save ....................................................................................................................4-9
Quantities............................................................................................4-22, 7-8, 8-5
Results ................................................................................................................4-22
Road .......................................................................................................... 8-24, 8-27
SABS1200 ............................................................................................................7-8
Select.....................................................................................................................8-5
Set Parameters ................................................................................8-5, 8-23, 8-34
Sewer ........................................................................................................ 8-24, 8-27
Side Clearance ....................................................................................................7-8
Spool ...................................................................................................................4-27
Storm.........................................................................................................8-24, 8-27
Stormwater ..............................................................................................8-24, 8-27
Unit ....................................................................................................................... 7-2
Unit Flow ....................................................................................................4-22, 7-2
Volumes ......................................................................................................4-22, 7-8
Bedding .......................................................................................................... 4-22
Water .........................................................................................................8-24, 8-27
STORM V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
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i
 Table of Contents
WELCOME
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3

BASIC THEORY
Illudas Method 2-2
Design Storms 2-6
Infiltration 2-8
Design Controls 2-11
Major and Minor Drainage Systems 2-12
Flow resistance in pipelines 2-13
The Manning Equation 2-13
The D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation 2-13

TUTORIAL - STORM DESIGN

Create a new data file 3-2
Import coordinate data from an ASCII file 3-4
Display the nodes and links 3-7
Display additional link data 3-10
Extracting node cover levels from the terrain model 3-12
Set node and link parameters 3-13
Input runoff data 3-15
Add Subcatchments 3-18
Analyze the network 3-23
Display link sizes and slopes 3-26
Calculate Quantities 3-27
Printing input data and results 3-28
Creating the final layout plan 3-29
Plotting long sections 3-32

FILE MENU
New Project 4-2
Drawing File 4-3
Terrain File 4-3
Sewer File 4-4
Storm File 4-4
Locale 4-4
Open Project 4-7

ii
 Edit Project 4-8
Save Project 4-9
Save Project As 4-9
Close Project 4-9
Import 4-10
ASCII File 4-10
Version 3 Data 4-13
MAP Theme 4-14
Inflow Hydrograph 4-15
Convert Drawing Entities 4-16
Export 4-17
ASCII FILE 4-17
MAP Theme 4-18
Merge Stormwater File 4-19
Remove Deleted Records 4-20
Print 4-21
Output Manager 4-24
Spool Output 4-26
Option Settings 4-27
General 4-28
Survey 4-31
Terrain 4-32
Roads 4-36
Plot 4-39
Output Window 4-40
Security 4-41
Authorize 4-41
Check Network Dongles 4-42
Exit 4-42

EDIT MENU
Default Settings 5-2
Design Parameters 5-4
Inflow Calculation Method 5-4
Friction Loss Formula 5-4
Geometric Controls 5-5
Flow Controls 5-5
Infiltration Rates 5-6
Inflow Hydrograph Parameters 5-7
Name List 5-7
Hydrograph Array 5-8
Reservoir Data 5-9
Name 5-9
Storage - Discharge Profile 5-10
Storage - Discharge Curve 5-11

iii
 Storm Data 5-12
Type 5-12
Data 5-13
Array 5-16
Hyetograph 5-17
Pumps 5-18
Name Page 5-19
Sump Page 5-20
Pumps Page 5-21
Depth Increments 5-22
Bedding Classes 5-23
Link Tables 5-25
Name 5-26
Sizes 5-27
Link Flow Curve Dialog 5-32
Node Data 5-33
Node 5-33
Link 5-35
Runoff 5-36
Control 5-48
Results 5-49
Delete/Recall 5-49
Find 5-49
Show 5-49
Node Data &Spreadsheet 5-50

ANALYSIS MENU
Network 6-2
Analysis options 6-5
Quantities 6-6

VIEW MENU
Input Data 7-2
Node Data 7-2
Link Data 7-2
Runoff Data 7-3
Results 7-5
Summary 7-5
Runoff Analysis 7-6
Flow Analysis 7-7
Flow Analysis 7-7
Overflow Analysis 7-7
Layout Analysis 7-8
Hydraulic Grade 7-8

iv
 Quantities 7-9
Excavation Lengths 7-9
Excavation Volumes 7-9
Bedding and Backfill Volumes 7-10
Culvert Lengths 7-11
Manhole Depths 7-11
Link Hydrograph 7-13
Graph 7-13
Array 7-14
Multiple Hydrographs 7-15
Links 7-15
Graph 7-16
Reservoir Analysis 7-17
Summary 7-17
Depth Array 7-18
Graph 7-19

GRAPHICAL MENU
Classify Nodes and Links 8-2
Edit Node and Link Data 8-4
Select 8-5
Single 8-5
Branch 8-5
Upstream 8-6
All 8-6
Clear 8-6
Toggle Show Selected 8-7
Add Node 8-8
Delete Node 8-9
Insert Node 8-10
Connect Node 8-11
Move Node 8-12
Cover Levels 8-13
Add Subcatchment 8-14
Delete Subcatchment 8-21
Rename 8-22
Renumber Branches 8-23
Create Subnetwork 8-24
Set Parameters 8-25
Clashes 8-26
Check Link Cover 8-29
Vertical Alignment 8-32
Move Network 8-35

v
SETTINGS MENU
Index Order 9-2
Rebuild Index 9-3
DTM Surface 9-4
Display Settings 9-5

vi
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil engineers
for civil engineers, to save you time, effort and money. Now you can
work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience with
the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start an analysis
• How to view and output the results of the calculations
For more detail simply refer to the on-line help file: it contains over 700
pages of detailed information on each function.

Welcome 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard or a button on
the screen.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
or
“Click on the [OK] button.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose by
opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse button is
required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 Storm Reference

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays
excluding public holidays from our Customer Support Centre at
[email protected].
You can also call our Customer Support Centre at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have about
features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program. The
help items can be printed using the Print icon on the toolbar.

Welcome 1-3
Notes:

1-4 Storm Reference

Basic Theory
The STORM Analysis and Design module is a complete tool for the
analysis and design of stormwater networks. It will calculate the invert
levels, slopes and diameters of the culverts as well as the design flow,
pipe capacity and the flow velocity.
The program will model a network consisting of both existing and new
culverts. Any culverts which do not have a size, invert level and/or slope
will automatically be designed according to the design parameters.
The program will simulate a complex system of local storage (detention
ponds) and overflows thereby enabling you to model the complex
networks that are typical of modern cities. The network size is limited by
your hard drive capacity.
A network may have multiple outfalls. You may specify the outfall level if
you wish to connect to an existing system. Alternatively, the program
will determine the best possible outfall level in accordance with the
design parameters.
Design flows may be calculated according to the Illudas Time Area
method or the Rational Formula. A brief discussion on each method of
flow determination is included.
The design is controlled by a number of parameters which are set by the
user. This facility enables the design to be tailored to your own
requirements or that of the local authorities or councils.

Basic Theory 2-1

Illudas Method
The Illudas Time-Area method is used for the estimation of runoff from a
uniformly distributed design storm. The results correspond satisfactorily
with observed runoff events for the method to be an accurate and useful
design tool (Watson 1981).
The catchment area under consideration is divided into sub-catchment
areas of a similar or homogenous nature which drain into an inlet.
Illudas assumes that overland flow is the sole source of storm runoff.
Losses due to infiltration and surface irregularities are subtracted from
the rainfall to determine the excess precipitation.
The runoff hydrograph is calculated from the excess rainfall hyetograph
and the time-area curve of the sub-catchment area.
The runoff is routed over the sub-catchment with no further losses and
then combined with the runoff from other sub-catchments as described
in the section on routing.
The Illudas method distinguishes between paved (impervious),
supplementary (impervious areas which drain onto pervious areas) and
grassed (pervious) areas in each sub-catchment.
Hydrographs are calculated for the paved area and the grassed area. The
total grassed area is increased by the supplementary area. The paved and
grassed area hydrographs are added to form the sub-catchment
hydrograph.
The computation of the sub-catchment hydrograph may be illustrated in
the following series of figures:

2-2 Storm Reference

 I

II

III

Step I: Divide the sub-catchment area into zones with a similar temporal
rainfall distribution (isochronal zones)
Intensity (mm/h)

Time (min)

Step II: Generate the rainfall hyetograph before losses are subtracted

Basic Theory 2-3

 Intensity (mm/h)

Time (min)

Step III: Subtract surface losses (infiltration and surface storage) from
rainfall hyetograph to determine excess rainfall

(I + II + III)
Area (ha)

II

I
III

Time (min)

Step IV: Determine Time Area diagram. Note the combination of the
isochronal areas to form the compound time area curve

2-4 Storm Reference

 Discharge (m /s)
3

Time (min)

Step V: Calculate the sub-catchment hydrograph from the time-area

diagram and the excess rainfall hyetograph

Basic Theory 2-5

Design Storms
STORM can model a number of different storm types. Generally the
design storm is based on IDF data. It is also possible to model the
Chicago storm from regionalised IDF curves proposed by Op ten Noort
and Stephenson (1982) or from recorded IDF curve data.

Chicago Storm
Watson (1981) proposed the use of the following IDF coefficients in
Southern Africa.

Region b c ratio ¡I ¡R

Inland 14.4 0.883 0.40 22.5 241

Coastal 12.6 0.737 0.40 11.8 84
IDF Coefficients for Chicago Storm Simulation

These values are built in as defaults but may be altered. The value of the
coefficient C is calculated according to the formula below. This value is
accurate provided the Mean Annual Precipitation does not exceed 1000
mm.

0.06 MAP 0.3

a=¡ e T 2
R

where
MAP = Mean Annual Precipitation in mm.
T = Recurrence interval in years.
ϒ = Regional Constant
R

2-6 Storm Reference

Chicago Storm from IDF Curve Data
If IDF curve data is available it is possible to input up to 10 points on the
IDF curve. The program will calculate the coefficients C, D and E of the
IDF equation
a
I = 2
(b + t)c
which provide the best fit.

Chicago Storm from Regionalised Data

Where IDF curve data is not readily available it is possible to generate a
regionalised IDF curve as determined by Op ten Noort and Stephenson
(1982). These curves are generated from the following equations:

(3.4 + 0.023 MAP)R0.3

Coast: I= 0.75 2
(0.20 + td)
2

(7.5 + 0.034 MAP)R0.3

Inland: I= 0.89 2
(0.24 + td)
Where
MAP = Mean Annual Precipitation in mm.
R = Return period in years.
td = Storm Duration
The program will then determine the IDF coefficients and calculate the
Chicago storm.

Other Storm Types

In addition other storm shapes may be generated or input. These include
the irregular, triangular and rectangular storms.

Basic Theory 2-7

Infiltration
Infiltration is the absorption of water by the soil. Water enters the soil
through pores as well as clearly defined cracks in the surface.
The infiltration rate is usually high at the start of a storm (the initial
infiltration capacity) and decreases with the passage of time to a fairly
constant value (the final infiltration capacity).
The rate at which the infiltration rate decreases (also known as the rate
of decay) is a function of the volume of water that has been absorbed.
The infiltration rate is calculated using an implicit form of Horton’s
equation as proposed by Watson (1981).

f
f=f+f 1 - 
c  (f0 - kF - f)
 f + (f - f ) exp
fc 
 c o c 
where
f = infiltration capacity
F = accumulated depth of infiltration
f , f and k are Horton's parameters
o c
The adjusted equation only takes infiltration into account when there is
rainfall as illustrated in the figure below. This results in a more accurate
simulation in low precipitation runoff events.

2-8 Storm Reference

 Infiltration vs. Time
Infiltration is only subtracted if there is rainfall

The infiltration rate is also dependent on the characteristics of the soil as

well as the cover conditions, ie. density and type of vegetation. Soils are
classified according to the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (1972) into four
main groups as presented in the following table.
In addition to the four main groups listed three intermediate soil groups
are supported as recommended by Schmidt and Schulze (1987).
These intermediate soil groups are used for soils which have characteris-
tics that place them between the main groups.
For instance, the classification A/B would represent a soil with
characteristics that fall between those of group A and group B.

Basic Theory 2-9

 Type Infiltration Soil Description
Rate
A High Permeability is rapid. Overall drainage is excessive to
well-drained. Typically coarse textured soils, ie. sands and
gravels.
B Moderate Permeability is slightly restricted. Effective soil depth and
drainage. Moderately fine to moderately coarse textured
soils.
C Slow Rate of infiltration deteriorates rapidly. Permeability is re-
stricted. Soil depth tends to be shallow. Moderately fine to
fine textured soils with layers that impede infiltration.
D Very Slow Severely restricted permeability. Very shallow soils. High
shrink-swell potential. Typically clay soils with
permanently high water tables.

Soil Classification
The moisture content of the soil before a storm also affects the infiltration
rate. This is called the Antecedent Moisture Condition and is determined
according to rainfall criteria specified below.

AMC No Description Total Rainfall during 5 days preceding storm

1 Completely Dry 0
2 Rather Dry 0 to 12,5 mm
3 Rather Wet 12,5 to 25 mm
4 Saturated 25+ mm

Antecedent Moisture Condition relative to rainfall

2-10 Storm Reference

Design Controls
In order to assist in the building up of a realistic computer model,
especially in the more complex urban situation, additional design
constraints or controls may be applied on the system. These include:
• A system of overflow reaches or dual runoff modeling allows the
accurate analysis of major and minor drainage systems.
• An inflow hydrograph may be inserted at any node. Thus the effect of
upstream inflows from existing stormwater systems may be taken
into account or a very large system may be divided into smaller and
more manageable portions.
• The capacity of any inlet to a node may be specified, ie. the inlet
capacity may be limited by the size of a kerb inlet. The excess runoff
will be diverted to the overflow node.
• The maximum volume of available detention storage may be
specified. Any excess runoff will be diverted to the overflow node.
• Runoff may be routed through a reservoir or retention pond. A
detailed reservoir performance analysis will be made for each
reservoir in the system.

Basic Theory 2-11

Major and Minor Drainage Systems
The dual runoff facility may be used to simulate the typical major and
minor drainage system in the urban environment, ie. stormwater flowing
in a road (major system) with only partial capture into the culvert (minor
system) during large storms.

Major System

Catchment Area

Infiltration
losses

Minor System

Schematic representation of a dual drainage system

The usual design procedure would be to size the minor drainage system
(ie. the culverts) so that the runoff from the design storm can be totally
captured or transported. In the urban model the design storm would
usually be less than a 10 year event.
The catchment is then evaluated for a larger storm. In this instance the
major system (ie. the road) is utilized to accommodate the peak of the
flood.
In order to prevent severe flood damage the designer must ensure that
the major system is capable of transporting the runoff peak of the larger
storm.

2-12 Storm Reference

Flow resistance in pipelines
Various formulae for head losses in pipes are recognized in theory.
Hydraulic engineers favour two of them:
• Manning equation
• D'Arcy-Weisbach with Colebrook-White friction co-efficient.

The Manning Equation

2 1
R 3S 2
v=
n
Where:
v = velocity (m/s)
R = wetted perimeter (m)
S = slope (m/m)
n = Manning roughness coefficient
The advantage of this formula is that it is easy to implement.

The D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation

The head loss due to pipe resistance is related to the flow through the
pipe by the equation

λLV 2
H=
2gD

Where:
H = head loss (m)
L = length of pipe (m)
D = pipe diameter (m)
V = velocity (m/s)
g = gravitational acceleration

λ = friction coefficient

Basic Theory 2-13

The Colebrook-White friction factor
The most suitable formulation for the friction factor required by the
D'Arcy-Weisbach equation is generally regarded as being the Colebrook-
White equation. This equation provides an implicit definition for the
friction factor as follows:

1  2.51 k 
= −2.0 log  + 
λ  R λ 3 . 7D 

where:

λ = friction coefficient
D = the pipe diameter
k = the mean height of roughness in the pipe
Re = Reynold's number defined as:
Re = ρ V D / F
where:
ρ = the liquid density
v = the velocity of flow
D = pipe diameter
F= the dynamic viscosity
The D'Arcy-Weisbach formula, with friction coefficient calculated from
the Colebrook-White equation is accurate for any pipe diameter or fluid
velocity.

2-14 Storm Reference

Tutorial - Storm Design
In order to familiarize yourself with Civil Designer it is advisable to
complete the following tutorial that will teach you how to import manhole
data from an ASCII file and build up the data set in preparation for
analysis. Thereafter you will generate contract drawings. You will be
shown how to:
• add a STORM data file to the project or create a new STORM data
file
• import coordinate data containing node names, Y and X coordinates
from an ASCII file
• generate a manhole layout plan from the coordinate data
• connect the nodes by means of links
• edit and set the link parameters
• input runoff data
• add graphical subcatchments
• link subcatchments to manholes
• change the display settings
• run the analysis and view the results
• generate and view long sections
• calculate quantities according to SABS 1200
• generate a layout drawing with manhole names and a link schedule

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-1

Create a new data file
The first step is to create a new data file into which the manhole data will
be imported. This file is added to the project file.
Open the Tutor project using File ► Open Project.
Add the storm file to the project using File ► Edit Project. Check the Storm
option and specify the name of the stormwater file by clicking on the
[Browse] button on the right as shown below.

The standard Windows File Open dialog will be displayed. Select the
directory where the file must be and specify the file name as
TUTOR.STW.

3-2 Storm Reference

If the file does not exist it will be created if you click on the [Yes] button
in the following dialog.

Close the Project dialog and change into Storm mode with Mode ► Storm
Mode.
Data may be input in a number of ways:-
• use the Edit ► Node Data menu option
• import an ASCII list of node coordinates
• import an ASCII file which includes the next node name and link
types and sizes
• load an existing layout drawing and classify it
• convert drawing entities from an existing layout drawing.
In this example you will import the manhole data from an ASCII file
containing the manhole name, the next manhole name, Y coordinate and
X coordinate for each manhole. The data items may be separated
commas, spaces or tabs.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-3

Import coordinate data from an ASCII file
Select the File ► Import menu option. The Import ASCII Data dialog will
be displayed.

Click on the [Browse] button just below the top edit control and select the
ASCII file STORM.YXZ from the TUTOR sub-directory. The first lines of
the import file will now be displayed on the dialog.
Select the Comma delimited option under the File Type section and click
on the [Next] button. The following view will be displayed.

3-4 Storm Reference

Click on the column heading to display a list of available data types for
each column of data as shown below.

Your settings should look like this when you have allocated all the
columns:

Click on the [Finish] button to import the file into the newly created data
file.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-5

If you import data into an existing data file the program will search the
existing data for matching node names, and if it finds an existing record,
it will update the fields in the record with the imported data.

3-6 Storm Reference

Display the nodes and links
Civil Designer has many graphical functions to simplify the definition of
nodes and links in the network. Obviously these functions can only be
used if your data includes coordinates for the nodes.
Activate the display of the newly imported data by clicking on the Display
Settings icon or select the Settings ► Display Settings option.
The Display Settings dialog will be displayed. This dialog allows you to
specify how the data must be displayed (and plotted). Set up the Storm
page as shown below:

The Show storm layout check box specifies that the Design Centre must
display the storm node and link data during redraws.
The Show storm subcatchments check box specifies that the Design Centre
must display the storm subcatchment layout during redraws.
The Annotation Font dropdown box allows you to select the font that will
be used to label the nodes and links.
Now click on the Nodes sub-item on the left of the dialog. The Node
settings allow you to define the pen, symbol size and line type for the
node, the text pen and text size in points for the node annotations as well
as which annotations must be displayed.
The dialog will display the following:

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-7

In the Node text box simply right click to display a list of available options
and select the {NAME} option. To identify these nodes as stormwater
manholes add the SW prescript to the name as shown above
Now click on the Links sub-item and the following will be displayed:

The Link settings allow you to define the pen, line thickness in mm and
line type of the link display as well as the text pen and size in points.
Adjust the settings to conform to the pictures above and click on the [OK]
button.
The Design Centre display will be updated to display the storm nodes
and links.

3-8 Storm Reference

Position your cursor near a node and zoom in using the [Z] key to display
the zoom menu or the [M] key to magnify. The node name is displayed
next to a circle representing the manhole.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-9

Display additional link data
You are going to change the display settings to show the link type and
length at the midpoint between nodes. You may use the Settings ► Display
Settings ► Storm ► Link page option to specify the text items to be
displayed above and below the link in the Text above link and Text below
link edit controls.
To define the text to be placed above the link, position the cursor in the
edit control and click on the right mouse button. A list of available items
will be displayed. Select the {TYPE} option.

The edit control will be updated to display

{TYPE}

In a similar manner add the following text to the Text below link edit
control by selecting the {LENGTH} option and adding ‘m’.
{LENGTH}m

3-10 Storm Reference

Click on the [OK] button. The display will be updated as follows:

If you want to add a box behind the link annotation simply click on the
Box option in the Link display settings. You can vary the distance the
link annotation is displayed from the link line by changing the Offset
distance from link setting.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-11

Extracting node cover levels from the terrain model
You will now extract node cover levels from the digital terrain model.
Select the Graphical ► Cover Levels option.

Here you specify from which terrain surface the cover levels must be
interpolated. You may select any one of the 128 surfaces that contains
valid data. The Intermediate and Hard Material settings are only used for
quantity calculations and the graphical long sections. Click on the [OK]
button. Civil Designer will interpolate the cover level from the specified
surface.
To check the results, let us update the display settings to show the cover
level next to each node. Select the Settings ► Display Settings ► Storm ►
Node option and add the ‘CL={COVER}m’ option to the node annotation.
Click on the [OK] button. The display will be updated to display the node
names as well as the cover level at the node with the ‘CL=’ subscript.

3-12 Storm Reference

Set node and link parameters
At this stage you have node data and connections but have not yet
specified link types and sizes. The easiest way to do this is to select all the
links graphically and then to set the link parameters.
Alternatively you may set up each link using the Edit ► Node Data option.
We will specify the link types, minimum cover and bedding class for the
links. You may also specify the diameter or allow Civil Designer to
calculate the appropriate size.
Select the Graphical ► Select ► All option to select the entire network. The
selected links are displayed as a dotted line.
Now select the Graphical ► Set Parameters option. This will display the Set
Parameters dialog. Set the following values:

These settings will set all links to be a ‘100D Concrete’ pipe on a ‘Class B’
bedding with a minimum cover of 1.4 m. At the same time the nodes will
be set to have the soffits of the pipes common. Click on the [OK] button to
change the parameters.
Refresh the display with the [S] key. Notice that the link type text has
been updated to ‘100D Concrete’.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-13

You may also change the link data of a selected branch only. To do this
first select a branch by using the Graphical ► Select ► Upstream option.
This function will select a specific branch and all the incoming or
upstream branches connected to it. Thereafter follow the steps above
with your required settings.
You may change a single link by using the Graphical ► Edit Node and Link
data option. Click on the node or link you want to edit to display the Node
Data dialog with the data for the selected node and link.

3-14 Storm Reference

Input runoff data
The runoff data must now be input for each catchment area. The STORM
program makes provision for the Illudas Time Area method or the
Rational method. This example uses the Illudas method.
Activate the Node Data dialog using the Edit ► Node Data menu option or
graphically using Graphical ► Edit Node and Link data. Click on the Runoff
tab to display the catchment data page.

Input the following catchment data:

Node Area Area Paved Depr Supp Grassed Grasse Soil
% Entry Store Area Entry Depr Type
Time % Time Store
1 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
2 0.100 25 5 1 35 8 5 B/C
3 0.200 40 5 1 40 12 5 B
4 0.100 75 4 1 0 11 5 B
5 0.200 80 9 1 0 20 5 B
6 0.200 60 7 1 15 18 5 B
7 0.200 80 8 1 0 15 5 B/C
8 0.300 15 9 1 35 25 5 B/C
9 0.300 15 5 1 35 25 5 B
10 0.200 80 9 1 0 20 5 B
11 0.200 15 5 1 25 25 5 B
12 0.600 25 7 1 35 19 5 B

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-15

 Node Area Area Paved Depr Supp Grassed Grasse Soil
% Entry Store Area Entry Depr Type
Time % Time Store
13 0.200 55 5 1 15 18 5 B
14 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
15 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
16 0.100 70 8 1 20 20 5 B
17 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
18 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
19 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
20 0.150 35 8 1 40 12 5 B
21 0.100 55 10 0 0 0 0 B
22 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
23 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
24 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
25 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
26 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
27 0.200 40 8 1 40 12 4 B
28 0.200 42 9 1 40 20 5 B
29 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
30 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
31 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
32 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
34 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
35 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
37 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
38 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
40 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
41 0.100 50 8 1 40 12 5 B
42 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
43 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
44 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
45 0.200 40 8 1 40 12 5 B
46 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
47 0.100 50 8 1 30 15 5 B
48 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
49 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
50 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
51 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
52 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
53 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D

3-16 Storm Reference

 Node Area Area Paved Depr Supp Grassed Grasse Soil
% Entry Store Area Entry Depr Type
Time % Time Store
54 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
55 0.150 45 9 1 35 12 5 B
56 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
57 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
58 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
59 0.300 40 12 1 30 20 5 B
60 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
61 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
62 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
63 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
64 0.150 50 7 1 40 12 5 B
66 0.240 50 12 1 40 21 5 B
67 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
68 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
69 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
70 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
71 0.100 40 8 1 40 12 4 B
72 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
73 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
74 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
75 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
76 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
77 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
78 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D
79 0.100 55 10 1 18 12 4 C/D

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-17

Add Subcatchments
We are going to add subcatchments graphically to Node 5, 10 and 7 in the
top left corner of the site. First we need to set the display settings for the
subcatchments. Click on the Display Settings icon or select the Settings
► Display Settings option.
The Display Settings dialog will be displayed. Select the Show storm
subcatchments check box and then click on the Subcatchments sub-item
on the left of the dialog. Also switch the site contours on in the Terrain ►
Contours section of the display settings to see the slopes on the erven.
Adjust the settings to conform to the picture below and click on the [OK]
button.

We will define the subcatchments by graphically adding polygons

defining the runoff areas and giving it an identifying name. We will first
add a subcatchment for node 5.
Select the Graphical ► Add Subcatchment menu option. The program will
prompt:
Subcatchment Perimeter: Indicate start point

The CAD snap modes can be used while drawing the perimeter. Click on
a position in the Design Centre window and the following prompt is
displayed:
Subcatchment Perimeter: Indicate next point (Click near
start to end)

3-18 Storm Reference

Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the
starting point again. The program will prompt:
Add Subcatchment: Input New Subcatchment Name

Enter S1 as the subcatchment name. The subcatchment will be drawn

according to the subcatchment display settings.

The program will prompt:

Select the node that subcatchment S1 must drain to

Click on node 5. A Confirmation dialog will open requesting that you

confirm that you want subcatchment S1 to drain to node 5. If you click on
[No] the previous prompt will be displayed again requesting you to select
a node. Click on [Yes]. The program will prompt:
Define the drainage path in the upstream direction (Right
click to end)

There will be a line attached to the cursor running from node 5. Draw the
drainage path from the node in an upstream direction to the most remote
point of the subcatchment. A confirmation dialog will open asking if you
are satisfied with the drainage path. Click on [Yes] if satisfied with the
path else click on [No] and redefine the path.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-19

The Paved Area Entry Time Calculator dialog will open with the Length
and Slope entered as calculated from the defined drainage path

Click on [OK] and the Grassed Area Entry Time Calculator will open with
the Length and Slope entered as calculated from the defined drainage
path. Enter the Manning Factor and adjust the Length and Slope if
required.

3-20 Storm Reference

Click on [OK]. The Runoff page for node 5 will open with Subcatchment
S1 selected and the Paved and Grassed Entry Time updated.

Click on [Close].
The program will continue to prompt:
Subcatchment Perimeter: Indicate start point

Now enter the subcatchments for Node 10 and 7 in the same manner.
Press [ESC] to terminate the function. The display should now look
similar to the picture below.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-21

3-22 Storm Reference
Analyze the network
At this stage you may analyze the network. During the analysis you will
be informed by means of a progress dialog.
Select the Analysis ► Network menu option. The Analysis Wizard will be
displayed.

Select the storm file to apply to the catchment area by clicking on the […]
button to the right of the Storm File Name edit box.
Specify the AMC (antecedent moisture condition) by clicking on one of
the buttons.
Lastly specify the routing to be used by selecting Continuity or Time
Shift from the Routing Method dropdown list.
Click on the Next button. The following page is displayed. You may
return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-23

This page allows you to specify whether you want to analyze all the nodes
by clicking the All option or just the selected nodes by clicking the
Selected option. This allows you to select only a branch using Graphical ►
Select ► Upstream and then analyze just that portion of the network.
If this is the first time you are analyzing the entire network you must
select the Renumber branches and links option. The Recalculate link
lengths from coordinates option calculates the length of each link from the
coordinates of the upstream and downstream node coordinates.
Set up the page as shown above and click on Finish.

The Print Manager dialog will be displayed. This allows you to specify the
destination of the log that will be generated during the analysis. In this
instance direct the log to the Output Window by checking the Screen
output option.

3-24 Storm Reference

After the completion of the analysis the results windows will be
displayed. Each window displays certain aspects of the results such as
flows, overflows, levels and slopes, and the hydraulic gradient.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-25

Display link sizes and slopes
You may now update the display settings to show the calculated link sizes
and slopes.
Select Settings ► Display Settings ► Storm ► Links and set up the page as
shown below. Take particular note of the Text above link and Text below
link settings.

Insert {SIZE}, {TYPE}, {LENGTH} and {RATIOSLOPE} by right-

clicking as previously and insert “mm” and “m @ 1:” manually. Then
click on [OK] to update the display.

3-26 Storm Reference

Calculate Quantities
Quantities are calculated according to the parameters specified in the
Bedding Class and Depth Increment dialogs. These parameters can be
changed from the Edit menu.
Select the Analysis ► Quantities option. The print manager dialog box is
displayed.

Select an option from the print manager dialog box and click on the [OK]
button.
STORM will calculate the quantities of all the selected links. After the
analysis the quantities will be displayed in a series of windows. Each
window contains the results of a particular quantity calculation.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-27

Printing input data and results
At this stage you may want to produce a hard copy of the design. Select
the File ► Print option.
The Print Settings dialog box will be displayed. Select the data items that
you want and the output device as shown below.

Click on [OK] to start printing.

3-28 Storm Reference

Creating the final layout plan
Now that the design is complete it is time to update the original cadastral
drawing with the storm layout along with a coordinate list and a link
schedule.
Select Plot ► Generate. The Plot Wizard dialog box appears.

Select the “C:\CivDes64\Examples\SheetFiles\Plan.sht” sheet file.

Click on [Next].

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-29

You now have the option to edit the sheet file. Click on the [Sheet File
Editor] button.
Click on [Next]. The Plan Plotting Setup dialog box will appear.

3-30 Storm Reference

If the spreadsheet is empty click on the [Add New] button.
Click at the center of the drawing. You can now position the paper. Leave
a space on the right hand side of the drawing for the title block.
Click again to indicate the desired position. Select [No] to keep the same
rotation.
Right click on any unwanted plots to change the plot column to [No].
The [Key Plan] option can now be selected if you have multiple sheets for
your plan drawing and you would like to plot a key plan. Select scale and
rotation of key plan as normal.
Click on [Finish] to generate the plan drawings.
Input a file name to save the drawings.

If you are plotting more than one plan drawing Civil Designer will save
them sequentially i.e. “Filename1”, ”Filename2” ect.

To toggle between drawings and the Design Centre – choose the desired
visible window from the Windows menu bar.
All additional changes can now be made in the CAD mode.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-31

Plotting long sections
The stormwater long section plot requires you to select the desired pipes
for plotting.
Select Plot ► Generate.
The following dialog will be displayed:

Select the Stormwater Longsection sheet and set the sheet size to A0.
Click on [Next].

3-32 Storm Reference

Specify the Horizontal and Vertical scales, what must be plotted, where
the levels must be labeled as well as whether the program must scroll to
next page or not.
Click on the [Next] button.

Tutorial - Storm Design 3-33

You have the option to Edit Long Section Data if required. If selected, the
Long Section Editor will be displayed and you will be able to edit any
data item.
Once the data is to your liking click the [Finish] button.
Specify the drawing a name and the long section/s will be generated.

3-34 Storm Reference

File Menu
The File Menu contains all the functions to
create, load and save projects as well as
import and export survey data. In addition it
also includes options to set up the security.

File Menu 4-1

New Project
Create a new project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectNew

This option allows you to set up a new project and specify the data files
that must be used.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a drawing to the project simply click in the check box next to
Drawing, click on Browse on the right of the dialog, and select the
drawing using the standard Window file open dialog. The drawing name
will be displayed as shown above.
Similarly, to add a data file to the project click in the check box next to
the required data type and select the file to use with the [Browse] button.
If the file does not exist it will be created.
To use the Survey, Terrain or Roads functions, you must select or create
a Terrain data file.

4-2 Storm Reference

Drawing File
You may only use an existing drawing file. The drawing may be an
AllyCAD DRG, AutoCAD DWG, Caddie CEX or a DXF file.

Terrain File
If you select a terrain file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the DTM file.

After you have clicked [OK] on the New Project Dialog the following
dialog will be displayed for a new DTM file.

Enter the Y and X coordinates of the centre of the site, or of the area of
principal interest, and a diameter that will encompass the site or, once
again, the area of principal interest. It is acceptable to leave the settings
at their default values, but you should then either import data from an
ASCII file which will offer a rescale that centres the site, or add data
manually and then use Tools ► Rescale Survey from the Terrain menu
which does the same thing.

File Menu 4-3

Sewer File
If you select a sewer file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the sewer database file.

Storm File
If you select a storm file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the storm database file.

Locale
You must make the settings that determine the manner in which the
stored coordinates are projected onto the display surface (the Design
Centre window).

Hemisphere
Select either the Southern Hemisphere or Northern Hemisphere options
to set the hemisphere in which the data is located.

Projection
Select the mapping projection to be used. Currently only three
projections are available, namely Local, Transverse Mercator and UTM
(Universal Transverse Mercator). Selecting Local will automatically set
the Datum to Cape and causes Civil Designer to treat the Terrain and
Road database coordinates in the same way as Stardust used to.

4-4 Storm Reference

Datum
Select the datum on which the data is to be based. This determines the
ellipsoid on which the projection is based and therefore the constants
used for the mapping projection. Note that the Cape datum is the
equivalent datum for that used by Stardust.

Prime Longitude
Enter the central LO of the panel in which the data falls (actually the
longitude on which the 0 value of the horizontal ordinates of the
coordinate system falls) and also select whether this LO is East or West
of 0° longitude (Greenwich).

Origin Latitude
Enter the latitude on which the 0 value of the vertical ordinates of the
coordinate system falls and also select whether this latitude is North or
South of 0° latitude (the Equator). This should normally be set to 0°
(origin at the equator where North or South are immaterial) but could be
different for some projections.

Scale factor at prime longitude

Enter the factor by which coordinates are adjusted in order to fit the
projection. This should normally be set to 1.0 except if you are using
UTM coordinates (see Remarks below).

False Easting and False Northing

Enter the values to be subtracted/added to the LO coordinates during
projection conversion. These should normally be set to 0 except if you
are using UTM coordinates (see below).

DO NOT use the False Easting and False Northing settings to apply
some constant to the data coordinates, as the projection calculations
rely on full coordinates and will give incorrect values if these entries are
used incorrectly.

Remarks
In order to use a UTM system the following settings should be made for
Locale:
• Convert the UTM block number to LO using the formula
(BLOCKNUMBER x 6°) - 183°. This calculates the Longitude of the
central meridian in degrees.

File Menu 4-5

• Set the scale factor at the central meridian to 0.9996.
• Enter the correct False Easting and False Northing values of +500
000m Easting, and 0m Northing for Northern Hemisphere or +10 000
000m Northing for Southern Hemisphere.

4-6 Storm Reference

Open Project
Load an existing project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectOpen

You can select which project to open using the standard Windows Open
dialog.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the project file (.CDP) to open and click on [OK].

The existing project (if any) will be saved and the new project will be
opened. The associated data files will automatically be opened and
displayed in the Design Centre.

Only data that includes coordinates can be displayed in the Design

Centre.

File Menu 4-7

Edit Project
Edit the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectEdit

This option allows you to add design elements to the project or to change
the data files associated with the project.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a design element to the project simply set the check box of that
element and select the data file using the [Browse] button. The standard
Window Open dialog will be displayed. Select the file to add to the
project or type in a new file name to create a new data file.

You may not change the locale settings of an existing project as the
projection settings have already been applied to data files and may not
be changed.

Click on the [OK] button.

4-8 Storm Reference

Save Project
Save the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSave

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files.

Save Project As
Save the current project to another name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSaveAs

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files to new file names. You may specify a new file name for the
project file and each of the active design files in turn.

Close Project
Close the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectClose

This option allows you to close the active project and clear the Design
Centre. You will be given the option to save the associated data files.

File Menu 4-9

Import
These functions allow you to import data from ASCII text files, Storm
V3.x data files and from a MAP spatial database.

ASCII File
Import ASCII space-delimited or comma-delimited file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormImportAscii

This option allows you to import the data in an ASCII or text file into an
existing data file. As you import the data the program will first see if the
data file includes a record with the imported node name. If it does the
program will update the data with the values in the imported file.
If the data file does not already include a record with the imported node
name then a new record will be appended to the data file and the
imported data copied into the record.
The ASCII file must contain all the data items to be added to a record in
one line of text. The data must include a node or manhole name. The data
items may be separated by commas (comma-delimited file) or spaces
(space-delimited file).

Procedure
The following dialog box will be displayed:

4-10 Storm Reference

Click on the [Browse] button just below the top edit control and select the
ASCII file to import. The first lines of the import file will now be
displayed on the dialog.
Set the File Type option and click on the [Next] button. The following
view will be displayed.

Click on the column heading to display a list of available data types for
each column of data as shown below.

File Menu 4-11

Your settings should look like this when you have allocated all the
columns:

Click on the [Finish] button to import the file into the newly created data
file.
The program will read the ASCII file and assign the data items according
to the sequence specified.

4-12 Storm Reference

Version 3 Data
Import a storm V3.x data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormImportData3

All the STORM network information from the existing version 3.x data
file will be imported into the stormwater database.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the storm version 3.x file (.cmd) to open and click on [OK].

File Menu 4-13

MAP Theme
Import data from a MAP theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormImportMap

This option allows you to export an existing MAP theme as STORM

elements to a stormwater network.
The MAP theme must be included in a MAP database that forms part of
the Civil Designer project.

Procedure
The Import dialog will be displayed.

Select the Theme from which to import the stormwater network and
match the Map Fields with the appropriate STORM fields.
Click [OK] to import the stormwater information from the map theme.

4-14 Storm Reference

Inflow Hydrograph
Import an ASCII Hydrograph file to be converted to a .hyd hydrograph file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormImportHydro

This option allows you to import the data for a hydrograph in an ASCII
or text format, which will then be converted to the Civil Designer
Hydrograph file (.hyd) format.

Procedure
The following dialog box will be displayed:

Type in the address for the ASCII files or browse to the drive and path
for the directory where the files are saved. Select the type of files that
must be listed. Choose the file or files that you want to convert and
browse to the destination directory. Select the file format for the ASCII
file that must be converted and click [Import].

File Menu 4-15

Convert Drawing Entities
Convert CAD entities into an intelligent Storm network.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormConvertEntities

This option allows you to convert CAD entities into an intelligent

Stormwater network. The CAD drawing may have been created in the
CAD module of Civil Designer or alternatively in other CAD software and
read into Civil Designer in the CAD module by importing a DXF, DWG,
or CEX file.

Procedure
The Convert drawing entities dialog will open.

The program will pick up all the named CAD layers. Select the cad layer
containing the required information and click on the [OK] button.
Outfalls The only entities on this layer must be circles indicating
the outfall nodes.
Node Names The manhole names must be on this layer close to the
line origins.
Links The lines indicating the stormwater network must be on
this layer. No circles indicating manholes must be on this
layer, since it will cause duplicate nodes. Ensure that the
lines are not polylines and that the line length is not more
than 500m, which is the maximum length for
classification.
Diameters The diameters must be drawn in the middle of the line.
This item can be ignored if you want the stormwater
module to size the pipes during the analysis.

4-16 Storm Reference

Export
The Export functions allow you to convert your stormwater network into
a GIS theme.

ASCII FILE
Export stormwater data to an ASCII text file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormExportAscii

This function exports all the following stormwater network information

to an ASCII file.

Design Parameters Manhole conditions, i.e. culvert inverts or soffits common,

drops, or a specified step in manholes. Minimum cover to
culverts.
Node Data The node, next node and overflow node names, subnet,
branch and link numbers, Y and X coordinates, cover
level, freeboard, manhole bottom conditions, maximum
inflow, maximum flow and maximum storage.
Link Data Link type, sizes, bedding, number, length, fixed inlet level
and fixed slope.

Procedure
The Save As dialog will be displayed.

Select a file to which to export. The drive and path automatically default
to the last used drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you select the file the export is carried out

File Menu 4-17

MAP Theme
Export STORM data to a Map theme

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormExportMap

This function exports all the stormwater network information to a new

theme in an existing MAP database.

Procedure
The Export to MAP Project dialog will be displayed.

Enter a name for the new theme and, if required, change the Map Field
names in the table.
Click on [OK] to export.

4-18 Storm Reference

Merge Stormwater File
Merge two stormwater database files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormMergeDB

This option merges the specified stormwater database file with the
currently open stormwater database.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
stormwater file to merge. The drive and path automatically default to the
last used drive and directory for this function.

Browse for the file you wish to merge with the active data file. Select
Open once you have selected the desired file. Repeat this process as
many times as necessary.
The merging process will import the stormwater database as is. The
operator will have to rename any duplicate nodes and any user defined
link types in the imported data file will need to be created in the active
data file.

File Menu 4-19

Remove Deleted Records
To remove deleted records from database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormRemoveDelRec

This function permanently removes the deleted records from the

stormwater database file.

You must run this function to remove records that has been deleted in
the Node Data or by Graphical Delete Node.

Procedure
A confirmation dialog is displayed.

Click on YES to permanently delete the deleted records from the

stormwater database. Click on NO to not delete the deleted records from
the stormwater database.

4-20 Storm Reference

Print
Output a selection of design parameters, input data and results to a printer or
ASCII file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormPrint

This option allows you to output data to a printer or to an ASCII file. You
can select which data types you want to print or export.

Procedure
The Print Control Panel is displayed.

Specify the destination of the output by clicking on the Printer or Ascii

File button.

File Menu 4-21

Input Data
You may specify any combination of the following input data by checking
the box next to that item.
Design Parameters Inflow Method, manhole conditions, minimum cover
to culverts, minimum velocity in culverts, maximum
velocity in culverts
Node Data The node, next node and overflow node names,
branch and link numbers, Y and X coordinates, cover
level, manhole bottom conditions, maximum inflow
and maximum storage
Link Data Link type, sizes, bedding, number, length, fixed inlet
level and fixed slope/fixed outlet level
Inflow Data Depending on the inflow method

Results
You may specify any combination of the following results by checking
the box next to that item.
Summary Active inflow method, number of nodes, outfall level
and outflow
Inflow Analysis Depending on the inflow method:
Flow Analysis Link name, next link name, number of links, link type,
calculated size, flow, capacity, velocity and
percentage flow depth
Overflow Analysis Link name, next link name, inflow, point source
inflow, design flow, actual flow, capacity and
overflow.
Layout Analysis Link name, next link name, number of culverts, link
type, calculated size, length, slope, inlet level, outlet
level and cover to link.
Hydraulic Grade Link name, hydraulic grade level, cover level, soffit
level, velocity and flow depth

4-22 Storm Reference

Quantities
You may specify any combination of the following quantities by checking
the box next to that item.
Excavation Lengths Length of excavation in depth increments for each
culvert type and diameter for soft, medium and hard
materials.
Excavation Volumes Excavation volumes in depth increments for each
culvert type and diameter for soft, medium and hard
materials.
Bedding Volumes Bedding and backfill volumes for each bedding class
Culvert Lengths Cumulative lengths of each culvert type and size
Manhole Depths Number of manholes in each depth increment

Click on [OK] to print the data or create the output file.

File Menu 4-23

Output Manager
Set output defaults

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputManager

This function allows you to set up the Output Window's printing and file
export capabilities. If you select to send output to the screen and the
Output Window is not visible, use Window | Toggle Output Window to
display the window.

Procedure
The Output Manager is displayed.

Screen output Check this option to have output directed to the Output
Window. If this window is not visible then select Window |
Toggle Output Window
Printer output Check this option to have output directed to a selected
printer. If this option was selected and you now turn it off,
any output previously directed to the printer will be spooled.
If this option was not selected and you now turn it on, you
will be asked to select the required printer.
File output Check this option to have output directed to a file. If this
option was selected and you now turn it off, the output file
will be closed. If this option was not selected and you now
turn it on, the selected output file will be created.
Don't show this dialog Check this option to retain the current settings for all future
in future output. You will no longer be prompted to make settings. In
order to adjust the settings, or to turn off this option, use File
| Output Manager.
Page Heading Enter the heading to be printed at the top of each page. Only
available if the Printer output option is selected.

4-24 Storm Reference

Output filename Enter the path and name of the output file to be created.
Only available if the File output option is selected.
Browse Button (...) Click this button to browse for the output file using the
standard Windows Save As dialog. Only available if the File
output option is selected.
Page Number Enter the page number to be printed at the top of the first
page. The number will increment automatically for
subsequent pages. Only available if the Printer output option
is selected.
Start printing on new Check this option to have any printer output still in the print
page queue spooled before printing starts. If this option is not
selected then printer output will be added to that currently in
the print queue. Only available if the Printer output option is
selected.
Append to existing file Check this option to have output appended to that which
already exists in the selected file. If the selected file does not
exist, it will be created. If this option is not selected then the
selected file will be deleted (if it already exists) and then
recreated. Only available if the File output option is selected.

Make the required settings and press [OK] to continue.

If [OK] is clicked and Printer output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, any output that has not yet been spooled to the printer will be
sent and the current document ended. If Printer output is now checked,
and it was not previously checked, you will be asked to select the printer
to which output should be directed and a new document will be started.
If [OK] is clicked and File output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, the specified file is closed. If File output is now checked, and it
was not previously checked, the specified file is opened and will
overwrite an existing file of the same name if the Append to existing file
option is not checked.

File Menu 4-25

Spool Output
Spool unprinted data to the printer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputSpool

Any output (print) data that has been sent to the printer but not yet
printed is spooled to the printer.
Windows tends to hold printed output in a spool file until the print job is
complete. In order to end a print job in Civil Designer you must deselect
the print option in the Output Manager, or exit the program.
Alternatively, this function will carry out the same procedure.

4-26 Storm Reference

Option Settings
Set INI file defaults that are not set by the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OptionSettings

The settings for various items in Civil Designer are stored in the file
CivDes6.ini which is located in your User directory. While most settings
in this file are manipulated from within the program itself, some settings
have no menu option or dialog associated with them.
In order to facilitate the changing of these settings, we have implemented
a dialog specifically for adjusting these settings. This saves you from
having to edit the INI file and making the changes by hand.
The left side of the dialog displays a tree list of available items. Click on
the top-level item to display the relevant page. Some of the top-level
items have further pages implemented as sub-items. Click on the + sign
to the left of any top-level item to display the sub-items. Click on a sub-
item to display the relevant page.

Certain settings are only read at program startup. These items are
marked with an asterisk (*). Changes to these settings will only be
implemented once the program has been exited and restarted. All other
settings are read at the start of relevant functions and changes to these
settings will therefore be available the next time the relevant function is
activated.

The possible top-level items and their respective sub-items are as

follows:
• General
• Southern Hemisphere
• Northern Hemisphere
• Survey
• Terrain
• Spreadsheets
• Pens
• View 3D
• Roads
• Spreadsheets
• Pens
• Plot
• Output Window

File Menu 4-27

General

Percentage RAM Enter the percentage of physical RAM (from 25 to 75

allocated to DTM percent) that must be allocated for DTM point caching.
The default value is 25. The more RAM allocated to
cache, the faster DTM point processing can be done but
the less RAM will be available for general operations in
Windows.
Permanent Road window Check this option to have the Road window permanently
displayed. If this option is not checked then the window
will be created and destroyed as needed. This can save
some screen space in tight situations.
Delimiter Enter the ASCII code of the delimiter to be used during
some DTM export functions. The default value (44) is a
comma and it is not recommended that this be changed.
You might however require tabs as delimiters. In this
case enter ASCII code 9 as the delimiter value.
Default pen Click this button to set the CAD pen colour for drawing
all design items that do not have an associated pen. This
setting is made available in order to compensate for the
fact that you can change the background colour of the
current drawing.

4-28 Storm Reference

Southern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern Hemisphere
projects.

File Menu 4-29

Northern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern Hemisphere
projects.

4-30 Storm Reference

Survey

Screening radius for Enter the radius (in metres) within which successive
ASCII Serial import coordinates in a Serial file import will be screened out.
Number of data columns Select the number of data columns to generated during
for MOSS export a MOSS file export. Your options here are 3 or 6.
Number of entries in Enter the limit of point names to be stored in the Names
names list list.
Include numerical names. Select whether you want numerical names to be
included in the Names list.

File Menu 4-31

Terrain

Separator between Enter the single character to be displayed between the

degrees, minutes and degree, minute and second portions of bearings when
seconds for printing printing. The default separator is a space.
Default point name suffix Enter the single character default to be added as a suffix
for Tache Reduction to point names during Tache Reduction.
Additional file extension Enter an extension to be used in addition to the standard
for Tache files DAT file extension when selecting Tache field books to
load.
Field number of Enter the number of the field that contains the orientation
orientation station name in station name in Booker tache files. This is normally 1 but
Booker files files with the name in the eighth field have been found.
Each field in a Booker file is separated by a tab with the
first field being number 1.
4 decimal places in Level Check this option to have levels displayed to 4 decimal
Reduction places rather than the standard 3 decimal places in
Level Reduction.
Percentage of screen size Enter the percentage of the current screen size to be
for polygon auto-close used as the separation between starting and current
snap indicated points in order to automatically close an
indicated polygon.
Rotation angle about eye Enter the angle (in degrees) by which to increment
position for Line of Sight rotation about the eye point when generating the visible
sweep boundary in Line of Sight calculations.

4-32 Storm Reference

Display lines for terrace Check this option to display the lines of the selected
surface only during terrace surface only when selecting a terrace. Line
terrace selection display for all other surfaces will automatically be
switched off.
Display autosuffix Check this option to have any defined autosuffix appear
together with point name as part of the point name in the screen display. It will not
appear on a plot generation.
Prompt for confirmation Check this option to have a confirmation window to
for breaklines over feature popup when a breakline will be drawn over a feature
lines line.

Spreadsheet

Minimum number of Enter the default number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.

File Menu 4-33

Pens

Intelli-Lines Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
four Intelli-Lines processing passes.
Graphical Error Figure Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in a Graphical Error Figure.
Banks Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in banks during Terrace Banks
generation.
DTM Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in DTM Grid generation.
Perimeter indication Click this button to set the indicator colour of the
perimeter polygon when selecting items such as
terraces.

4-34 Storm Reference

View 3D

Depth buffer bits Select the number of bits available for depth buffering.
Your options here are 16, 24 and 32. Your setting will
depend on your video card and some experimentation
might be required.
Colour depth bits Select the number of colour bits available. Your options
here are 16,24 and 32. Your setting here should match
the colour depth of your Windows Desktop for optimal
results.
Field of view Enter the vertical field of view in degrees to generate the
correct perspective view. In order to calculate the
required field of view for your particular setting, measure
the distance from your normal seated eye position to the
screen and measure the height of the view area from top
to bottom. Divide the second measurement by the first
measurement, take the arc sin of the result, and round
that result to the nearest degree.
Contour separation Enter the value (in metres) to be added to contour
heights in order to prevent contours dissappearing
underneath the 3D View.
Enable mouse dragging Uncheck this option to prevent mouse dragging within
the 3D View from changing the view parameters. This
should normally be left checked, but some video cards
have problems with the rapid updates required.
Ignore video driver Check this option to have the OpenGL acceleration
acceleration capabilities of your graphics card ignored. This should
normally be left unchecked, but some video cards have
problems with the accelerated drivers.

File Menu 4-35

Roads

Maximum number of road Specify the maximum numbers of roads per project. The
files value must be between 100 and 250.
Use Interactive Roads Check this button to enable the Interactive Roads
Expert Expert. Before every roads operation the program will
check if there are any operations that still needs to be
done before the specified operation can commence. If
there are then the Roads Expert will appear with the
relative operations checked. Simply press OK to perform
all the necessary operations and display the dialog for
the specified operation.
Use TRH format when Check this option to use TRH format when slaving Edge
slaving Edge Control Control. If this option is checked then the distance given
for the development length of the superelevation will be
applied from the stage where the grade is 0 (flat) until it
is fully developed. The initial portion where the normal
crossfall is picked up (or reduced) to 0, is automatically
calculated and added to the specified development
length.
Use element entry for Check this option to enter horizontal alignments by
horizontal alignment element (straights and curves) rather than by PI (with
instead of PIs and radii associated curve radius).
Use element entry for Check this option to enter vertical alignments by element
vertical alignment instead (grades) rather than by VPI (with associated curve
of VPIs length).
Display VPI names when Check this option to have VPI names displayed during
editing a vertical graphical editing of vertical alignments.
alignment

4-36 Storm Reference

Text size for Horizontal PI When Editing the Horizontal alignment, the PI names
Names and Warnings and Design Criteria warnings will be displayed using this
text size (points). A text size of 0 will cause the PI names
and warnings not to be displayed.
PI Names and Warnings Warnings will be displayed using this text size (points). A
text size of 0 will cause the PI names and warnings not
to be displayed.
Box out Check this option to box the Horizontal PI names and
warnings. The text will be drawn within a rectangular
frame, filled with the background colour.
Extension to use when Enter the default extension to be used when selecting
importing CARDS cross data files for CARDS cross section import.
section files

Spreadsheet

Maximum number of Enter the maximum number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.
Focus to Spreadsheet Select this option if the function must start with the focus
on the spreadsheet.

File Menu 4-37

Pens

Horizontal alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Vertical alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Pipeline Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Intersection Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Template Editor Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Layerworks Note: The Layerworks pen will be used to draw the
layerwors in Graphical Edit mode as well.

4-38 Storm Reference

Plot

Number of lines Enter the maximum number of lines that can be

plotted/labelled in a long generated when plotting a long- or cross section. The
section and cross section default is 20.
Interpolate long section If this option is set then, when plotting longsections and
level for 0 values a zero level is encountered for a chainage, the level at
that chainage will be interpolated from the nearest
chainages on either side that do have levels.
Ignore 0 values when If this option is checked then all zero values will be
plotting Long Sections ignored when plotting road long sections. Long Section
lines will be drawn between non-zero points and zero
points will not be annotated.
Split height labels into two If this option is set, then when generating a plot with
at the decimal point heights displayed, the height for a point will be shown as
two distinct text entities separated at the decimal point.
This is usefull for where the height is obscured by say a
symbol inserted at the point and you wish to move the
values apart for clarity.

File Menu 4-39

Output Window

Number of lines retained Enter the number of lines of output that should be
in memory retained at any time for the various output windows. This
will be the last x number of lines that have been sent to
the Output Window for display, enabling you to scroll
back to see lines that have dissappeared off the top of
the window.
Display/Print Font Enter the display/print font size (in points) and the
position at which a right margin marker should be
displayed in the Output Window.

4-40 Storm Reference

Security
When you first install your copy of Civil Designer, it will allocate a 30-day
trial license, allowing you to run the full program for 30 days. During this
time you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent authorization
code. Refer to the chapter on Security for more details.

Authorize
Authorize the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

cyAuthorize

This option allows you to obtain your user code and input the
authorisation code to activate the various modules in the program.

Procedure
The authorisation dialog box is displayed. Your User Code is displayed in
the centre of the dialog.

Call the contact number to obtain your authorisation code. Alternatively

click on Save to write the user code into a file which can be e-mailed to
Knowledge Base at [email protected]. Click on the [Authorise]
button once you have input the confirmation code in the bottom edit
control. This code is stored in the security module.

File Menu 4-41

Check Network Dongles
Toggle network security on/off

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CheckNetworkSecurity

This function switches the search for a network security module on or

off.

Exit
Quit Civil Designer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

quit

This function closes down Civil Designer.

4-42 Storm Reference

Edit Menu
This menu allows you to set the default settings
and edit the node data. Options are:
• Default settings
• Design parameters
• Soil types and infiltration rates
• Inflow hydrographs
• Reservoir elevation-storage and elevation-
discharge curves
• Storm data
• Pump combinations and specifications
• Depth increments for quantity calculations
• Bedding classes
• Link types and specifications
• Node and link data in a easy to understand
dialog or in a spreadsheet

Edit Menu 5-1

Default Settings
Set node and link parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditDefaults

This function allows the designer to set certain parameters as default

settings for the network before it is created.

Procedure
The Defaults dialog is displayed.

To change one of the displayed items click on the arrow on the right of
the item and a list of the options will be displayed. Click on the required
option to select it. Click on [OK] once all the required parameters have
been set.
Manhole Conditions This may be one of the following settings:
Drop - links placed at minimum slope
Invert - incoming and outgoing invert levels common
Soffit - linside top of the culverts common
An absolute step between the invert levels can be entered. E.g.
0.075
Type The link type may be selected from a drop-down list.
Diameter The diameter of the link in millimeters.
Bedding Class The bedding class for this link.
Number of pipes The number of identical and parallel links between this node
and the downstream node, ie. 2 x 900 mm pipes.
Minimum Cover The minimum distance from the ground line to the top of the
culvert.

5-2 Storm Reference

Fixed Slope The fixed slope as a percentage of the outgoing link
Freeboard Height that the manhole cover must be above the extracted
cover level.

Edit Menu 5-3

Design Parameters
Set the inflow method, minimum and maximum velocity, etc

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditDesignParameters

The Design Parameters Dialog allows the designer to select the flow
calculation method and to establish guidelines for the design.

Procedure
The following dialog is displayed:

The following overall design parameters may be specified:

Inflow Calculation Method

The Storm module supports two runoff calculation methods, viz.:
1. Illudas Time-Area Method
2. Rational Formula Method
3. Wallingford Rational Formula Method
Select from the required runoff method. The option selected will
determine the input data required in the Edit Node data option.

Friction Loss Formula

You may use either the Manning or the Colebrook-White friction loss
coefficients.

5-4 Storm Reference

Geometric Controls
The geometric controls affect the placing of links relative to the natural
ground line and the calculation of node inverts.

Manhole Conditions
Specify whether incoming and outgoing culverts in the manhole should
have their inverts at a common level (Inverts), be placed at the minimum
depth possible given the other design parameters (Drops), or be placed
with a user-defined step through the manhole. An entry of 0.075 will
specify a step of 75 mm through each node.

Minimum Cover
This is the minimum distance from the manhole cover level to the top of
the culvert.

Flow Controls
The flow controls set the hydraulic design parameters used in the
calculation of link slopes and sizes.

Minimum Velocity
Culverts will be placed at a slope with the objective to try and maintain
the minimum flow velocity specified here or the maximum slope
specified in the Link Tables, whichever is the least.

In practice this results in the first (upstream) culverts being placed at

the maximum link slope, typically 1 to 1.5%, and as the link flows
become significant down the line the link slopes start flattening to the
minimum slope specified in the Link Table.

Maximum Velocity
This setting will result in all links where the velocity exceeds the
specified value being flagged in the results with the “**” symbol.

Edit Menu 5-5

Infiltration Rates
Edit the infiltration rates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditInfiltration

This dialog allows you to specify the infiltration rate for each soil type.

Procedure
The Soil Infiltration Parameters dialog will be displayed.

The parameters are:

Soil Type The soil type of group name as it will be displayed in the Node
Data dialog.
AMC1 The initial infiltration rate in mm/hr for an Antecedant Moisture
Condition of 1.
AMC2 The initial infiltration rate in mm/hr for an Antecedant Moisture
Condition of 2.
AMC3 The initial infiltration rate in mm/hr for an Antecedant Moisture
Condition of 3.
AMC4 The initial infiltration rate in mm/hr for an Antecedant Moisture
Condition of 4.
Final Rate The final infiltration rate of this soil group, ie. the constant
infiltration rate at the end of a long storm.
Recession Constant The rate at which the infiltration rate decreases, also known as
the rate of decay.

5-6 Storm Reference

Inflow Hydrograph Parameters
Create and edit the inflow hydrographs

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditInflowHydrograph

The Inflow Hydrograph method uses unit inflow hydrographs to

determine the flow in the network over a period of time. The inflow
hydrographs may be input with any time increment.

Procedure
The Inflow Hydrograph Parameters dialog will be displayed. There are
two pages:

Name List
Here you specify a short name that is associated with the full hydrograph
file name. If the hydrograph file does not exist it will be created.

Name Type in a short name, up to 15 characters, to identify the

hydrograph

Edit Menu 5-7

File Name To enter the file name click on the […] button in the row
where the file's name must be placed. The standard
Windows Open dialog is displayed. Select the file you
want or type in a new file name and click on OK.

Moving up and down in the table changes the active or selected

hydrograph. To delete or insert a row right click on the row of interest
and a menu with the two options will open. You may now view the
hydrograph array and graph by clicking on the Hydrograph tab at the
top of the page.

Hydrograph Array
This page displays the hydrograph array that you can edit as well as a
graph of the hydrograph.

Time (min) Specify a time coordinate on the inflow hydrograph. The

first time increment must be 0.
Inflow Rate (l/s) Specify an inflow coordinate in l/s on the inflow
hydrograph.

The array table allows you to input and edit the inflow hydrograph. The
array may contain up to 5040 flow values. The time increments may be at
irregular intervals. As you change the hydrograph array the adjacent
graph will be updated.
The hydrograph may be printed using the [Print] button.

5-8 Storm Reference

Reservoir Data
Create and edit the reservoir profiles

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditReservoir

This dialog allows you to create and edit reservoir files, ie. profiles which
define the reservoir’s hydraulic characteristics.

Each node must use a unique reservoir file. If you use the same
reservoir file on more than one node the results will be incorrect.

Procedure
The Reservoir Data dialog will be displayed. There are three pages:

Name
This table allows you to specify a short name which is associated with the
full reservoir file name. If the reservoir file does not exist it will be
created.

Name Type in a short name, up to 15 characters, to identify the

reservoir.
Routing Method Select the reservoir routing method that must be used in
the reservoir analysis. Either Continuity or Modified Puls.
File Name To enter the file name click on the […] button in the row
where the file's name must be placed. The standard
Windows Open dialog is displayed. Select the file you
want or type in a new file name and click on OK.

Edit Menu 5-9

Moving up and down in the table changes the active or selected
reservoir. To delete or insert a row right click on the row of interest and
a menu with the two options will open. You may now view the reservoir
storage-discharge profile and graph by clicking on the other tabs at the
top of the page.

Storage - Discharge Profile

The dynamics of the reservoir are defined by means of two curves, the
depth-storage and depth-discharge curves. You may input up to 20
depth-storage-discharge coordinates sets.

These are defined using the following columns of the table:

Depth The depth as measured from the lowest point of the

reservoir.
Storage The storage in m3 at the specified depth.
Culvert discharge The outflow in m3/s from the first outlet at the specified
depth.
Weir discharge The outflow in m3/s from the second outlet at the
specified depth.
Total discharge The sum of the two outflows. This column is updated
automatically.

5-10 Storm Reference

Right click on a row in the table to access a menu with Cut, Copy, Paste,
Insert Rows and Delete Rows options.

Two outflow curves are provided so that you may simulate the effect of
two outlets from the reservoir which may be a pipe near the bottom of
the reservoir and a weir or overflow outlet at the top. However, these
outlets may be positioned at any level. In fact you may use only one
outlet if you want to. The sum of the outflows will be displayed in the
Total Discharge column.

Remember that the first depth value must be 0.

You may also specify an initial water depth, ie. the water depth prior to
the storm event. This may be any value between 0 and the maximum
depth of the reservoir. During the analysis the program will start at the
initial depth and draw off the flow according to the combined outflow
curve.

Storage - Discharge Curve

The Graph page will display the Storage - Discharge curve generated
from your input data.

Edit Menu 5-11

Storm Data
Edit and create various storm types

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditStorm

The storm control panel allows you to define and edit various storm
types which are used in conjunction with the Illudas runoff method.

Storm can model a number of different storm types. Generally the design
storm is based on IDF data. It is also possible to model the Chicago storm
from regionalized IDF curves proposed by Op ten Noort and Stephenson
(1982) or from recorded IDF curve data.

Procedure
The Storm Control Panel will be displayed. There are four data pages.

Type

Specify the storm type as well as a 60 character descriptor. You may read
an existing storm file with the [Load] button, and save the storm profile
using the [Save] button.

5-12 Storm Reference

Data
Depending on the storm type the following pages will be displayed.
Chicago

You must specify the following:

Mean Annual Precipitation The annual rainfall in millimeters
Return Period The return period or statistical frequency of the storm
event.
Storm Duration The time elapsed from the start to finish of the storm
event in minutes.
Time Step The time increment in minutes used in the analysis of the
storm and runoff model.
Ratio of Peak to Duration The ratio of the time to the peak intensity vs. the storm
duration. This value determines the placement of the
storm peak relative to it's duration.

Region The region where the storm event takes place. There are
two options:
Inland
Coastal
IDF Parameters The IDF parameters determine the total depth of rainfall.
The values are calculated.

You may also input or generate an intensity-duration-frequency curve.

Edit Menu 5-13

User

A user-defined storm type allows you to input the intensity array from
observed data.

You must specify the following:

Storm Duration The time elapsed from the start to finish of the storm
event in minutes.
Time Step The time increment in minutes used in the analysis of the
storm and runoff model.

5-14 Storm Reference

Rectangular

The rectangular storm distributes the total rainfall uniformly over the
duration.

You must specify the following:

Total depth of rainfall The total depth of rainfall in mm of this storm event. This
value is used to calculate the intensity at each time step.
Storm Duration The time elapsed from the start to finish of the storm
event in minutes.
Time Step The time increment in minutes used in the analysis of the
storm and runoff model.
Ratio of Peak to Duration The ratio of the time to the peak intensity vs. the storm
duration. This value determines the placement of the
storm peak relative to it's duration.

Edit Menu 5-15

Triangular

The triangular storm distributes the total rainfall over a triangle with the
peak at the Ratio of Duration to Peak value.

You must specify the following:

Total depth of rainfall The total depth of rainfall in mm of this storm event. This
value is used to calculate the intensity at each time step.
Storm Duration The time elapsed from the start to finish of the storm
event in minutes.
Time Step The time increment in minutes used in the analysis of the
storm and runoff model.

Array
The array page displays the rainfall intensities at every time step. If you
are editing a User storm type you may input or edit the intensities.

Right click on a row in the table to access a menu with Cut, Copy, Paste,
Insert Rows and Delete Rows options.

5-16 Storm Reference

Hyetograph
This page displays the storm hyetograph.

Edit Menu 5-17

Pumps
Create and edit pump data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditPumps

This dialog allows you to create and edit pump files, i.e. profiles that
define the pump station hydraulic characteristics.

How it works
The inlet and outlet levels are calculated based on the incoming and next
node levels. It is possible, but not necessary, to fix these levels. All sump
dimensions (i.e. sump depth, overflow depth, on and off levels) are then
set in relation to inlet level.
For each step of the analysis the water depth in the sump is obtained
using the previous water depth, inflow, outflow and sump depth to
volume curve. Water depth is used to automatically switch the pumps on
or off, depending on the user settings.
The pumping head is then calculated as a difference between outlet level
and water level in the sump (static head), and increased by friction
losses. The resulting flow is then calculated for each pump and pump
station as total.
After that the outflow hydrograph is passed on to the next node.
The capacity is calculated as the maximum flow with all the pumps
running on minimum head i.e. with the maximum water level in the
sump.
The following restrictions apply:
• If next node of the pump is the system outfall the invert level at the
outfall must be fixed.
• Each node must use a unique pump file. If you use the same pump
file on more than one node the results will be incorrect.

5-18 Storm Reference

Name Page

Name Name of the pump

File Name To enter the pump file name right click on the row where
the file's name must be placed. The standard Windows
Open dialog is displayed. Select the file you want or type
in a new file name and click on OK.

Moving up and down in the table changes the active or selected pump.
To delete or insert a row right click on the row of interest and a menu
with the two options will open. The active pump name is displayed in the
Pump Station Dialog title.

Suction Pipe and Delivery Pipe

Diameter Specify the desired diameter.
Roughness Specify the roughness of the pipe. Typical values are
around 0.4 to 1.0
Minor losses Specify a minor loss factor produced by valves, check
valves and bends.

For a pump station layout as seen on next page without a dry chamber
and suction pipe the Suction Pipe values should be zero

Edit Menu 5-19

Sump Page

The schematic layout on the right hand side explains the measurements.
It is not a design guideline.

Depth Always measured from the sump floor

Storage Corresponding volume of water in the sump / pond
Sump depth Distance from the floor to invert of the inlet pipe
Initial depth Depth of water in the sump at the beginning of the
analysis
Overflow depth Distance from the floor to bottom of the overflow

If an initial depth is not specified, or if the initial depth is below the

lowest pump’s OFF level, the analysis will start with the water depth
specified for the lowest pump’s OFF level.

5-20 Storm Reference

Pumps Page

A pump station can contain up to 4 pumps, possibly of different

characteristics, each of them with separate set of control levels.

Add: Appends a new pump to the pump station

Remove: Removes a pump
Copy: Copy the pump characteristics
Paste: Paste previously copied characteristics to active pump

To change the active pump use the [Pump x] buttons at the top of the page

Pump model Optional

Switch-on level Water depth in the sump (see previous page) that
triggers a pump on
Switch-off level Water depth in the sump that triggers a pump off
Delivery Set in l/s for sewer or m3/s for storm
Head Pumping head in m
Efficiency Optional, for future energy consumption calculations

The pump’s delivery, head and efficiency are obtainable from pump
catalogues.

Edit Menu 5-21

Depth Increments
Set the depth increments for quantities

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditDepthIncrement

This option allows you to specify the depth increments used in the
quantity calculations.

Procedure
The Excavation Depth Increment dialog will be displayed.

Increment 1 - 20 Input the depth increments in millimeters. In the

illustration above the depth increments are from 0 to 0.5
meters, 0.5 to 1.0 meters, and so on.
Increment Select the increment box if the depth increments must be
generated automatically. Enter the Increment value and
click on the Generate Increments button.

Input the depth increments in millimeters. In the illustration above the

depth increments are from 0 to 0.5 meters, 0.5 to 1.0 meters, and so on.
The increments can also be generated with the Increment option.
Click on the [Print] button to output the depth increment list to a printer.

5-22 Storm Reference

Bedding Classes
Define the bedding classes used in quantity calculations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditBeddingClass

Seven basic bedding classes are supported. They are:

Class A
Class B
Class C
Class D
Flexible
Box
Portal
Custom

Procedure

The following data must be input for each class:

Bedding Class Select the class name you wish to view or edit.
Invert to Trench Floor The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the bottom
of the trench. May be specified in terms of the diameter
or vertical size, ie. D/2 or as an absolute value.
This distance is labeled A in the diagram.

Edit Menu 5-23

The minimum and maximum distances may be set for soft and hard
materials as described below.

Soft Material
Minimum Distance The minimum distance between the bottom of the culvert
and the bottom of the trench in soft material. This must
be an absolute value.
Maximum Distance The maximum distance between the bottom of the
culvert and the bottom of the trench in soft material. This
must be an absolute value.

Hard Material
Minimum Distance The minimum distance between the bottom of the culvert
and the bottom of the trench in hard material. This must
be an absolute value.
Maximum Distance The maximum distance between the bottom of the
culvert and the bottom of the trench in hard material.
This must be an absolute value.

Thereafter the following parameters may be specified:

Invert to Bedding Top The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the top of
the bedding specified in terms of the vertical size, ie.
D+300, or as an absolute.
This distance is labeled as B in the diagram.
The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the top of
Invert to Fill Top the selected backfill specified in terms of the vertical
size, ie. D+300, or as an absolute.
This distance must be greater than or equal to the invert
to bedding top or 0.
This distance is labeled as C in the diagram.

The bedding diagram will be updated as you change any of the main data
items. The [Default] button will reset the bedding parameters to the
SABS 1200 specification.

5-24 Storm Reference

Link Tables

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

The Link Tables allow the designer to define up to 15 different link types
or culverts between nodes. These links may be circular (pipes),
rectangular (box culverts), portal/skew haunch, or custom link types.
Custom link types allow you to input the depth to proportional flow and
depth to proportional area curves, thus enabling the use of non-standard
culvert shapes such as egg-shaped pipes, portal culverts or even
parabolic channels.

Edit Menu 5-25

Name
This page allows you to set the link name, friction factors and link type.

The Link Name page functions in conjunction with the Link Sizes Dialog
and the Link Flow Curve Dialog. Every link type must have the following
characteristics:
Name Specify a link name in up to 15 alpha-numeric
characters. This name will be displayed on the Link
Table Menu as well is in the Edit Node Data dialog.
Manning Factor Specify the Manning Factor to be used in the hydraulic
calculations of all links of this type.
Colebrook-White Factor Specify the roughness coefficient in mm
Type Specify the link type as one of the following:
Pipe
Standard round pipe.
Box
Rectangular box culvert.
Portal
Portal culvert with linked side walls.
Custom
Any other culvert or channel type. The flow
characteristics may be specified in the Link Flow Curve
dialog.
Open Drain
The Open Drain link type is used for V-shaped and
trapezoidal drains.

5-26 Storm Reference

Sizes
The link size table allows you to specify your own range of link sizes. The
table will require the following data depending on the Link Type.

Right click on a row in the table to access a menu with Cut, Copy, Paste,
Insert Rows and Delete Rows options.

Pipe Culverts

Nominal Diameter The nominal size of the pipe as displayed in the combo
box in the Edit Node Data dialog and all views and
printouts.
Internal Diameter The actual internal diameter of the pipe. This value is
used for all of the hydraulic calculations.
Overall Diameter The outside diameter of the pipe. This value is used for
minimum cover and quantities calculations.
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

Edit Menu 5-27

Box Culverts

Nominal Width The standard width of the box culvert (usually the
internal dimension) which will be displayed in the Edit
Node Data dialog and all views and printouts. This value
is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Nominal Height The standard height of the box culvert (usually the
internal dimension) which will be displayed in the Edit
Node Data dialog and all views and printouts. This value
is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Overall Width The outside width of the link. This value is used in the
quantities calculations
Overall Height The outside height of the link. This value is used in the
minimum cover and quantity calculations
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

5-28 Storm Reference

Portal Culverts

Nominal Width The standard width of the portal culvert (usually the
internal horizontal dimension) which will be displayed in
the Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.
Nominal Height The standard height of the portal culvert (usually the
internal vertical dimension) which will be displayed in the
Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.
Overall Width The outside width of the link. This value is used in the
quantities calculations
Overall Height The outside height of the link. This value is used in the
minimum cover calculations
Knee Height The distance from the bottom of the culvert to the bend
point in the side.
Top Offset The horizontal offset from the knee to the top of the
culvert.
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis

Edit Menu 5-29

Custom Culverts

Nominal Width The standard width of the custom culvert (usually the
internal horizontal dimension) which will be displayed in
the Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.
Nominal Height The standard height of the custom culvert (usually the
internal vertical dimension) which will be displayed in the
Edit Node Data dialog, all views and printouts. This value
is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Overall Width The outside width of the link. This value is used in the
quantities calculations
Overall Height The outside height of the link. This value is used in the
minimum cover calculations
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Maximum Flow The maximum (full) flow of the link in m3/second
Maximum Area The maximum cross-sectional area of the link in m2.
Side Clearance The space on either side of the link in an excavation.
This value is used in the excavation, bedding and backfill
volumes calculations.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

5-30 Storm Reference

Open Drains
The Open Drain link type is used for V-shaped and trapezoidal drains.
To define a V-shaped drain set the bottom width to 0. In the illustration
below are examples of a V drain, a typical side drain, and a road prism.

Open Drain Name An identifying name which will be displayed in the Edit
Node Data dialog, all views and printouts.

Bottom Width The width of the base of the drain in millimeters. This
value is used in the hydraulic calculations.
Depth The depth of the drain in millimeters. This value is used
in the hydraulic calculations
Left Side Slope The slope, expressed as 1 : x, of the left side of the
drain.
Right Side Slope The slope, expressed as 1 : x, of the right side of the
drain.
Minimum Slope The minimum slope at which the link will be placed in
normal circumstances.
Maximum Slope The maximum slope at which the link will be placed in
order to satisfy the minimum velocity requirement.
Manning Factor The Manning friction factor of the drain.
Active A toggle to indicate whether this size is available during
the analysis.

Edit Menu 5-31

Link Flow Curve Dialog
This dialog allows you to specify the flow and area curves for each type of
link. By changing the flow and area curves it is possible to accommodate
non-standard link types, i.e. egg-shaped sewer pipes or parabolic
channels.

Prop Proportional depth increments from 0.05 to 1.00

Proportional Flow The proportional flow at the relevant depth increment
Proportional Area The proportional area at the relevant depth increment

The area and flow curves must be input for every depth increment. The
data is proportional to the full flow condition, i.e. values start at 0.0 and
increase to 1.0 for the proportional depth. Flow and area values must be
input accordingly.
The graph of the flow and area curves is continuously updated.

5-32 Storm Reference

Node Data
Edit the node data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditNodeData

The node data dialog allows you to input or edit node, link and inflow
data. It also includes a page which displays the results relating to the
node.
Use the arrow buttons to page through the database or click on the
record number button to search for a particular node or record number.

Procedure
The Node Data dialog will be displayed. There are 5 data pages:

Node
The node data page describes the relationship between the nodes and
defines the direction of flow from the node to the next node.

Node Name The name or reference to this node and outgoing link in
up to 25 alpha-numeric characters. Searches may be
performed on these names.
Next Node The name of the downstream node.

Edit Menu 5-33

Overflow Node The name of the node to which overflows must be
directed. This is optional. If no overflow node is specified
all overflows will be taken into local storage.
Cover Level The level of the node (manhole) cover in meters.
Lock Option to lock the cover level to the specified level.
Freeboard Height that the manhole cover must be above the
extracted cover level.
Manhole Conditions The state of the node invert. This may be one of the
following settings:
Drop - links placed at minimum slope
Invert - links placed with incoming and outgoing invert
levels common
Soffit - links placed with the inside top of the culvert
common
Enter an absolute step between the invert levels of the
incoming and outgoing links. E.g. 0.075
Subnet/Branch /Link No These items are usually calculated by the analysis
module. However the designer may wish to specify that
a certain branch is the trunk or collector. In this instance
he would input his data and specify the branch number
of 1 for the main branch, 2 for the secondary, and so on.
Link numbering starts at 1 for the most upstream link in a
branch and increases towards the outfall.

5-34 Storm Reference

Link
The link data defines the link type, bedding and optional link controls
such as fixed invert, fixed slope and fixed sizes.

Type The link type may be selected from a drop-down list.

Diameter The diameter of the link in millimeters. The diameter is
selected from a drop-down list.
Height The optional height of a box, portal or custom culvert in
millimeters.
Width The optional width of a box, portal or custom culvert in
millimeters
Bedding The bedding class for this link. The class is selected
from a drop-down list.
Number The number of identical and parallel links between this
node and the downstream node, ie. 2 x 900 mm pipes.
Minimum Cover The minimum distance from the ground line to the top of
the link. This value is applied at each node only.
Length The length of the link, ie. the distance between this node
and the downstream node.
Fixed Invert The fixed invert level of the outgoing link
Fixed Slope The fixed slope as a percentage of the outgoing link
Fixed Ratio Slope The fixed slope as a ratio of the outgoing link

Edit Menu 5-35

Runoff
The program will display a different Runoff data page for each runoff
method.

Illudas Time-Area Method

The following data items are required for the Illudas runoff method.
Lock Option to lock the runoff area to the specified area value.
Runoff Area The total contributing runoff area in hectares. The Runoff
Area option will not be active when a subcatchment is
selected, since the area is calculated from the
subcatchment polygon.
Subcatchment The subcatchment can be selected from a list. The runoff
area will then be calculated from the subcatchment
polygon. The subcatchment option will not be active if
the area is locked.
Paved Area (%) The percentage of the sub-catchment that consists of
impervious material.
Paved Entry Time The time in minutes for a drop of water to travel from the
furthest part of the paved zone to the stormwater inlet.
Paved Depression Storage The average losses in mm due to surface irregularities.
Supplementary The percentage of the sub-catchment that consists of
Area (%) impervious material which discharges onto a permeable
surface, ie. roofs that discharge onto a lawn.

5-36 Storm Reference

Grass Entry Time The time in minutes for a drop of water to travel from the
furthest part of the grassed zone to a point on the
contributing paved area or to the stormwater inlet if the
contributing paved area is zero.
Grass Depression Storage The average losses in mm due to surface irregularities.
Soil Type The soil classification which will determine the rate of
infiltration.
Inflow Hydrograph The name of the inflow hydrograph file.

Paved Area Entry Time Calculator

If you click on the […] button next to the Paved Area Entry Time box the
Paved Area Entry Time calculator will be displayed.

The paved entry time is the time it takes the runoff from the paved area
to run along a gutter with a hydraulic radius of 60mm and a Manning
factor of 0.02 to the inlet. The overland flow time for the runoff to reach
the gutter is assumed to be 2 minutes which is added to the gutter travel
time.
This dialog allows you to calculate the paved area entry time from the
following parameters based on Manning's equation:
Length The distance from the catchpit to the furthest hydraulic point of
the paved area in meters.
Slope The slope from the furthest hydraulic point expressed as a
percentage.

The calculated value will be placed in the Paved Entry Time edit box
when you click on the [OK] button.

Edit Menu 5-37

Grassed Area Entry Time
The grassed area entry time is the time taken for a drop of water to travel
from the hydraulically most distant point of the contributing grassed
area on to the contributing paved area or the entrance to the stormwater
drainage system if there is no paved area. The entry time calculation is
based on the Kinematic equation for overland flow:

0 .6
 nL 
t = 27.8  

(Wi )−0.4
 s

where
t = travel time in minutes
n = Manning's retardance coefficient for overland flow
L = flow length in m
S = slope in %
i = excess rainfall intensity (mm/h)
W = ratio of sub-catchment width to flow width

If you click on the […] button next to the Grassed Area Entry Time box
the Grassed Area Entry Time calculator will be displayed.
This dialog allows you to specify the following parameters:

Length The length of the grassed portion of the catchment area.

Slope The slope of the grassed area expressed as a percentage.
Manning Factor The roughness coefficient of the grassed area.

The excess rainfall intensity multiplied by the width ratio ( Wi ) is

assumed to be 25 mm/h as recommended by Watson.

5-38 Storm Reference

Woolhiser recommended the following Manning's retardance coefficients
for overland flow
Surface Range
Concrete or asphalt 0.010 - 0.013
Bare sand 0.010 - 0.016
Graveled surface 0.012 - 0.030
Bare clay - loam soil (eroded) 0.012 - 0.033
Sparse vegetation 0.053 - 0.130
Veld 0.100 - 0.200
Lawns 0.170 - 0.480

The calculator will update the grass entry time control when you click
the [OK] button.

Edit Menu 5-39

Rational Formula

The following data items are required for Rational Formula runoff
calculations:
Lock Option to lock the runoff area to the specified area value.
Runoff Area The total contributing runoff area in square kilometers. The
Runoff Area option will not be active when a subcatchment
is selected, since the area is calculated from the
subcatchment polygon.
Subcatchment The subcatchment can be selected from a list. The runoff
area will then be calculated from the subcatchment polygon.
The subcatchment option will not be active if the area is
locked.
Time of Concentration The time it takes for a drop of water to travel from the most
distant part of the catchment to the catchpit. Click on the [...]
button to display the Time of Concentration calculator.
User Specified Point Select if the Rational Runoff calculations must not calculate
Rainfall the Point Rainfall value from the standard Rational Runoff
graphs but must make use of the entered value.
Catchment
Characteristics
Rural Percentage The rural portion of the catchment area expressed as a
percentage of the total area.
Rural Factor The rural area runoff coefficient which may be calculated
using the rural coefficient calculator.

5-40 Storm Reference

Urban Percentage The urban portion of the catchment area expressed as a
percentage of the total area.
Urban Factor The urban area runoff coefficient which may be calculated
using the urban coefficient calculator.
Lakes The percentage of the catchment area consisting of lakes or
ponds which do not contribute to runoff.
Inflow Hydrograph Import a flow hydrograph at this node

Time of Concentration
The Time of Concentration is the time it takes for a drop of water to
travel from the most distant part of the catchment to the catchpit. This
calculator allows you to calculate the time of concentration. Two types of
flow are taken into account - overland and watercourse.
Overland
The overland flow option is used where there is no defined stream or
concentration of water. When this option is selected you will be able to
specify the roughness factor. The time of concentration is calculated
according to the following formula.
0.467
 rL 
Tc = 0.604  0.5 
S 

where
r = roughness coefficient
L = length of the catchment area in km
S = slope of the catchment area in m/m
Watercourse
This option is used for all flows are concentrated into streams or rivers.
The time of concentration is calculated according to the following
formula.
0.385
 0.87L2 
Tc =  
 1000S avg 
 
where
L = length of the catchment area in km
Savg = average slope of the catchment area in m/m
The Time of Concentration dialog will be displayed.

Edit Menu 5-41

The following data may be entered:
Flow Type Select overland where there is no defined stream or
concentration of water, otherwise select watercourse.
Roughness The roughness coefficient defines the surface roughness which
Coefficient determines the flow speed. The options are:
Surface Roughness Coefficient
Paved Area 0.02
Clean Soil 0.10
Sparse Grass 0.30
Moderate Grass 0.40
Thick Bush 0.80
Longest Length The length of the catchment area in kilometers.
Average Slope The slope of the catchment area expressed in vertical
meters/horizontal meter.
Time of The calculated value is updated as you change the values and
Concentration settings of the above items.

Click on [OK] to accept and transfer the calculated value into the time of
concentration control in the rational runoff page.

5-42 Storm Reference

Rural Coefficient
There are three main variables which determine the rural runoff ie.
surface slope, permeability and vegetation. You may specify the
percentage makeup of each variable in the dialog.
This dialog allows you to enter the various values which are used to
calculate the rural runoff coefficient.

The program uses these percentage values plus the following factors to
determine the final rural area factor.
Component Classification Mean Average Rainfall
< 600 600 - 900 > 900
Surface Slope Vlei's and Pans (< 3%) 0.01 0.03 0.05
Flat Areas (3% to 10%) 0.06 0.08 0.11
Hilly (10% to 30%) 0.12 0.16 0.20
Steep Areas ( > 30%) 0.22 0.26 0.30
Permeability Very Permeable 0.03 0.04 0.05
Permeable 0.06 0.08 0.10
Semi-Permeable 0.12 0.16 0.20
Impermeable 0.21 0.26 0.30
Vegetation Thick Bush/Plantation 0.03 0.04 0.05
Light Bush/Farmland 0.07 0.11 0.15
Grassland 0.17 0.21 0.25
No Vegetation 0.26 0.28 0.30

Edit Menu 5-43

Urban Coefficient
The urban runoff coefficient defines the runoff from urban surfaces. For
convenience the urban area is broken down into four types or classes.
Define the percentage that each type makes up of the total urban area as
well as a runoff coefficient for each type.
This dialog allows you to determine the urban runoff factor by specifying
the makeup of the catchment area.

Specify the makeup of the urban coefficient in percent. The total must be
100 percent. Thereafter select a runoff factor for each of the urban
surface types using the following guidelines:

Usage Description Factor

Lawns and Parks Sandy, flat ( < 2%) 0.05 - 0.10
Sandy, steep ( > 7%) 0.15 - 0.20
Heavy soil, flat (< 2%) 0.13 - 0.17
Heavy soil, steep ( > 7%) 0.25 - 0.35
Industrial Areas Light 0.50 - 0.80
Heavy 0.60 - 0.90
City and Residential Houses 0.30 - 0.50
Flats 0.50 - 0.70
City Centre 0.70 - 0.95
Suburban 0.50 - 0.70
Street 0.70 - 0.95

5-44 Storm Reference

Wallingford Rational Formula

The following data items are required for Wallingford Rational Formula
runoff calculations:
Lock Option to lock the runoff area to the specified area value.
Catchment Area (km2) The total contributing runoff area in square kilometers. The
Runoff Area option will not be active when a subcatchment
is selected, since the area is calculated from the
subcatchment polygon.
Subcatchment The subcatchment can be selected from a list. The runoff
area will then be calculated from the subcatchment polygon.
The subcatchment option will not be active if the area is
locked.
Percentage Impervious The percentage of the catchment area covered by
Catchment (PIMP) impervious surfaces intended to drain to the storm sewer.
Time of Entry (min) The time it takes for a drop of water to travel from the most
distant part of the catchment to the catchpit. Click on the [...]
button to display the Time of Entry calculator.
Previous Pipe Length The length of pipe between the upstream sub-catchment
(m) and this sub-catchment.
Previous Pipe Velocity The calculated flow velocity in the pipe between the
upstream sub-catchment and this sub-catchment.
Time of Flow (min) The time of flow through the previous pipe to the point
under consideration. Calculated from the pipe length and
velocity.

Edit Menu 5-45

Time of Concentration The time of concentration is equal to the sum of the time of
entry and the time of flow.
Soil Type The soil index SOIL is based on the Flood Studies Report
and may be obtained from the revised soil map covering the
whole of the United Kingdom. The index takes one of the
values 0.15, 0.3, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5 according to the five soil
types 1 to 5 respectively.

Time of Entry
The time of entry te may be regarded as representing the delay and
attenuation of the flow over the ground surface. It has the effect of
reducing the calculated discharge, since an increase in the time of entry
and, consequently, in the time of concentration reduces the
corresponding rainfall intensity. Recent research has shown that times of
entry of 8 to 12 minutes are common amongst frequently occurring
storms. The following values have been recommended for the time of
entry:
Return Period Time of entry (minutes)
5 years 3-6
2 years 4-7
1 year 4-8
1 month 5 - 10

For each return period the larger times of entry are applicable to large,
flat sub-catchments (area greater than 400m2, slope less than 1 in 50) and
the smaller values to small, steep sub-catchments (area less than 200m2,
slope greater than 1 in 30). Note that these values of area and slope refer
to the sub-catchments contributing to each pipe length.
The time of entry is calculated according to the following formula:
te = 7.44 LENGTH0.133 SLOPE-0.274
where LENGTH is the sub-catchment overland flow length (m) and
SLOPE is the sub-catchment slope (per cent)
The Time of Entry dialog will be displayed.

5-46 Storm Reference

The following data may be entered:

Overland Flow Length The sub-catchment overland flow length in metre.

Slope The average slope of the sub-catchment area expressed in
percentage.
Time of Entry The calculated value is updated as you change the values
of the above items.

Click on OK to accept and transfer the calculated value into the time of
entry control in the Wallingford rational runoff page.

Edit Menu 5-47

Control
Each node may have certain flow and local storage restrictions placed on
it.

Maximum Flow The flow into the outgoing link may be limited to a
specific value regardless of the capacity of the link.
Maximum Storage If no overflow node is specified the analysis module will
assume that excess link flows will be taken up in some
form of local storage, ie. a surge tank.
In many instances one would wish to take a specified
volume of flow up in local storage and then pass the
excess flow on to an overflow node.
Node Y Coordinate The Y coordinate of the node or manhole.
Node X Coordinate The X coordinate of the node or manhole.

5-48 Storm Reference

Results
Selected results are presented on this page for your information.

Delete/Recall
This button will mark the current record for deletion or if it has already
been deleted it will remove the deletion flag. Deleted records will only be
removed from the database when you close the project and answer Yes to
the question "Do you want to remove deleted records". Once the database
has been packed it is impossible to recover the deleted records.

Find
By clicking on the button that displays the current record number, ie. the
button that displays "00001:00075", you may search for a specific record.

Show
Click on this button to zoom the view around the current link.

Edit Menu 5-49

Node Data &Spreadsheet
Edit the node data in a spreadsheet

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormEditNodeSheet

This option allows you to edit the data in a spreadsheet format. You may
cut and paste between cells in the spreadsheet.

Procedure
The Node Data spreadsheet is displayed. You may change the size of the
dialog by clicking and dragging the bottom right corner.

On fields where the data is limited to a selection a dropdown list will be

displayed. Select the desired option from the list.
You may use the following shortcuts:
Cut Ctrl+X
Copy Ctrl+C
Paste Ctrl+V

Click on OK to save your changes.

5-50 Storm Reference

Analysis Menu
This menu allows you to analyse or evaluate part of or the
entire network and calculate the quantities according to
SABS 1200 standards.

View Menu 6-1

Network
Analyse the network flows, sizes and grades

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormAnalysisNetwork
This option allows you to analyse the network and calculate flows, link
sizes, levels and slopes. During the analysis you will be informed by
means of a progress dialog.
The Analysis Wizard will be displayed. The first page will vary
depending on the inflow method specified in the Design Parameters.

Illudas

Storm File Name Input the name of the storm to be applied to the
catchment area or click on the [...] button to display the
File Open dialog.
Antecedant Moisture Select the antecedant moisture condition prior to the
Condition storm event.
Routing Method Specify which routing method to use:
Continuity equation
Time Shift

Click on the Next button. The Analysis options page is displayed. You
may return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

6-2 Storm Reference

Rational

Return Period The return period or statistical frequency of the storm

event.
Mean Annual The average annual precipitation in mm.
Precipitation
Rainfall Region Specify one of the following regions:
Winter
Summer
All Year
Time Step The time increment in minutes used in the analysis of
the storm and runoff model.
Routing Method Specify which routing method to use:
Continuity equation
Time Shift

Click on the Next button. The Analysis options page is displayed. You
may return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

View Menu 6-3

Wallingford Rational

Return Period The return period or statistical frequency of the storm

event.
Duration (hours) The time elapsed from the start to finish of the storm
event in hours.
Average Annual Rainfall The standard average annual rainfall in mm as read
from the Average Annual Rainfall (1941-1970) map.
Time Step The time increment in minutes used in the analysis of
the storm and runoff model.
Routing Method Specify which routing method to use:
Continuity equation
Time Shift
Geographic Location Specify one of the following locations:
England and Wales
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Rainfall Depths M5-60min Read from the maps the rainfall depths of the five year
return period and 60 minutes duration.
Ratio of M5-60min to M5- Read the ratio of 60 minute to two day rainfall of five
two day (r x 100) year return period from the maps.

Click on the Next button. The Analysis options page is displayed. You
may return to this page by clicking on the Back button.

6-4 Storm Reference

Analysis options

This page allows you to specify whether you want to analyze all the
nodes by clicking the All option or just the selected nodes by clicking the
Selected option. For example, if you had selected only a branch using
Graphical ► Select ► Upstream the program will only analyze that portion
of the network.
If this is the first time you are analyzing the entire network you must
select the Renumber branches and links option.
The Keep existing subnetworks option locks the subnet numbering to the
previously calculated numbering.
The Recalculate link lengths from coordinates option calculates the length
of each link from the coordinates of the upstream and downstream node
coordinates.
Click on the [Finish] button to proceed. The Output Manager dialog will
be displayed. This allows you to specify the destination of the log that will
be generated during the analysis. To direct the log to the Output Window
check the Screen output option.
After the completion of the analysis the results windows will be
displayed. Each window displays certain aspects of the results such as
flows, overflows, levels and slopes, and the hydraulic gradient. These
windows or views are discussed in the View Menu chapter.

View Menu 6-5

Quantities
Calculate the quantities

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormAnalysisQuantities
This option allows you to calculate the quantities of the selected links in
the network according to the parameters defined in the depth
increments and the Bedding Classes.
The Print Manager will be displayed. Specify where you want the output
to be directed. Click on OK.
A progress window will be displayed during the calculation. You may
terminate the quantity analysis at any time by clicking on the Cancel
button. Thereafter the results will be displayed in a series of windows or
views as discussed in the View Menu.

6-6 Storm Reference

View Menu
These functions allow you to view input data, results,
quantities, link hydrographs and Reservoir Results.

View Menu 7-1

Input Data
The input data views display the data you have input in the following
three windows.

Node Data
Display node input data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewInputNodeData

This view includes the following data items:

• Node name
• Next node name
• Overflow node name
• Branch number
• Link number
• Inlet condition
• Cover level
• Y coordinate
• X coordinate
• Maximum inflow
• Maximum storage

Link Data
Display link input data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewInputLinkData

This view includes the following data items:

• Link name
• Number of links
• Link type
• Link size or description
• Bedding class
• Minimum cover
• Length
• Fixed inlet level
• Fixed slope

7-2 Storm Reference

Runoff Data
Display runoff input data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewInputInflowData

The data displayed by this view is determined by the runoff method.

Illudas
This view includes the following data items:
• Node Name
• Area in ha
• Subcatchment
• % Paved Area
• Paved Area Entry Time in minutes
• Paved Area Depression Storage in mm
• % Supplementary Area
• Grass Area Entry Time in minutes
• Grass Area Depression Storage in mm
• Soil Type
• The short name of the inflow hydrograph
Rational
This view includes the following data items:
• Node name
• Area in square kilometers
• Subcatchment
• Time of Concentration in minutes
• % Rural runoff
• Rural Runoff Coefficient,
• % Urban runoff
• Urban Runoff Coefficient
• % Lakes
Wallingford Rational
This view includes the following data items:
• Node name
• Area in square kilometers
• Subcatchment
• Time of Concentration in minutes
• Time of Entry in minutes
• Time of Flow in minutes

View Menu 7-3

• Percentage Impermeable
• Soil Type

7-4 Storm Reference

Results
The results views display the results of the last analysis in the following
five windows.

Summary
Display a summary of the analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewResultsSummary

This option displays a summary of the network analysis and includes the
outfall node data. The example below is generated for the Unit Flow
method.
Results Summary
---------------
File Name: C:\CivDes64\Examples\Tutor\Storm.stw
Inflow Calculation Method = Illudas
Number of Nodes analyzed = 75
Subnetwork 1
Outfall Data
Outfall Node = 34
Outlet Level = 1551.3900 m
Design Flow = 1.2789 m3/s

Storm Data
File Name: C:\CivDes64\Examples\Tutor\Coast 550 180-1 min.stm
Chicago Storm Coastal Region
Mean Annual Precipitation = 550 mm
Return Period = 20 years
Duration = 180 min
Time Step = 1 min
Ratio of Peak/Duration = 0.38
Factors:
A = 849 B = 12.0 C = 0.750
Total Depth = 50.6 mm

Antecedant Moisture Condition = Rather Dry (2)

Routing Method = Time Shift

Accuracy Check
Volume of Inflow = 3268.3 m3
Volume at Outfall = 3257.4 m3
Percentage Error = 0.33

View Menu 7-5

Runoff Analysis
Display the results of the runoff analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewResultsInflowAnalysis

This option displays the results data generated during the runoff
analysis. The data displayed will vary according to the inflow method.

Illudas
The data includes:
• Node name
• Next node name
• Runoff in m3/s
• The volume of runoff from the Paved Area in m3
• The volume of runoff from the Grass Area in m3
• The total volume of runoff from the sub-catchment in m3

Rational
The data includes:
• Node name
• Next node name
• Runoff in m3/s
• The rural runoff coefficient
• The urban runoff coefficient

Wallingford Rational
The data includes:
• Node name
• Next node name
• Runoff in m3/s
• Catchment Area in km2
• Percentage Impermeable in %
• Time of Entry in minutes
• Time of Flow in minutes
• Time of Concentration in minutes

7-6 Storm Reference

Flow Analysis
Display the results of the flow analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewResultsFlowAnalysis

Displays the results generated by the flow or hydraulic analysis. Data

items include:
• Link name
• Next link name
• Number of Links
• Link type
• Calculated size of the link
• Flow in m3/s
• Capacity of the link in m3/s
• Velocity at peak flow in m/s
• Flow depth expressed as a percentage of the link size

Overflow Analysis
Display the results of the overflow analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewResultsOverflowAnalysis

Displays the results generated by the overflow analysis. Data items

include:
• Link name
• Next link name
• Inflow into the node in m3/s
• Design flow in m3/s which is the total flow from all upstream
catchment areas
• Actual flow transported by the link in m3/s
• Capacity of the link in m3/s
• Overflow from the link in m3/s, i.e. the difference between the design
flow and the flow.
• The local storage required or used at the node in m3
• The inflow storage required or used at the node in m3

View Menu 7-7

Layout Analysis
Display the results of the layout analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewResultsLayoutAnalysis

This option displays data relating to the geometric position of the link.
Data items include:
• Link name
• Next link name
• Number of links
• Link type
• Calculated size in mm or the link description
• Length in m
• Slope of the link expressed as a percentage
• Slope of the link expressed as a Ratio
• Inlet level of the link in m
• Outlet level of the link in m
• Cover Level of the link in m
• Cover to the link in m
• Manhole Depth in m

Hydraulic Grade
Display the results of the hydraulic grade analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewResultsHydraulicAnalysis

This option displays the elevation of the hydraulic grade line as well as
other hydraulic control data. Data items include:
• Link name
• Hydraulic grade in m
• Cover level of the node (manhole) in m
• Soffit level of the link in m
• Velocity of flow in m/s
• Flow depth in the link in m

7-8 Storm Reference

Quantities
The quantities windows display the results of the SABS1200 quantity
calculations. You must have run Analysis ► Quantities before you access
these functions.

Excavation Lengths
Display the excavation lengths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewQuantityExcLength

This option collects and displays the excavation lengths generated by the
quantity analysis. The data is sorted by link type and size and includes
the excavation length in every depth increment.

Excavation Volumes
Display the excavation volumes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewQuantityExcVolume

This option collects and displays the excavation volumes generated by

the quantity analysis. The data is sorted by link type and size and
includes the excavation volume in every depth increment as well as extra
over items for intermediate and hard material.

View Menu 7-9

The trench widths are calculated from the overall width of the culvert
plus the side clearance specified in the Link Tables.

Bedding and Backfill Volumes

Display the bedding, selected backfill and general backfill volumes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewQuantityBeddingVolume

This option collects and displays the bedding volume, selected backfill
and general backfill volumes of the selected links. The data is sorted by
bedding class.

The bedding classes are defined in Edit ► Bedding Classes. The selected
backfill is the backfill defined in the Invert to Fill Top (C) edit box. The
general backfill is the fill on top of the selected backfill to the top of the
trench.

7-10 Storm Reference

Culvert Lengths
Display the summary of culvert lengths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewQuantityCulvertLength

This function displays a summary of culvert lengths sorted by culvert

type.

Manhole Depths
Display the summary of manhole depths

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewQuantityManholeDepth

This function displays a summary of manhole depths in the depth

increments specified in Edit  Depth Increments.

View Menu 7-11

Link Hydrograph
Display a hydrograph of the flow through a link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewLinkHydrograph

This option displays the inflow, outflow, and overflow hydrographs as

well as the inlet inflow on a common set of axes.

Procedure
The Link Hydrograph dialog will be displayed. There are two pages:

Graph
Select the link from the dropdown list. The link inflow, outflow and
overflow hydrographs, as well as the inlet hydrograph will be displayed.
The graphs are plotted on one set of axes as shown below.

To view the hydrograph inflow array click on the [Array] tab.

7-12 Storm Reference

Array
This page displays the hydrograph inflow array in a table.

Print
Click on the [Print] button to output the array and graph to a printer.
You will be able to select the destination device before printing.

Export
Click on the [Export] button to create a hydrograph file with the data
from the outflow array. The file is stored in the industry standard dBase
IV file format that can then be imported on the Node Data Inflow page.

View Outflow / View Inflow

Click on the [View Outflow] button to display the outflow array. The
button caption will change to [View Inflow].

View Menu 7-13

Multiple Hydrographs
Display a hydrograph of the flow through a link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewMultipleHydrographs

This function displays up to 10 hydrographs on a common set of axes. It

is extremely useful to see how various flows interact with each other.

Procedure
The Multiple Link Hydrographs dialog will be displayed.

Links
This page allows you to select which link hydrographs to display. Select
the links from the dropdown lists.

7-14 Storm Reference

Graph
Displays the outflow hydrographs of the selected links on a common set
of axes.

View Menu 7-15

Reservoir Analysis
Display the results of the reservoir analysis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormViewReservoirResults

This option displays the results of a performance analysis that is done on

each reservoir in the system.

Procedure
The Reservoir Analysis dialog will be displayed. Select a reservoir from
the Node Name control to display it's results:

Summary
This page displays a summary of the selected reservoir's performance
analysis.

The following results are displayed:

Node Name The name of the node that the reservoir is attached to.
Inflow Data
Inflow Volume The volume of inflow in m3

7-16 Storm Reference

 Maximum Inflow Rate The peak inflow in m3/sec
Time to Peak The time in minutes from the start of the storm to the
peak inflow
Outflow Data
Outflow Volume The volume of outflow in m3
Maximum Outflow Rate The peak outflow in m3/sec.
Time to Peak The time in minutes from the start of the storm to the
peak outflow.
Performance
Maximum Storage The maximum storage required for the storm event in
Required m3.
Maximum Water Depth The maximum depth of the water in the reservoir in m.
Flow Attenuation The difference between the inflow rate and the outflow
rate as a percentage, in other words by how much the
inflow rate has been reduced at the outfall.
Lag Time The time between the inflow and outflow peaks.

Depth Array
This page provides a step by step report on the inflow, water depth,
storage and outflow of the reservoir.

View Menu 7-17

The columns of data are:

Time The elapsed time in minutes from the start of the storm.
Inflow The inflow into the reservoir in m3/s at the time
increment.
Depth The depth of the water at the time increment.
Storage The active storage in m3 at the time increment.
Culvert Outflow The outflow in m3/s from the reservoir through the
culvert or first outlet at the time increment.
Weir Outflow The outflow in m3/s from the reservoir through the weir
or second outlet at the time increment.
Total Outflow The total outflow in m3/s from the reservoir at the time
increment.

Graph
This page provides a step by step report on the inflow, water depth,
storage and outflow of the reservoir.

Print
Click on the [Print] button to output the summary, array and graph to a
printer. You will be able to select the destination device before printing.

7-18 Storm Reference

Graphical Menu
The graphical functions allow you to create and
manipulate the stormwater database graphically.

Graphical Menu 8-1

Classify Nodes and Links
Convert drawing entities in database records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeClassify

This function allows you to create database records by indicating

drawing entities. The program will add a record to the dataset and copy
selected data into the record.
The drawing must contain circles representing the nodes with associated
text near each circle representing the node name.

Procedure
For example, in the picture below there are two circles with the node
names as text items, MH 123 and MH 124 respectively.

The program will prompt:

Classify: Indicate upstream node

Click on or near the circle that represents node MH 123. The program
will extract the centre coordinates of the circle, search for nearby text to

8-2 Storm Reference

use as the node name, and also extract a cover level for the node from the
DTM if one is included in the project.
The program will prompt:
Classify: Indicate the downstream node (right mouse button
to stop)

Click on or near the circle representing MH 124. The Node Data dialog
will be displayed. You may now input any additional information that is
required.

Click on the [Close] button to exit the node data dialog. The nodes and
link will be displayed. The program will continue to prompt:
Classify: Indicate the downstream node (right mouse button
to stop)

Continue indicating downstream nodes or press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to

terminate the function.
Alternatively, if you want to connect the new node (MH 123) to an
existing node in the dataset (042 in this example), then click on or near
the existing node. In this instance the program will prompt for an
upstream node after you have closed the Node Data dialog.

Graphical Menu 8-3

Edit Node and Link Data
Query and edit node and link data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeEdit

This function allows you to query and edit existing node and link data.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Query: Indicate node or link to query

Click on a node or link. The Node Data dialog will be displayed with the
relevant data.
Press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to terminate the function.

8-4 Storm Reference

Select
The select functions allow you to select nodes and links individually,
upstream from a specific point, or all the nodes and links. You can also
clear an existing selection.
The network analysis and the quantity calculations are only done on
selected records. In addition, the Cover Level and Set Parameters
functions only operate on selected records.
The display is updated when you activate the selection functions to
highlight all the selected nodes and links. Upon completion of the
selection functions the nodes and links will be re-drawn normally.

Single
Select a single node and link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSelectSingle

This function allows you to select or de-select a single node and link.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Select: Indicate link to select

Click on the node or link you want to select or de-select. The display will
be updated to reflect the status of the node and link.
Press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to terminate the function.

Branch
Select the nodes and links with the same Subnetwork and Branch numbers

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerGraphicalSelectBranch

This function allows you to select all the nodes and links with the same
subnetwork and branch numbers by selecting one of the links in the
branch.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Graphical Menu 8-5
 Select Branch: Indicate link to start branch trace

Place the cursor on a link and click. All the nodes and links with the
same subnet and branch number as the indicated node or link will be
selected.

Upstream
Select the nodes and links upstream from a specified point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSelectUpstream

This function allows you to select all the nodes and links upstream from
a specified point. The program will clear the existing selection and then
track and select all nodes and links upstream of the indicated point.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Select Upstream: Indicate link to start upstream trace

Place the cursor on a link and click. All the nodes and links upstream of
the indicated node or link will be selected.

All
Select all the nodes and links

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSelectAll

This function allows you to select all the nodes and links in a data set.

Procedure
The program will redraw the network in selected mode.

Clear
Clear all the selected nodes and links

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSelectClear

This function allows you to de-select all the nodes and links in a data set.

8-6 Storm Reference

Procedure
The program will redraw the network in normal mode.

Toggle Show Selected

Toggle between showing the selection highlighted or normal.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SewerToggleShowSelected

This function allows you to switch the display of the selected node and
links on or off. The program will redraw the selected section of the
network in normal mode and on the next click back in selected mode.

Graphical Menu 8-7

Add Node
Add a node and link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeAdd

This function allows you to graphically add a node and link to the data
set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Add Node: Indicate position of new node

Indicate the position of the new node. You may use any of the snap
modes to do so. Once you have clicked with the mouse or pressed Enter
the program will prompt:
Add Node: Input New Node Name

Type in a new node name and click on . The node will be drawn and
the program will prompt:
Add Node: Indicate the next downstream node (right mouse
button to stop)

If you click on an existing node the program will insert the existing
node's name into the next node field and display the Node Data dialog. If
you click on a new node position the program will ask for the name of the
second new node before displaying the Node Data dialog.
The program will extract the Cover Level from the specified terrain
model surface and calculate the length of the link automatically. The
program will continue to prompt:
Add Node: Indicate position of new node

Press [ESC] or [Spacebar] to terminate the function.

8-8 Storm Reference

Delete Node
Delete an existing node

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeDelete

This function allows you to graphically delete a node and it's associated
link from the data set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Delete Node: Indicate node to delete

Position the cursor on the node to be deleted and click with the left
mouse button. The node will be marked as deleted and the screen re-
drawn.
The node may be recalled by opening the Node Data dialog, displaying
the deleted record and clicking on the Recall button.
The program will continue to prompt:
Delete Node: Indicate node to delete

Indicate additional nodes or press [ESC] or the [Spacebar] to terminate

the function.

Graphical Menu 8-9

Insert Node
Insert a node into an existing link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeInsert

This function allows you to graphically insert a node into an existing link.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Insert Node: Indicate link to insert new node

Position the cursor near to the existing link to be "cut" and click. The
cursor will snap onto the link and the program will prompt you for the
name of the inserted node:
Insert Node: Input New Node Name

Type in the name of the inserted node and click on . The Node Data
dialog will be displayed.
The program will extract the Cover Level from the specified terrain
model surface and calculate the length of the link automatically. It will
also adjust the length of the cut link.
The program will continue to prompt:
Insert Node: Indicate link to insert new node

Indicate additional nodes or press [ESC] or the [Spacebar] to terminate

the function.

8-10 Storm Reference

Connect Node
Define the connectivity between nodes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeConnect

This function allows you to graphically define or change the connectivity

between nodes. If you change the connectivity of an existing link it will
be removed.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Connect Node: Indicate node

Position the cursor on the upstream node and click. The program will
remove the existing link (if any) and prompt:
Connect Node: Indicate downstream node to connect to (right
mouse button to stop)

Position the cursor on the downstream node and click. The link will be
drawn in the new position. The link from the downstream node will now
be erased from the display.
The program will continue to prompt:
Connect Node: Indicate downstream node to connect to (right
mouse button to stop)

Continue to indicate additional downstream nodes or press [ESC] or the

[Spacebar] to terminate the function.

Graphical Menu 8-11

Move Node
Move an existing node

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeMove

This function allows you to graphically move a node and it's incoming
and outgoing links. The program will automatically extract the Cover
Level from the specified terrain model surface and re-calculate the
lengths of all the links connected to the node.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Move Node: Indicate node to move

Position the cursor close to the node to be moved and click. The cursor
will snap to the centre of the node and the program will prompt:
Move Node: Indicate new position of node

As you move the cursor the display is updated to show the position of the
node and it's attached links. Move the cursor to the new position and
click or press [Enter]. You may use the snap modes to place the node
accurately.

8-12 Storm Reference

Cover Levels
Update node cover levels

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeCoverLevels

This function will extract levels from the digital terrain model and
update the node cover levels of all the selected nodes.

Procedure
The DTM Surfaces dialog will be displayed.
Specify the surface to be used to interpolate the cover level and click on
[OK]. The program will scan the database and extract a cover level for
each selected node. If no nodes have been selected the following error
message will be displayed:
No nodes selected

Use the Graphical ► Select functions to select nodes.

Graphical Menu 8-13

Add Subcatchment
Add a subcatchment to the data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSubcatchAdd

This function allows you to create subcatchment runoff areas by defining

the area graphically by drawing a polygon and giving it an identifying
name. The program will save all the vertex coordinates together with the
subcatchment name. The subcatchment can then be linked to a specific
Node record of which the runoff area will be updated to the calculated
size of the subcatchment. The drainage path can be indicated graphically
and the drainage length and a weighted average slope will be calculated
and entered into the Runoff time calculation. The subcatchment can also
be displayed graphically by specifying the subcatchment settings in the
Display settings.

Procedure
For example, in the picture below we want to define the area that must
drain to node 64.

The program will prompt:

Subcatchment Perimeter: Indicate start point

8-14 Storm Reference

Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Subcatchment Perimeter: Indicate next point (click near
start to end)

Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the

starting point again. The program will prompt:
Add Subcatchment: Input New Subcatchment Name

Enter S64 as the subcatchment name. The program will prompt:

Select the node that subcatchment S64 must drain to

Click on node 64. A Confirmation dialog will open requesting that you
confirm that you want subcatchment S64 to drain to node 64. If you click
on [No] the previous prompt will be displayed again requesting you to
select a node. Click on [Yes]. The program will prompt:
Define the drainage path in the upstream direction (Right click to end)
There will be a line attached to the cursor running from node 64. Draw
the drainage path from the node in an upstream direction to the most
remote point of the catchment. A confirmation dialog will open asking if
you are satisfied with the drainage path. Click on [Yes] if satisfied with
the path else click on [No] and redefine the path.

The runoff time calculator dialogs will open according to the specified
runoff calculation method.

Graphical Menu 8-15

Illudas Method
The Paved Area Entry Time Calculator dialog will open with the Length
and Slope entered as calculated from the defined drainage path.

Click on [OK] and the Grassed Area Entry Time Calculator dialog will
open with the Length and Slope entered as calculated from the defined
drainage path. Enter the Manning Factor and adjust the Length and
Slope if required.

Click on [OK]. The Runoff page for node 64 will open with Subcatchment
S64 selected and the Paved and Grassed Entry Time updated.

Click on [Close].

8-16 Storm Reference

Rational Method
The Time of Concentration dialog will open with the Longest Length and
Average Slope entered as calculated from the defined drainage path.
Enter the Flow Type and the Roughness Coefficient and adjust the
Length and Slope if required.

Click on [OK]. The Runoff page for node 64 will open with Subcatchment
S64 selected and the Time of Concentration updated.

Click on [Close].

Graphical Menu 8-17

Wallingford Rational Method
The Wallingford Time of Entry dialog will open with the Overland Flow
Length and Slope entered as calculated from the defined drainage path.

Click on [OK]. The Runoff page for node 64 will open with Subcatchment
S64 selected and the Time of Concentration updated.

Click on [Close].
The subcatchment will be drawn according to the subcatchment display
settings and a link will be drawn from the subcatchment to the node to
which it drains.

8-18 Storm Reference

The program will continue to prompt:
Subcatchment Perimeter: Indicate start point

Press [ESC] to terminate the function

Graphical Menu 8-19

Delete Subcatchment
Delete a subcatchment from the data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSubcatchDelete

This function allows you to graphically delete a subcatchment from the

data set.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Delete Subcatchment: Indicate subcatchment to delete

Position the cursor inside the subcatchment to be deleted and click with
the left mouse button. The program will request confirmation for the
deletion of the subcatchment.

The subcatchment will be deleted permanently from the data set.

The program will continue to prompt:
Delete Subcatchment: Indicate subcatchment to delete

Indicate additional subcatchments to delete or press [ESC] to terminate

the function.

8-20 Storm Reference

Rename
Rename existing node.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalNodeRename

This option allows you to graphically change the node names.

Procedure
The program will prompt.
Rename : Indicate node to rename

Position the cursor on the node to rename and click. The program will
read and show the existing node name and prompt:
Rename : Input new node name

Type in the new name for the node and click on . The program will
continue to prompt:
Rename : Indicate node to rename

Continue to change node names or press [ESC] to terminate the

function.

Graphical Menu 8-21

Renumber Branches
Renumber existing branches.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalBranchRenumber

This option allows you to graphically change the numbering of the

branches.

Procedure
The program will prompt.
Renumber branches : Indicate branch to renumber

Position the cursor on the branch to renumber and click. The program
will read and show the existing branch number and prompt:
Renumber : Input new branch number

Type in the new branch number for the branch and click on . The
program will continue to prompt:
Renumber branches : Indicate branch to renumber

Continue to change branch numbers or press [ESC] to terminate the

function.

8-22 Storm Reference

Create Subnetwork
Create new sub-networks from a selection in an existing network.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormCreateSubnet

This option allows you to graphically select a section of an existing

network and create a new sub-network from it.

Procedure
The program will prompt.
Create subnetwork : Indicate link to start upstream trace

Position the cursor on the branch where upstream trace must start and
click. The program will trace all the branches and links upstream from
the link and highlight them. A confirmation window will be displayed
asking:
Create subnetwork from selection?

Click on the YES button if you are happy with the selection. The print
manager will open and you can select options for the output type. The
renumbering of the subnetwork will be spooled to the specified output
options. The program will continue to prompt:
Create subnetwork : Indicate link to start upstream trace

Continue to create another sub-network or press [ESC] to terminate the

function.

Graphical Menu 8-23

Set Parameters
Update node and link parameters

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalSetParameters

This function allows you to set or change certain parameters of selected

nodes and links.

Procedure
The Set Parameters dialog is displayed.

To change one of the displayed items click on the check box. Thereafter
specify the value to set in the list or control on the right of the item. Once
you have set all the items you wish to change click on [OK]. All the
selected nodes and links will be updated.
If no nodes have been selected the following error message will be
displayed:
No nodes or links selected

Use the Graphical ► Select functions to select nodes.

8-24 Storm Reference

Clashes
Check for clashes between two services

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

GraphicalClashes

This function checks for clashes between any two services such as storm,
sewer, water, roads or other services defined in the pipe database. The
second service must be part of the project. See Edit Project for details on
setting up a project.

Procedure
The Service Clashes dialog is displayed.

Select which two services to test for clashes in the dropdown lists and
specify the clearance required between the services. In the example
above the program will test the stormwater and sewer networks for a
clearance of 0.3m between links.
Click on the Check button to start the analysis. As a clash is found the
details are displayed on the table as shown below.

In the example above the stormwater culvert from node 12 to node 3

clashes with the sewer culvert between nodes 010 and 009. To view the
clash right click on the row of interest and a menu with two options will
open.

Graphical Menu 8-25

The Show Clash option will change the Design Centre display to position
the clash on the centre of the screen as shown in the following
illustration.

The Long Section option will open the Longitudinal Section dialog and
display a long section of the chosen branch as well as a symbol indicating
the crossing service.

8-26 Storm Reference

Click on the Close button to close the Longitudinal Section dialog and
return to the Clashes Dialog.
Click on the Close button to return to the Design Centre.

Graphical Menu 8-27

Check Link Cover
Check the minimum cover over the length of the link

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormGraphicalLinkCover

This option allows the designer to test the length of all the links for
minimum cover and to view problem areas in plan or on a longitudinal
section.

Procedure
The Minimum Link Cover Dialog will open.

Enter the tolerance that must be allowed for when checking the
minimum cover on the links. In the example above the program will test
the stormwater links for minimum cover with a tolerance of 0.240m.
Click on the Check button to start checking the minimum cover. As a
problem with cover is found the details are displayed on the table as
shown below.

8-28 Storm Reference

In the example above the stormwater link from node 64 to node 63 does
not comply with the minimum cover requirements. At chainage 30.118
there is a low point with only 0.753m cover on the link. To view the cover
problem right click on the row of interest and a menu with two options
will open.

The Show Link option will change the Design Centre display to position
the link with the cover problem on the centre of the screen as shown in
the following illustration.

Graphical Menu 8-29

The Long Section option will open the Longitudinal Section Dialog and
display a long section of the branch with the cover problem.

Click on the Close button to return to the Minimum Link Cover Dialog.
Click on the Done button to return to the Design Centre.
8-30 Storm Reference
Vertical Alignment
Display or edit link vertical alignment.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormQuickLongSection

This option allows the designer to view a quick vertical alignment of the
branches and links of the network and to edit the invert levels of the
manholes. The soft material line will be displayed on the long section as
well as the Intermediate and Hard material lines if available.
Procedure
The Longitudinal Section dialog will be displayed.

The vertical alignment of subnetwork 1, branch 1 will be shown. The

designer can scroll through the vertical alignment of the whole network
by changing the subnetwork and branch numbers.
Toolbar The toolbar on the left of the window allows the designer
to move the invert level of the manholes up or down.
There are also four zoom buttons for zoom functions in
the graphical display. (Zoom Window, Zoom In, Zoom
Out and Zoom All)
Display The designer can select the detail options that he wants
displayed in the legend at the bottom of the graphical
presentation of the vertical alignment.
Select Change the Subnetwork and Branch numbers to view the
vertical alignment of different sections of the network.

Graphical Menu 8-31

There is an option to Show Crossing Pipes. The Crossing Pipes Dialog
will open.

Services can be selected from the Available Services section with the
Select button, which will then be displayed in the Plot Crossings For
section. Services can be removed from the Plot Crossings For section
with the Remove button. The Longitudinal Section will be updated.

8-32 Storm Reference

Click on the Close button to return to the Design Centre.
The Show Minimum Cover option will display a line parallel to the
ground line at the depth of the specified minimum cover on the
longitudinal section.

Click on the Close button to return to the Design Centre.

Graphical Menu 8-33

Move Network
Move the nodes in the network by specified offset.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormMoveNetwork

This function allows you to move only selected or all the nodes and links
with a specified x and/or y and/or z coordinate.

Procedure
The Move Network Dialog is displayed.

Specify the values that the network x, y and z values must change by and
if only the selected nodes must be moved. Click on OK and the network
will be updated.

8-34 Storm Reference

Settings Menu
The Settings Menu allows you to specify the index
order of the input data or results views, rebuild the
database index, specify the DTM surfaces from which
to extract cover and other levels, and change the
display settings.

Settings Menu 9-1

Index Order
To change the display order of dataset records

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormDatabaseOrder

This function allows you to change the order of the records in the Node
Edit dialog and the various View options.

Procedure
The Node Data Index dialog is displayed.

Click on the arrow on the right to display a list of the available indexes.
Click on [OK] to set the order.
Any views (input data or results) that are currently open will be updated
to display the data in the selected order. The Node Data dialog will also
display the records in the active index order.

9-2 Storm Reference

Rebuild Index
To re-create the index files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormReIndex

This function rebuilds the database index and re-calculates the

geographic index for each node and link.
You may sometimes have to run this function if the data is not being
displayed correctly or if the Zoom ► All function is not displaying the
entire network.

Procedure
The index will be rebuilt and the display refreshed to the extents of the
network data.

Settings Menu 9-3

DTM Surface
To specify which DTM surfaces must be used

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StormDTMSurface

This function allows you to specify which DTM surfaces must be used to
extract the soft, intermediate and hard ground lines.

Procedure
The DTM Surfaces dialog will be displayed.

Specify which surface must be used for each material type by clicking on
the arrow and selecting a surface from the dropdown list. Thereafter
specify the search distance for relevant DTM data. Usually a search
distance of 100m will be sufficient. On digital terrain models with very
sparse data you should increase the search distance to 2 x the average
distance between survey points.
Click on [OK] to store the settings.

9-4 Storm Reference

Display Settings
Opens the Display Settings Dialog

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

DisplaySettings

This dialog allows you to specify the items that should be shown in the
graphical display and the manner in which they should be displayed.

Procedure
The Display Settings dialog is displayed.

Show stormwater Check this option to display the Stormwater layout.

layout
Show storm Check this option to display the Storm subcatchment layout.
subcatchments
Annotation Font Select the font to be used for all annotations on the Stormwater
layout.

Settings Menu 9-5

Symbol - Pen The node is displayed as a circle in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the circle in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Symbol - Linetype Specify the line type the circle must be drawn in. Use the
arrows to step through a list of available line styles.
Annotations - Pen The node annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotations - Size Specify the node annotation text size in points.
Annotations - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres horizontally from the actual node
Horizontal offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Specify an offset in metres vertically from the actual node
Vertical offset position at which the annotation text origin should be placed.
Annotations - Text Select one of the 8 available positions for the annotation text
label origin origin. The centre position is the actual node position.
Annotations - Node Enter the text to be written as annotation at each node. A
text number of variables are available. These are {NAME},
{COVER}, {INVERT}, {DEPTH}, {YCOORD} and {XCOORD}.
Right click the relevant cell to select from a menu.
Annotations - Drop Enter the text to be written as annotation at the nodes with drop
Inlet text inlets. Right click and select {DROPINLET}. This will add the
level of the drop inlet and the upstream node name for the
relevant link in brackets.

9-6 Storm Reference

Line - Default Pen The link is displayed as a line in the specified colour if Colour
Scheme (see below) is set to Default. To change the colour
click the button and select a colour from the Colour dialog.
Line - Width on Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Line - Linetype Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available line styles.
Line - Arrow Length Specify the length and width (in millimetres on paper) of the
and Width flow direction arrow. Use the arrows to step through a list of
available sizes.
Line - Colour Select the design item by which the link colours should be
Scheme determined. The options here are Default (which uses the
default line pen as specified previously), Size, Slope, Capacity,
Flow, Velocity, Depth of Flow and Link Type.
Line - Range Start Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Line - Increment Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default.
Colour Ramp Button Click this button to access the Colour Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to the Colour Range.
Annotation - Pen The link annotations are displayed in the specified colour. To
change the colour click the button and select a colour from the
Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the link annotation text size in points. Use the arrows to
step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Offset Enter the offset in metres from the annotation text to the link.
distance The text label origin will be moved away from the link by that
amount.

Settings Menu 9-7

Annotation - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotation - Text Enter the text to be written as annotation for each link. A
above and below number of variables are available. These are {SIZE}, {TYPE},
link {LENGTH}, {BEDDING}, {SLOPE}, {RATIOSLOPE}, {FLOW},
{CAPACITY}, {VELOCITY}, {DEPTH}, {FIXEDSIZE},
{FIXEDSLOPE}, {FIXEDRATIOSLOPE} and
{LINKNUMBERING}. Right click the relevant cell to select from
a menu. You may also define the number of decimals for
numeric items. For example, an item "{LENGTH.1}" will display
the length of the link to 1 decimal. The default display is 3
decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Perimeter Line - The subcatchment perimeter is displayed as a line in the

Default Pen specified colour if Colour Scheme (see below) is set to Default.
To change the colour click the button and select a colour from
the Colour dialog.
Perimeter Line - Specify the width of the line in millimeters on paper. Use the
Width on paper arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Perimeter Line - Specify the line style. Use the arrows to step through a list of
Linetype available line styles.
Show Polygon Check this option to have a square symbol displayed at each
Vertex Point Symbol vertex point of the subcatchment perimeter.
Symbol - Size on Specify the size of the square symbol. Use the arrows to step
paper through a list of available sizes.

9-8 Storm Reference

Subcatchment - Select the design item by which the subcatchment colours
Colour Scheme should be determined. The options here are Default (which
uses the default line pen as specified previously), Area, Width
and Slope.
Subcatchment - Enter the minimum value for the selected design item. Only
Range Start available when Colour Scheme is not set to Default.
Subcatchment - Enter the increment value for each step in the range of values.
Increment There are 20 steps in the range. Only available when Colour
Scheme is not set to Default.
Colour Ramp Button Click this button to access the Colour Ramp dialog in order to
specify a ramp to be applied to the Colour Range.
Subcatchment – Fill Select either No Fill or Solid Fill. If No Fill is selected the
Type subcatchment perimeter will be drawn in the subcatchment
colour. If Solid Fill is selected the subcatchment perimeter will
be drawn in a black line and will be filled in the subcatchment
colour.
Subcatchment Link Select the Display Link between subcatchment and Node
option to display a line between the subcatchment and the node
that it drains to.
Annotation - Pen The subcatchment annotations are displayed in the specified
colour. To change the colour click the button and select a
colour from the Colour dialog.
Annotation - Size Specify the subcatchment annotation text size in points. Use
the arrows to step through a list of available sizes.
Annotation - Box Check this option to have a box filled in the current drawing
background colour placed behind the annotation text. This is a
useful option if you wish to blank out portions of the underlying
data in order to highlight the text.
Annotation – Enter the text to be written as annotation for each
Subcatchment Text subcatchment. Two variables are available. These are {NAME}
and {AREA}. Right click inside the text box to select from a
menu. You may also define the number of decimals for numeric
items. For example, an item "{AREA.1}" will display the area
size of the subcatchment to 1 decimal. The default display is 3
decimals.
Colour Range Click the relevant button to change the colour assigned to that
particular range item.

Fill in the relevant data and click the [OK] button to continue.

Settings Menu 9-9

Notes:

9-10 Storm Reference

 Index

Add Node ............................................................................................................. 8-8

Analysis ......................................................................................7-9, 8-5, 8-25, 8-28
ASCII .................................................................................................................. 4-21
ASCII file ........................................................................................................... 4-21
Backfill Volumes ................................................................................................ 7-9
Bedding.............................................................................................................. 4-21
Bedding Classes ................................................................................................. 7-9
Volumes.......................................................................................................... 4-21
Calculate ............................................................................................. 7-9, 8-8, 8-10
calculation of runoff .......................................................................................... 2-2
Clashes ......................................................................................................8-25, 8-28
Classify Nodes............................................................................................8-2, 8-14
Colebrook-White .............................................................................................. 2-14
Connect Node ................................................................................................... 8-11
controls............................................................................................................... 2-11
Coordinate .......................................................................................... 7-2, 8-2, 8-14
Cover Level .............................................4-21, 7-2, 8-2, 8-5, 8-8, 8-10, 8-13, 8-14
Culvert Lengths.........................................................................................4-21, 7-9
D'Arcy-Weisbach .............................................................................................. 2-13
DBase IV file ............................................................................................7-12, 7-16
Delete Node................................................................................................8-9, 8-20
Depth .................................................................................................................... 7-9
Depth Increments .....................................................................................4-21, 7-9
Design Centre ..........................................................................................8-25, 8-28
Design Parameters .......................................................................................... 4-21
detention storage ............................................................................................. 2-11
DTM..................................................................................................... 8-2, 8-14, 9-4
DTM Surface....................................................................................................... 9-4
dual runoff modelling...................................................................................... 2-12
dual runoff modelling...................................................................................... 2-11
Edit Node............................................................................................................. 8-4
Excavation Lengths..................................................................................4-21, 7-9
Excavation Volumes .................................................................................4-21, 7-9
File Menu............................................................................................................. 4-1
Flow
resistance ....................................................................................................... 2-13
Grade .................................................................................................................. 4-21
Ground Lines ...................................................................................................... 9-4
Hard Material ............................................................................................4-21, 7-9
Harmon .......................................................................................................4-21, 7-2
Hazen-Williams ................................................................................................ 2-13
hydrograph
inflow...............................................................................................................2-11
Hydrograph ...................................................................4-21, 7-2, 7-12, 7-14, 7-16
Hydrographs...................................................................................7-12, 7-14, 7-16
infiltration ............................................................................................................2-8
antecedent moisture condition ..................................................................2-10
Horton's equation ...........................................................................................2-8
soil classification .............................................................................................2-9
soil types ...........................................................................................................2-9
Inflow ..............................................................................4-21, 7-2, 7-12, 7-14, 7-16
Inflow Class ............................................................................................... 4-21, 7-2
Inflow Data ..........................................................................................................7-2
inflow hydrograph............................................................................................2-11
inlet capacity .....................................................................................................2-11
Input Data............................................................................................................7-2
Insert Node ........................................................................................................8-10
Interpolate .........................................................................................................8-13
Invert........................................................................................................... 4-21, 7-9
isocronal zones....................................................................................................2-3
Link Data ............................................................................................4-21, 7-2, 8-4
Link Type............................................................................................4-21, 7-2, 7-9
Links .. 7-2, 7-9, 7-12, 7-14, 7-16, 8-2, 8-4, 8-5, 8-9, 8-10, 8-11, 8-12, 8-14, 8-20,
8-24, 8-25, 8-28, 8-34, 9-3
losses .....................................................................................................................2-2
major and minor drainage systems ..............................................................2-11
major and minor drainage systems ..............................................................2-12
Manhole Conditions.........................................................................................4-21
Manhole Depths........................................................................................ 4-21, 7-9
Maximum Storage.................................................................................... 4-21, 7-2
Maximum Velocity ...........................................................................................4-21
Minimum Cover........................................................................................ 4-21, 7-2
Minimum Velocity............................................................................................4-21
Move Node .........................................................................................................8-12
Multiple Hydrographs .....................................................................................7-14
Network..................................................................................... 8-5, 8-25, 8-28, 9-3
Node Data ................................ 4-21, 7-2, 8-2, 8-4, 8-8, 8-9, 8-10, 8-14, 8-20, 9-2
Node Name ........................................................................7-2, 8-2, 8-8, 8-10, 8-14
Option settings ..................................................................................................4-27
Output.................................................................................................................4-24
Overflow Node .......................................................................................... 4-21, 7-2
Plot ............................................................................................................ 7-12, 7-16
Point Source .............................................................................................. 4-21, 7-2
Project
new ....................................................................................................................4-2
open ...................................................................................................................4-7
 save.................................................................................................................... 4-9
Quantities ........................................................................................... 4-21, 7-9, 8-5
reach
controls........................................................................................................... 2-11
reservoir............................................................................................................. 2-11
Results................................................................................................................ 4-21
Road...........................................................................................................8-25, 8-28
SABS1200 ............................................................................................................ 7-9
Select .................................................................................................................... 8-5
Set Parameters ................................................................................ 8-5, 8-24, 8-34
Sewer.........................................................................................................8-25, 8-28
Side Clearance.................................................................................................... 7-9
Spool ................................................................................................................... 4-26
storm
based on IDF curve data............................................................................... 2-7
Chicago............................................................................................................. 2-6
other shapes .................................................................................................... 2-7
regionalised data ............................................................................................ 2-7
types .................................................................................................................. 2-6
Storm.........................................................................................................8-25, 8-28
Stormwater ..............................................................................................8-25, 8-28
time area
curve ................................................................................................................. 2-2
diagram ............................................................................................................ 2-4
Unit ....................................................................................................................... 7-2
Unit Flow ....................................................................................................4-21, 7-2
Volumes ......................................................................................................4-21, 7-9
Bedding .......................................................................................................... 4-21
Water .........................................................................................................8-25, 8-28
SURVEY+TERRAIN
V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (further referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, Civil
Designer, on the following conditions.
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each CPU upon which the
Licensee wishes to use the software.
3. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
4. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself or through any subsidiary,
agent or third party, sell, lease, license, sub-license or otherwise deal
with the software.
5. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and
other rights used or embodied in or in connection with the software
shall be and remain the sole property of the Licensor and it’s
principals.
6. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
7. It is up to the Licensee to insure the program for the full
replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk, or security module the license must be re-purchased in
full.
8. No warranty of any kind is made with regard to the use or
application of the software or it’s fitness for any particular purpose.
The verification of all results and output is entirely the responsibility
of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and it’s manual, Knowledge Base cc, it’s
employees and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage
(including in particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and
penalties) suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause
whatsoever in connection with the Civil Designer program or the use
thereof whether such loss or damage results from breach of contract
(including a fundamental breach), negligence or any other cause and
whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee
arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil
Designer program or the use thereof whether or not this contract is
at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents
WELCOME
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3
Online documentation 1-4

TUTORIAL - TERRACE DESIGN

Define a terrace 2-2
Calculate terrace volumes 2-5
Create a drawing which includes the terrace 2-6
Merge the terrace with the original ground 2-7

TUTORIAL - STRINGS
Create a string 3-2
Draw the route using CAD entities 3-2
Create a string coinciding with the entities 3-3
Convert the string to DTM points 3-5
Design a terrace 3-6
Preliminary 3-6
Generate child strings 3-7
Generate a toeline string 3-8
Inspect the hierachy 3-10
Interaction of toeline string with DTM surface 3-10
Convert the string to DTM points 3-12

SURVEY REFERENCE

FILE MENU
New Project 4-2
Drawing File 4-3
Terrain File 4-3
Sewer File 4-5
Storm File 4-5
Locale 4-5
Open Project 4-7
Edit Project 4-8
Save Project 4-9
Save Project As 4-9
Close Project 4-9
Import 4-10

i
 ASCII YXZ 4-10
Serial YXZ 4-14
ASCII Heights 4-15
BLK File 4-16
Strings STR File 4-17
Breaklines 4-18
Import Geo Coords 4-20
MOSS GENIO 4-22
ArcInfo 4-24
SurvPro 4-25
ModelMaker TOT 4-26
ModelMaker Exchange CDM 4-28
Export 4-29
ASCII YXZ 4-29
MOSS GENIO 4-32
Wild ASCII 4-33
Output Manager 4-34
Spool Output 4-36
Option Settings 4-37
Security 4-37
Authorize 4-37
Check Network Dongles 4-38
Exit 4-38

EDITING MENU
Enter Point 5-2
Delete Point 5-3
Edit Point 5-4
Batch Delete 5-5
Compare Points 5-6
Automatic Screen 5-8
Manual Screen 5-10
Remove Duplicates 5-12
Rotate Points 5-13
Surface Change 5-15
Duplicate Surface 5-16
Name Change 5-17
Name Constant 5-18
Height Constants 5-19
Height Interpolation 5-20
Height Differences 5-22

LISTING MENU
Automatic YX 6-2
Automatic YXZ 6-4
ii
 YX 6-6
YXZ 6-7
YX + Comment 6-8
YXZ + Comment 6-9
YX + Page + Comment 6-10
YXZ + Page + Comment 6-11

CALCULATIONS MENU
Join 7-2
Polar 7-3
Resection 7-5
Intersection 7-6
Trilateration 7-7
Arc/Line Intersection 7-8
Parallel Line Intersection 7-10
Double Polar 7-11
Placing Joins 7-13

HEIGHTING MENU
Forward 8-2
Simultaneous 8-4
Mean Elevations 8-5
Traverse 8-6

TRANSFORMATIONS MENU
Individual 9-2
Group 9-4
Clarke->WGS84 (SA Only) 9-5
Individual 9-5
Group 9-6

CONVERSIONS MENU
Geo Topo 10-2
Goldfields 10-4
Extract DXF 10-5
Extract Text 10-6
LO to LO 10-7
LO to Lat/Long 10-9
Lat/Long to LO 10-11
t-T Correction 10-13
Sea Level and Scale 10-15
Unit Conversions 10-17
User Units 10-18
Coord Conversion 10-19
User Coord 10-21

iii
REDUCTIONS MENU
Tache 11-2
New Field Book 11-2
Load Field Book 11-3
Save Field Book 11-5
List Field Book 11-6
Reduce Field Book 11-6
Save Field Book 11-12
List Field Book 11-13
Reduce Field Book 11-13
Traverse 11-14
New Field Book 11-14
Load Field Book 11-15
Save Field Book 11-16
List Field Book 11-16
Flat Traverse 11-17
Slope Traverse 11-22
Full Traverse 11-22
Levelling 11-23
New Field Book 11-23
Load Field Book 11-25
Save Field Book 11-26
List Field Book 11-26
Reduce Field Book 11-27
Error Figure 11-30
New Field Book 11-30
Load Field Book 11-31
Save Field Book 11-31
List Field Book 11-32
Least Squares 11-32
Error Figure 11-33
Control Network 11-35
New Field Book 11-36
Load Field Book 11-37
Save Field Book 11-38
List Field Book 11-38
Reduce 11-39

TOOLS MENU
File Format 12-2
View ASCII 12-6

iv
TERRAIN REFERENCE

FILE MENU
New Project 13-2
Drawing File 13-3
Terrain File 13-3
Sewer File 13-5
Storm File 13-5
Locale 13-5
Open Project 13-7
Edit Project 13-8
Save Project 13-9
Save Project As 13-9
Close Project 13-9
Output Manager 13-10
Spool Output 13-12
Option Settings 13-12
Security 13-12
Authorize 13-12
Check Network Dongles 13-13
Exit 13-13

MODEL MENU
Insert Point 14-2
Edit Point 14-4
Move Point 14-6
Interpolate Point 14-7
ID Point 14-9
Locate Point 14-10
AutoSuffix 14-11
Polyline to DTM 14-12
Indicate Polyline 14-12
Selected Polylines 14-13
Mark Bank Points 14-14
Polygon Clip 14-16
Polygon Copy/Move 14-18
Fence Clip 14-19
Fence 14-20
Define 14-20
Remove 14-21
Display 14-21
Exclusion Polygons 14-23
Define PolyFence 14-23
Remove PolyFence 14-24
Display PolyFences 14-25
v
 Polygon Area 14-26
Break Line 14-27
Add 14-27
Delete 14-28
Remove All 14-28
Convert to Feature Lines 14-29
Feature Line 14-30
Add 14-30
Delete 14-30
Remove All 14-31
Lines From CAD Lines 14-32
Intelli-Lines 14-34
Triangulate 14-37
Validate Model 14-39

TERRAIN MENU
Band vs Prism Volumes 15-2
Contours from Lines 15-3
Cross Sections 15-5
Extract 15-5
Translate 15-8
Fast Cross 15-10
Long Sections 15-11
Extract 15-11
String Long 15-15
Chainage String 15-16
Fast 15-17
Surface Area 15-18
Plan Area 15-18
Slope Area 15-18
Area by Slope Category 15-19
Surface Volume 15-20
Dam Volumes 15-22
Terrace Banks 15-24
Delete Banks 15-24
Dynamic Drag 15-25
Fixed Slopes 15-27
Variable Slopes 15-30
Terrace Top 15-33
Terrace Merge 15-35
Terrace Volume 15-37
Delete Ground 15-40
Point Grid 15-41
DTM Grid Volumes 15-43
Single Surface 15-43
vi
 Ground/Design Surface 15-47
Ground/Design Difference 15-49
Polygon Volume 15-53
DTM to ASCII 15-55
DTM Contours 15-56
Neutral Contour 15-57
Drainage 15-58
Flow Directions 15-59
Drainage Network 15-61
Isograde Line 15-64
Line of Sight 15-66
3D View 15-68
View 15-68
Define Fly Path 15-76
Plot 3D 15-78

GRAPHICAL MENU
Join 16-2
Polar 16-3
Resection 16-5
Parallel Line 16-7
Mid Point 16-9
Two Line Intersection 16-10
Elevation Tracking 16-12
Show Tache Rays 16-14

STRINGS MENU
Select String 17-2
Select String by Name 17-3
Recalc String 17-4
String Creation 17-5
Define String 17-6
Entities to String 17-8
Polyline to String 17-10
String Long 17-12
Copy String 17-13
Create Child 17-14
String Editing 17-16
Query String 17-17
Delete String 17-19
Reheight String 17-21
Drag String 17-23
String to DTM 17-25
Crossfall 17-27
Longsection 17-29
vii
 Vertex Editing 17-31
Insert Vertex 17-32
Delete Vertex 17-34
Edit Vertex 17-35
Move Vertex 17-37
Range Editing 17-38
Range Edit 17-39
Multiple Insert 17-41
Horizontal Taper 17-43
Horizontal Grade 17-45
Horizontal Curve 17-47
Vertical Taper 17-49
Vertical Grade 17-51

TOOLS MENU
Rescale Survey 18-2
Rebuild DBase 18-3
DBase Statistics 18-4
Validate Line Data 18-5
Export DXF View 18-6

SETTINGS MENU
Names 19-2
Heights 19-2
Lines 19-2
Contours 19-2
Name Filter 19-3
Snap Mode 19-3
Auto Interpolate 19-4

OPTION SETTINGS
General 20-2
Survey 20-5
Terrain 20-6
Roads 20-10
Plot 20-13
Output Window 20-14

SECURITY
Hasp Dongle Overview 21-4
NetHasp 21-5

viii
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil engineers
for civil engineers, to save you time, effort and money. Now you can
work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience with
the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start an analysis
• How to view and output the results of the calculations
For more detail simply refer to the on-line help file: it contains over 700
pages of detailed information and covers each function.

Welcome 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose by
opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse button is
required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays
excluding public holidays from our Customer Support Centre at
[email protected].
You can also call our Customer Support Centre at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have about
features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program. The
help items can be printed using the Print button on the toolbar.

Welcome 1-3
Online documentation
The User Guide and the Reference Manual are supplied on the CD-ROM
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You have the option to install the Acrobat
Reader when installing Civil Designer. This allows you to browse through
the manual, to search for specific subjects, and to print out all or any
selection of pages.

1-4 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Tutorial - Terrace Design
This exercise will teach you all the basic functions you need to know in
order to create a terrace. You will complete the following tasks:
• Place a terrace on the ground model
• Calculate the terrace volumes
• Produce a drawing which shows the terrace including cut and fill
bank lines
• Merge the terrace and the original ground model

Note: The intention is that you use our Tutor project whilst working
though this tutorial. You will find the project in the CivDes64\Examples
directory.

Tutorial – Terrace Design 2-1

Define a terrace
We can define a terrace by graphically adding the corner points to the
terrain database, typing in the coordinates, or importing an ASCII file
which contains just the terrace corner coordinates.
We will define the position of the terrace by specifying the corner points
in Surface 2 and connecting them with lines to indicate the terrace
perimeter.
Firstly, switch to Survey mode by selecting Mode ► Survey Mode or by
clicking on the Survey button in the mode toolbar. Input the corner points
by selecting the Editing ► Enter Point option. Accept the values displayed
in the Constants Details dialog. Make sure that only Screen output is
selected in the Output Manager dialog to output the data to the screen
and click on OK.
The Point Entry dialog will now be shown. Enter the coordinates for the
terrace corner points as follows:

Click Add and define the other thirteen coordinates in the same manner:
TE2 75911.8 21218.1 1562.0
TE3 75905.5 21220.5 1562.0
TE4 75879.7 21237.4 1562.0
TE5 75812.9 21309.2 1562.0
TE6 75797.3 21335.6 1562.0
TE7 75782.4 21376.6 1562.0
TE8 75783.3 21378.3 1562.0
TE9 75835.6 21397.3 1562.0
TE10 75837.4 21396.5 1562.0
TE11 75852.7 21354.0 1562.0
TE12 75920.0 21281.7 1562.0
TE13 75934.0 21276.4 1562.0
TE14 75934.8 21274.6 1562.0

Click Close to exit this routine. Refresh the display by pressing [S]. The 14
points you have just entered will be displayed. Switch to Terrain mode
and connect the corner points by means of break lines by selecting the
Model ► Add Break Lines option.

2-2 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Your site should now look like this (only lines on the terrace surface are
being displayed):

Select the Terrain ► Terrace Banks ► Fixed Slope option.

The Bank Layer Details dialog box will pop up.
Specify the ground and terrace layers as shown in the next figure:

You will now be prompted to indicate the terrace. Click on one of the
terrace corners.
The Fixed Slope Details dialog will now be displayed. Enter the following
detail:

Tutorial – Terrace Design 2-3

After this the Bank Creation Details dialog will be displayed. Accept the
default settings. The terrace banks will now be calculated and displayed
on the terrain window in Surface 2 of the model.

2-4 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Calculate terrace volumes
Use the Terrain ► Terrace Volumes menu option to activate the Terrace
Layer Details dialog.
Set up as shown below:

Indicate the terrace by clicking on one of the corners.

In the Terrace Volume dialog input the following data:

Civil Designer will calculate the cut and fill quantities and display it on
the Output window. Open the Output window to view the results.

Tutorial – Terrace Design 2-5

Create a drawing which includes the terrace
Before generating another plot we must first alter the plan details to
activate the terrace display. Select the Settings ► Display Settings option to
show the Display Settings dialog. Select the Banks tab and set the
options as illustrated:

To generate the plot, select the Plot ► Generate menu option. The plot will
now be displayed together with the terrace in a CAD window.
To print the drawing, use the File ► Print option from the CAD menu.

2-6 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Merge the terrace with the original ground
Select the Terrain ► Terrace Merge menu option. Specify the ground
surface as Surface 1 and the terrace surface as Surface 2. You will now be
prompted to indicate the terrace by clicking on one of its corners.
Civil Designer will delete the ground points below the terrace, transfer
the terrace points into surface 1 and connect the perimeter of the terrace
to the ground model. Refresh the drawing to update the display and the
show the contours to verify that the terrace has been merged with the
ground.
You will need to change the contour option on the Contours tab in
Display Settings to Quick Contours otherwise the contours that were
previously generated with Contours from Lines will be shown. These
contours were generated before the terrace was merged with the ground
surface and will therefore not reflect the changes that have been made.
Note that you should re-run Contours from Lines to update the stored
contours before attempting to plot them.

Tutorial – Terrace Design 2-7

2-8 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain
Tutorial - Strings
This exercise will teach you all the basic functions you need to know in
order to use string functionality at the most basic level. You will complete
the following tasks:
• Create a string coinciding with CAD entities;
• Create a string family representing a terraced bank;
• Convert the strings into DTM points and lines.

Note: The intention is that you use our Tutor project whilst working
though this tutorial. You will find the project in the CivDes64\Examples
directory.

All commands refer to those under the Mapping menu item in Terrain
mode.

Tutorial – Strings 3-1

Create a string
We can create a sequence of DTM points by creating a string along that
route and then converting that string to a DTM surface. Creating the
string can be done by first drawing CAD polylines, lines or arcs along that
route, and then using the Polyline to String, or Entities to String command to
make a corresponding string. String vertices will then exist at all the
significant points of the entities.

Draw the route using CAD entities

Create a new CAD layer called STRINGS_DESIGN. Make it the current
layer and switch off the layer named CADASTRAL for the time being.
Using any combination of CAD lines and arcs draw a suitable route. This
route can form an open or closed figure. It is best to ensure that the
entities form a sequence with no gaps, but this is not essential. The route
could consist of just one entity, or as many as you require. For the
purposes of this tutorial the shape and complexity is not important.

3-2 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Create a string coinciding with the entities
Change to Terrain mode. Switch on the display of the Strings toolbar.
Select the String Creation ► Entities to String command or right click
the appropriate toolbar button.
You are then instructed to define the route.

Click on each of the entities in turn. The colour of the entity temporarily
changes and the count is incremented. In the above example there are
two arcs and one line which need to be indicated.

Right click when all the entities have been indicated.

The Convert Entities to String dialog is displayed. The most important
part of this stage is to give the new string a name such as Tutorial_1.
Press F1 to familiarize yourself with the settings of this dialog.

Press OK to continue.
A string has now been created that coincides with the CAD entities. The
CAD entities will at first be obscuring the string, so as we no longer have
any need for those CAD entities, delete them.
Zoom in closer to inspect the string.

Tutorial – Strings 3-3

You will notice the string route is drawn with small circles indicating
bend points along the string. These are called vertices of the string. The
colour, width and circle size are user-defined display settings. This will
be explained later in this tutorial.

3-4 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Convert the string to DTM points
You could now edit this string in various ways, but for the purposes of
this tutorial we’ll assume that this is the shape we want.
For this to be meaningful in our DTM, we need to convert the
string into DTM points. Select the String Editing ► String to DTM
command or right click the appropriate toolbar button.
You get presented with the following message box:

This is because a string gets automatically selected upon creation.

Choose ‘Yes’ to continue with the function using this string. (If you were
to click ‘No’ then you would be asked to indicate the string by clicking on
or near it.)
The Convert string to DTM dialog is displayed. The most important part
of this stage is to indicate to which DTM surface the new points will be
stored. Press F1 to familiarize yourself with the settings of this dialog. For
the purposes of this tutorial make sure that the ‘Exclude top-level string’
is not checked.

Press OK to continue. If the surface is not currently active or visible you

are requested to make it so.
DTM points coinciding with each string vertex are created on the chosen
surface. Switch on line display for that surface. You will then be looking
at both a string and DTM points and lines.

Tutorial – Strings 3-5

Design a terrace
Strings have the facility whereby one string can have a subsequent string
that is dependant on the first string. The first string is known as the
parent and the second string is known as the child. The child in turn can
have it’s own child, and this hierarchy can be of any depth. In this way a
terraced bank can be built up, where the parent represents the top-most
platform and each child represents a terrace bank.

Preliminary
If you’re continuing from the previous tutorial then hide the DTM
surface you created, and delete the string using the String Editing ►
Delete String command or the appropriate Strings toolbar button.
Create a simple string to continue with this tutorial. Do this by
using the String Creation ► Define String command or the
appropriate Strings toolbar button.
Name the string Tutorial_2 and set it to be five metres above Surface 1 in
the Define String dialog.

You are then instructed to define the route.

Design an arbitrary simple string and right click to stop.

3-6 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Generate child strings
We’re going to create child strings denoting the terrace edges in the
following way:
String name Description
Tutorial_2 The original string designed in step 1.
CHG_Tutorial_2 A string coinciding with Tutorial_2, but coordinated with
chainage vertices along the route.
T_Tutorial_2 A string 2m below CHG_Tutorial_2, and at a grade of 1:2,
thereby designing a sloping embankment.
T_T_Tutorial_2 A string at the same elevation of T_Tutorial_2, but with
10m away, thereby designing a flat pathway.
T_T_T_Tutorial_2 A final string extending at a slope of 1:2 down to Surface
1.
Firstly the string Tutorial_2 will be coordinated with chainages to create
a string that coincides with Tutorial_2. Next, a second string denoting the
bottom of a sloping embankment is created. These two steps take place at
the same time.
Select the String Creation ► Create Child command or clicking the
appropriate toolbar button.

Tutorial – Strings 3-7

In this way string Tutorial_2 gets a second string being a coordinated
copy of Tutorial_2, plus a subsequent string called T_Tutorial_2 being 2m
below, and at 1:2 grade. Click OK. You get prompted:

Unlike Civil Designer terrace banks, strings have no concept of inside

and outside. As they don’t have to denote closed figures, you get to
choose which side of the parent string you want a child created. Do so
now.
Next we create the flat part of the terraced slope. This time we create a
child from string T_Tutorial_2.

As before, indicate on which side of the parent T_Tutorial_2 we want the

new string.

Generate a toeline string

A toeline string is a child string created with the Operation Type option
set to ‘Grade to Surface’. This is a special type of string that always lies on
the specified surface, no matter what editing is performed on that string

3-8 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

or those higher in the hierarchy. Whenever the string family gets
recalculated, the toeline string is recalculated such that it lies on the
surface. This can of course mean the route of the toeline string is
different to what it was prior to the editing depending on the nature of
the DTM surface.
Again, use the String Creation ► Create Child command. This time select
the option ‘Grade to Surface’. Make the settings to create the string at a
1:2 slope from string T_T_Tutorial_2.

Continuing as before, you should end with a display similar to the

following.

Tutorial – Strings 3-9

The final one is a different colour because that is the currently selected
string. The selected string is the one upon which any subsequent string
editing function will be performed. You are able to also manually select a
string.

Inspect the hierachy

Without knowing what you’re doing, you can quickly get confused as to
this family or hierarchy of strings. One way of understanding is to inspect
the strings display settings.
Select Settings ► Display Settings or click the toolbar button.

In this way you can see how each string belongs to another one,
ultimately all belonging to the very original string Tutorial_2. Also each
string can have it’s own display settings such as colour, width, linetype,
etc. The item starting with ‘Platform:’ is a heading and not a string.

Interaction of toeline string with DTM surface

As described above, if any of the strings get edited, then the toeline string
will get recalculate to remain consistently sloping to the ground surface
specified.
If the DTM gets modified in some way, then you need to force the string
family to get recalculated for the effect to be visible.
To demonstrate this, edit the elevation of a DTM point which has a line
extending from it and crossing over the toeline string.

3-10 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Then force the recalculation by selecting the Recalc String menu option.
For this function, any string in the family can be the currently selected
string.
The toeline gets recalculated to show the effect.

Tutorial – Strings 3-11

Convert the string to DTM points
Select the top most string using the String Select menu function or
clicking the appropriate strings toolbar button.
Click at a vertex belonging to the top-most string. Because Tutorial_2 and
CHG_Tutorial_2 are coincident, you may get asked which of the two you
meant.

Select either and press OK. That string becomes the selected string.

Now convert the string family to a DTM surface like we did in part 1 of
this strings tutorial. This time make sure that both the ‘Exclude top-level
string’ and ‘Recurse children’ checkboxes are checked.
A valid surface is then created matching the string family. A 3D view
nicely illustrates the terraced slope.

3-12 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Tutorial – Strings 3-13
Notes:

3-14 Civil Designer Survey + Terrain

Survey Reference
File Menu
The File Menu contains all the functions to
create, load and save projects as well as
import and export survey data. In addition it
also includes options to set up the security.

File Menu 4-1

New Project
Create a new project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectNew

This option allows you to set up a new project and specify the data files
that must be used.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a drawing to the project simply click in the check box next to
Drawing, click on Browse on the right of the dialog, and select the
drawing using the standard Window file open dialog. The drawing name
will be displayed as shown above.
Similarly, to add a data file to the project click in the check box next to
the required data type and select the file to use with the Browse button. If
the file does not exist it will be created.
To use the Survey, Terrain or Roads functions, you must select or create
a Terrain data file.

4-2 Survey Reference

Drawing File
You may only use an existing drawing file. The drawing may be an
AllyCAD DRG, AutoCAD DWG, Caddie CEX or a DXF file.

Terrain File
If you select a terrain file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the DTM file.

After you have clicked OK on the New Project Dialog the following dialog
will be displayed for a new DTM file.

Enter the Y and X coordinates of the centre of the site, or of the area of
principal interest, and a diameter that will encompass the site or, once
again, the area of principal interest. It is acceptable to leave the settings
at their default values, but you should then do one of the following.
Either import data from an ASCII file which will perform an automatic
rescale to centre the site, or add data manually and then use Tools ►
Rescale Survey from the Terrain menu which does the same thing.
After clicking OK on the Database Dimensions dialog, the following
dialog is displayed.

File Menu 4-3

While the previous settings were to ensure an efficient DTM database,
the Project Coordinates are for the Design Centre cad window to match
the DTM. Similarly, these settings can be left as their defaults subject to
a later ASCII Import or Rescale Survey.

4-4 Survey Reference

Sewer File
If you select a sewer file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the sewer database file.

Storm File
If you select a storm file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the storm database file.

Locale
You must make the settings that determine the manner in which the
stored coordinates are projected onto the display surface (the Design
Centre window).
Hemisphere Select either the Southern Hemisphere or Northern
Hemisphere options to set the hemisphere in which the data
is located.
Projection Select the mapping projection to be used. Currently only
three projections are available, namely Local, Transverse
Mercator and UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator).
Selecting Local will automatically set the Datum to Cape and
causes Civil Designer to treat the Terrain and Road
database coordinates in the same way as Stardust used to.
Datum Select the datum on which the data is to be based. This
determines the ellipsoid on which the projection is based and
therefore the constants used for the mapping projection.
Note that the Cape datum is the equivalent datum for that
used by Stardust.

File Menu 4-5

Prime Longitude Enter the central LO of the panel in which the data falls
(actually the longitude on which the 0 value of the horizontal
ordinates of the coordinate system falls) and also select
whether this LO is East or West of 0° longitude (Greenwich).
Origin Latitude Enter the latitude on which the 0 value of the vertical
ordinates of the coordinate system falls and also select
whether this latitude is North or South of 0° latitude (the
Equator). This should normally be set to 0° (origin at the
equator where North or South are immaterial) but could be
different for some projections.
Scale factor at prime Enter the factor by which coordinates are adjusted in order
longitude to fit the projection. This should normally be set to 1.0 except
if you are using UTM coordinates (see Remarks below).
False Easting and Enter the values to be subtracted/added to the LO
False Northing coordinates during projection conversion. These should
normally be set to 0 except if you are using UTM coordinates
(see below).

DO NOT use the False Easting and False Northing settings to apply
some constant to the data coordinates, as the projection calculations
rely on full coordinates and will give incorrect values if these entries are
used incorrectly.

Remarks
In order to use a UTM system the following settings should be made for
Locale:
• Convert the UTM block number to LO using the formula
(BLOCKNUMBER x 6°) - 183°. This calculates the Longitude of the
central meridian in degrees.
• Set the scale factor at the central meridian to 0.9996.
• Enter the correct False Easting and False Northing values of +500
000m Easting, and 0m Northing for Northern Hemisphere or +10
000 000m Northing for Southern Hemisphere.

4-6 Survey Reference

Open Project
Load an existing project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectOpen

You can select which project to open using the standard Windows Open
dialog.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the project file (.CDP) to open and click on OK.

The existing project (if any) will be saved and the new project will be
opened. The associated data files will automatically be opened and
displayed in the Design Centre.

Only data that includes coordinates can be displayed in the Design

Centre.

File Menu 4-7

Edit Project
Edit the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectEdit

This option allows you to add design elements to the project or to change
the data files associated with the project.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a design element to the project simply set the check box of that
element and select the data file using the Browse button. The standard
Window Open dialog will be displayed. Select the file to add to the
project or type in a new file name to create a new data file.

You may not change the locale settings of an existing project as the
projection settings have already been applied to data files and may not
be changed.

Click on OK.

4-8 Survey Reference

Save Project
Save the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSave

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files.

Save Project As
Save the current project to another name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSaveAs

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files to new file names. You may specify a new file name for the
project file and each of the active design files in turn.

Close Project
Close the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectClose

This option allows you to close the active project and clear the Design
Centre. You will be given the option to save the associated data files.

File Menu 4-9

Import
The following functions allow you to import data from various sources
into the terrain database.

ASCII YXZ
Convert an ASCII (text) file into a Terrain data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportyxz

The only essential information for import is an X and Y coordinate. To

this may be added a point description, Z ordinate, surface number and
line connecting data.
You will be asked to select the file to be imported. Once you have
selected the file you want to import, a multi-page dialog will be displayed
which shows the first twenty-five lines of the selected file. The data can
be in columns or delimited format of which comma delimited (ASCII
value of 44) is the most common.
It is self evident that if the imported data includes line references, the
splicing of one terrain data set to another will have to be done manually.
The ASCII import routines are tolerant of erroneous data. In other
words, lines of text that do not meet the importation criteria will be
discarded after failing inspection. Therefore, odd lines of descriptive text
or blank lines can be in the file without causing harm. An example of a
readable file is given below:
COORDINATE LIST of LOT 8975 System Lo 31
Constants deducted X=0 Y=3200000 Z=0 Units Int. m.
Name X Y Z
T110 23226.580 299551.150 651.91
T322 21485.440 306900.940 624.50
T605 13824.480 306951.910 568.80
T14 34798.770 298145.540 745.11
General coordinates follow :-
NRB17 22223.087 299091.766 472.358

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected the file to import and clicked on the OK button,
the Survey Import dialog is displayed.

4-10 Survey Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click on the Next button.

File type - Select the option that matches the format in which the data
Delimited or Fixed will be read. If you select the ‘Other’ option you must also
Columns enter the ASCII value of the delimiter. See the ASCII Table
section for the values of various ASCII characters.
Skip lines between Check this option and enter the number of lines to be
imports skipped between each required line. After each line is read
in (including the first line in the file), the specified number of
lines will be skipped before the next line is read. This is
typically used to skip alternating blank lines.
Filter by name and Check this option in order to restrict the points that are
surface imported. Just before the import begins you will be shown a
Name Filter dialog that you can setup to accept and reject
certain points by name and/or surface.
Filter by fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order to
restrict the import of points to those falling with the fence
polygon. If no fences have been defined previously using the
Terrain menu option Model  Define Fence, this check box
will be disabled.
Apply constants Check this option in order to have the specified constants
applied to the Y, X and Z values of each point imported.
Constants - Enter the constants to be applied to the Y, X and Z values of
Y Coord, X Coord and each point imported.
Z Coord
Constants Add The constants will be added to the current values., In order
to accept one or more of the coordinate values unchanged,
specify a value of 0 for that constant .

File Menu 4-11

Constants Multiply The current value will be multiplied by the specified constant.
Do not specify a constant value of 0 as this will result in the
particular coordinate value being set to 0 for every point
imported.
Save settings as Check this option in order to retain the current settings as
defaults the default for future imports.

If you are importing Fixed Column data the following dialog will be
displayed. Click with the mouse to indicate the break between columns.

Thereafter the program will display the columns of data as shown below.

4-12 Survey Reference

Click on the column header. A list of possible data types will be
displayed. Select the data type in each column and click the Finish button
to continue.
If you selected the Filter by name and surface option then the standard
Name Filter dialog is displayed.
The ASCII file selected is scanned to determine the extents of the data to
be imported. Should this extent not be wholly contained within the
extents of the current DTM file, an automatic rescale will be performed
for the DTM to fit the new extents:
The automatic rescaling process can take an appreciable amount of time
with large data sets. You can avoid having a rescale taking place by
having made appropriate entries in the Database Dimensions dialog
presented when you created the project.
The Destination Surface Selection dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Found The surfaces found in the import file are listed here. If no
surfaces were specified for import, or if a surface was
imported as 0, a special entry of None/0 will appear in the
list.
Destination Click on an entry in the found list and then select the
corresponding surface here. This enables the importing of
data to surfaces different to those specified when the data
file was created.
Save settings as Check this option in order to have this surface selection
defaults saved as the default for future imports.

File Menu 4-13

Serial YXZ
Import ASCII breakline data

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportSerial

This facility provides for the importation of ASCII data that is in a

generalised feature string format. It is suitable for both feature string
and contour data. The data may be randomly arranged under successive
headings of either 'Random' or 'Serial'. Any data that follows a line in the
file that says 'Serial' is linked sequentially with feature lines until another
'Serial' or 'Random' is encountered.
Note that there is a minimum distance setting which stipulates how far
apart each subsequent point must be before being accepted as a serial
data point (See INI File Components). This import radius is useful in that
it can be used to thin out the points used in serial lines without having to
edit the data file itself.
This function is the same as an ASCII YXZ import in all other respects,
and uses the same dialogs.
An example of a Serial file is given below:
Random
SC,1305386.631,7181048.876,0,2
SCm,1305407.776,7181969.127,0,2
SCm,1305428.915,7182889.376,0,2
SCm,1305450.047,7183809.625,0,2
SCm,1305471.173,7184729.873,0,2
SCm,1305492.292,7185650.121,0,2
SC,1305513.405,7186570.367,0,2
Serial
cl001,1305349,7181598,1240,1
cl001,1305380,7181614,1240,1
cl001,1305408,7181645,1240,1
cl001,1305437,7181654,1240,1
cl001,1305447,7181671,1240,1
cl001,1305420,7181719,1240,1
cl001,1305362,7181769,1240,1
Serial
cl002,1305387,7182273,1260,1
cl002,1305410,7182228,1260,1
cl002,1305459,7182181,1260,1

4-14 Survey Reference

ASCII Heights
Update elevations of existing points with heights from an ASCII (text) file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportAsciihgts

This option is the same as ASCII YXZ except that it is assumed that the
points in the data file already exist and that only the heights of those
existing points are to be updated. The routine uses the Name, Y and X
values of the incoming data to locate the point and then updates the
height with the new Z value.

This routine is particularly slow in that it has to continually search the

database for matching points.

File Menu 4-15

BLK File
Import points and lines from an existing Stardust version 4.3 or 5.x Terrain file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportBLK

All the points and lines from an existing BLK file are imported and
placed on the same surfaces as they were in the original file.
Note that the old points (which were stored as LO coordinates in the
Cape Datum using the Modified Clarke 1880 ellipsoid) are imported and
stored using the project datum setting currently in effect. This will mean
that you need to apply a Helmert transformation to convert the imported
points to the project datum IF the project datum is not set as Cape AND
the projection is not set to Local.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected the file you want to import, you are given the
option of specifying constants to be added to the old points as they are
imported.
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

4-16 Survey Reference

Strings STR File
Import Terrain strings

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportStrings

This system allows for a family of strings created in one project to be

imported into another project.
The parent string and any child strings are recreated in the current
project maintaining their original relationship.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
No options or settings are required and the importing proceeds without
any user intervention.

File Menu 4-17

Breaklines
Import points and lines from an aerial survey breakline file.
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
SurveyImportBreak

Breakline files as supplied by most aerial survey companies that use

MicroStation for their work come in two different types. Examples of the
two types are as follows:
Type 1 Type 2
75660.210 21696.324 1557.222 1 1 75660.210 21696.324 1557.222
75668.764 21658.480 1557.885 0 1 75668.764 21658.480 1557.885
75681.466 21619.209 1558.513 0 1 75681.466 21619.209 1558.513
75698.573 21568.016 1559.383 0 1 75698.573 21568.016 1559.383
75715.681 21522.525 1560.047 0 1 75715.681 21522.525 1560.047
75732.789 21475.349 1560.981 0 1 75732.789 21475.349 1560.981
75749.637 21429.080 1561.602 0 1 75749.637 21429.080 1561.602
75769.078 21373.739 1561.874 0 1 75769.078 21373.739 1561.874
75784.630 21331.877 1562.246 0 1 75784.630 21331.877 1562.246
75809.255 21292.089 1562.903 1 2 75809.255 21292.089 1562.903
75837.768 21261.502 1563.452 0 2 75837.768 21261.502 1563.452
75870.687 21228.453 1563.528 0 2 75870.687 21228.453 1563.528
75905.421 21206.680 1563.318 0 2 75905.421 21206.680 1563.318
75951.560 21189.183 1562.774 0 2 75951.560 21189.183 1562.774
76001.069 21170.650 1562.192 0 2 76001.069 21170.650 1562.192
76037.358 21157.690 1561.756 0 2 76037.358 21157.690 1561.756
76073.129 21146.544 1561.331 0 2 76073.129 21146.544 1561.331
76116.935 21136.823 1560.415 0 2 76116.935 21136.823 1560.415
76177.071 21123.474 1559.321 0 2 76177.071 21123.474 1559.321
76223.210 21112.717 1558.524 0 2 76223.210 21112.717 1558.524
76136.809 21140.266 1559.961 1 3 76136.809 21140.266 1559.961
76141.544 21157.728 1559.710 0 3 76141.544 21157.728 1559.710

The sequence of consecutive separate breaklines is clear to see.

Please note that files are usually supplied in pairs with one file being the
actual breakline file, and the other being a normal spotshot file. The
spotshot file must be imported using the normal Import ASCII YXZ routine.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected the file to import and clicked on the OK button,
the same sequence of dialogs as with the Import ASCII YXZ routine is
followed.

4-18 Survey Reference

One difference being is there is now an indicator for the column
containing the division between breaklines. Assign the ‘Marker’ label to
this column as shown below.

Click the Finish button to continue as with the Import ASCII YXZ routine.

File Menu 4-19

Import Geo Coords
Import and convert geographical coordinates.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportGeo

The routine caters for importing coordinates of a latitude-longitude pair.

The coordinates can be in the ddd.mmss format or in decimal degrees.
The procedure is very similar to the Import ASCII YXZ routine.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Once you have selected the file to import and clicked on the OK button,
the following dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click on the Next button. With the exception
of the Coordinate Format, the settings are the same as for Import ASCII
YXZ.

4-20 Survey Reference

D.MMSS Select if the input format is in degrees, minutes, seconds.
Decimal seconds are allowed after the second ‘s’. Latitudes
in the southern hemisphare and longitudes in the western
hemisphere are negative.
Decimal degrees Select if the input format is in decimal degrees.

Continue as with Import ASCII YXZ. The geographical coordinates are

imported and converted into (y,x) coordinates.

File Menu 4-21

MOSS GENIO
Import a MOSS GENIO string file into a Terrain data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportMoss

The MOSS file should have a general layout as follows (note that the
lines after those starting with 080DB and 080R are actually long lines and
are wrapped into two lines due to space constraints):
GENIO
001FORMAT(6F12.3)
080DB 0.0 0.0 3
5680.348 1070.134 51.794 5667.781 1077.329 51.691
5656.875 1083.397 51.744 5644.877 1089.969 51.758
5631.355 1097.530 51.848 5619.704 1103.781 51.909
5607.348 1111.633 51.918 5597.010 1118.757 51.881
5588.730 1123.436 51.879 5580.031 1127.614 51.985
5463.994 1193.968 52.163 5456.722 1198.648 52.113
5450.435 1202.860 52.309 0.000 0.000 0.000
080R 0.0 0.0 3
5865.336 1157.757 55.715 5853.903 1149.541 55.149
5842.427 1138.657 54.805 5829.645 1128.482 54.499
5814.809 1119.901 54.180 5800.631 1111.691 53.815

The MOSS strings are converted to Civil Designer break line data and
the string code is carried over to the point description.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected the file you want to import, the Destination
Surface dialog is displayed.

Import to DTM surface The source data will be made into a DTM points and lines
Import to Strings file The source data will be made into a String
Destination surface Select the surface to which to import the points.
for points

4-22 Survey Reference

Destination string Enter the name by which the string will be known
name

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

File Menu 4-23

ArcInfo
Import ArcInfo ‘generate’ output into a Terrain data file.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportArcinfo

This format consists of two files of which the file containing line data has
by default an extension of ".lin" and the other file containing the attribute
information is named by default ".atr".
The format of the files is:
1,1180 1
14587.245,36478.120
2,1175 14571.854,36412.847
14504.811.36387.102
3,1170 14488.949,36377.125
END
4,1165 2
19548.124,35884.256
5,1160 etc....

In the above example, the first four coordinates would come into Civil
Designer with an elevation of 1180.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
".lin" file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file. The same dialog is then
displayed but this time you will need to select a ".atr" file. The
Destination Surface dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

4-24 Survey Reference

SurvPro
Import SurvPro ASCII (text) output into a Terrain data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportSurvpro

This system uses a fixed column layout very similar to Serial YXZ.
The column layout is:
0 – 9 Y ordinate
10 - 20 X ordinate
21 - 31 Z ordinate
33 - 43 Identifier

Header lines consisting of the single word ‘Random’ or ‘Serial’ on a line

dictate the nature of the data by itself.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected the file you want to import, the Destination
Surface dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

File Menu 4-25

ModelMaker TOT
Import ModelMaker TOT output into a Terrain data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportModelmaker

This system uses a fixed column layout for the point data that is followed
by a list of the triangles joining the points.
The format of the files is:
M MK 4043.708 3304670.055 51.431
E ET 4378.213 3304734.180 91.762
E ET 4376.204 3304739.630 91.843
W WC 4393.699 3304674.930 79.791
W WC 4399.079 3304682.930 82.593
TRIANGLE
12 9 11 -1 2 -1
9 11 10 1 -1 3
10 9 8 2 -1 4
8 10 7 3 -1 5

The point data is imported as Terrain points and the triangle data is used
to generate the line model.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected the file you want to import, the ModelMaker
TOT Import Details dialog is displayed.

4-26 Survey Reference

Apply constants Check this option in order to apply a constant to each point
as it is imported.
Constants Enter the constants to be applied to the point ordinates.
Constants Add The constants will be added to the current values., In order
to accept one or more of the coordinate values unchanged,
specify a value of 0 for that constant .
Constants Multiply The current value will be multiplied by the specified constant.
Do not specify a constant value of 0 as this will result in the
particular coordinate value being set to 0 for every point
imported.
Save settings Check this option to save the current settings as defaults for
future imports.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Destination Surface dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

File Menu 4-27

ModelMaker Exchange CDM
Import ModelMaker Exchange data into a Terrain data file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyImportMMakerExchange

This system uses a comma delimited layout similar to the ASCII YXZ
format. The format allows for easier cooperation with ModelMaker
software.
The format of the files is:
T,54537.934,3734477.257,7.405,1,31,20,21
B,54511.223,3734465.674,7.513,1,21,22
B,54509.288,3734468.285,8.941,1,22,23
B,54475.781,3734465.147,8.920,1,23
T,54477.203,3734467.395,9.962,1,24
S,54460.229,3734486.146,11.431,1
S,54497.739,3734521.738,18.674,1,26
S,54509.242,3734547.866,16.820,1,35,37

The point data is imported as Terrain points onto the specified surface. A
line model will be generated if the data contains line references.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to import. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
No options or settings are required and the importing proceeds without
any user intervention.

4-28 Survey Reference

Export
The following functions allow you to export terrain database data in
various formats.

ASCII YXZ
Export DTM in YXZ ASCII format

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyExportYXZ

The normal options of constants and name and surface filters to control
the export are available.

Procedure
The Survey Export dialog is displayed.

Export type Select the option that will determine the format in which the
data will be written.
Decimal places for Enter the number of decimal places with which the Y, X and
ordinates Z coordinates will be written.
Filter export by name Check this option in order to restrict the points that are
and surface exported. Just before the export begins you will be shown a
Name Filter dialog that you can setup to accept and reject
certain points by name and/or surface.
Filter export by fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order to
restrict the export of points to those falling with the fence
polygon. If no fences have been defined previously using the
Terrain menu option Model  Define Fence, this check box
will be disabled.

File Menu 4-29

Apply constants to Check this option in order to have the specified constants
coordinates applied to the Y, X and Z values of each point exported.
Constants - Y Coord, Enter the constants to be applied to the ordinates of the
X Coord and Z Coord point as they are exported.
Constants Add The constants will be added to the current values., In order
to accept one or more of the coordinate values unchanged,
specify a value of 0 for that constant .
Constants Multiply The current value will be multiplied by the specified constant.
Do not specify a constant value of 0 as this will result in the
particular coordinate value being set to 0 for every point
imported.
Save Settings Check this option in order to retain the current settings as
the default for future exports.

Comma Delimited

If you select the Comma Delimited option you can specify the sequence of
data items in the following dialog.

Field edit boxes For each relevant field specify the position within the
exported line that that field will occupy. Each field will be
separated from the next by a comma (ASCII value of 44). To
ignore any particular field, set its position to 0 (zero). The
first field in the line is position 1.
Save settings as Check this option in order to have the current settings saved
defaults as the default for future exporting of ASCII files.

Fixed Columns
If you had selected the Fixed Columns option you can specify the start
and end positions of each data item as shown below.

4-30 Survey Reference

Start and Stop For each relevant field specify the character
positions within the exported line that that field will
occupy. The first character in the line is position one.
Both the Start and Stop settings must be entered
and be of a sufficient size to accommodate the
particular data being written out. Furthermore,
ensure that the Stop setting for one field does not
overrun the Start setting for the next field in the line
or the data will become intermingled, and therefore
meaningless. To ignore any particular field, set its
Start and Stop positions to 0 (zero).
Save settings as defaults Check this option in order to have the current
settings saved as the default for future exporting of
ASCII files.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Finish button to continue. If you
selected the Filter by name and surface option then the standard Name
Filter dialog is displayed.
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to export. The drive and path automatically default to the
last used drive and directory for this type of file. Once you select the file
the export is carried out.

File Menu 4-31

MOSS GENIO
Export DTM points to a MOSS GENIO string file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyExportMoss

This is the reverse of the procedure described under MOSS Import.

MOSS data depends on features of interest being defined as polylines.
Therefore, the procedure is that having named the ASCII file to be
created, the point filter dialog box will cycle until Cancel is clicked.
Each time a set of descriptors is entered, all lines that qualify are linked
together in homogeneous chains and exported.
It can be seen that a satisfactory export is dependent upon a unique and
well ordered naming convention.
Note that the default output format is for three columns of data, but that
this can be changed to a six-column format (See INI File Components).

Procedure
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to export. The drive and path automatically default to the
last used drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you select the file the standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. See
the Name Filter section for details on setting up a set of descriptors to
process. Click the OK button to start the export of this set of descriptors.
The Name Filter dialog will then be redisplayed for you to select another
set of descriptors. Click the OK button to continue the export, or click the
Cancel button to end the import.

4-32 Survey Reference

Wild ASCII
Export DTM points to a Wild ASCII (text) file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyExportWild

Terrain point coordinates may be converted into WILD format for

importing into total stations.
These may then be used for setting out purposes. The data order written
is serial number + descriptor, y ordinate, x ordinate and elevation in
millimeters. The following example illustrates the data format (note that
each line is actually one long line starting with 11 and might be wrapped
onto two lines due to margin wrapping):
110001+0000310d 81..10+03983443 82..10+05466439 83..10+00095100
110002+0000304d 81..10+04007461 82..10+05467805 83..10+00100100
110003+0000301d 81..10+04034648 82..10+05468275 83..10+00104100
110004+0000308d 81..10+04023566 82..10+05465216 83..10+00103100
110005+0000402d 81..10+04058882 82..10+05465059 83..10+00105100
110006+0000000V 81..10+03957930 82..10+05488000 83..10+00085100
110007+0000194d 81..10+03967696 82..10+05493890 83..10+00085100
110008+0000311d 81..10+03993901 82..10+05481804 83..10+00095100

After being asked to specify the name of the file to export, you are
presented with the point filter dialog.
All the points that pass the specified filter will be written out to the
ASCII file.

Procedure
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to export. The drive and path automatically default to the
last used drive and directory for this type of file. Once you have selected
the file the standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Click the OK button
to start the export.

File Menu 4-33

Output Manager
Set output defaults

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputManager

This function allows you to set up the Output Window's printing and file
export capabilities. If you select to send output to the screen and the
Output Window is not visible, use Window ► Toggle Output Window to
display the window.

Procedure
The Output Manager is displayed.

Make the required settings and press OK to continue.

Screen output Check this option to have output directed to the Output
Window. If this window is not visible then select Window |
Toggle Output Window
Printer output Check this option to have output directed to a selected
printer. If this option was selected and you now turn it off,
any output previously directed to the printer will be spooled.
If this option was not selected and you now turn it on, you
will be asked to select the required printer.
File output Check this option to have output directed to a file. If this
option was selected and you now turn it off, the output file
will be closed. If this option was not selected and you now
turn it on, the selected output file will be created.
Don't show this dialog Check this option to retain the current settings for all future
in future output. You will no longer be prompted to make settings. In
order to adjust the settings, or to turn off this option, use File
| Output Manager.

4-34 Survey Reference

Page Heading Enter the heading to be printed at the top of each page. Only
available if the Printer output option is selected.
Output filename Enter the path and name of the output file to be created.
Only available if the File output option is selected.
Browse Button (...) Click this button to browse for the output file using the
standard Windows Save As dialog. Only available if the File
output option is selected.
Page Number Enter the page number to be printed at the top of the first
page. The number will increment automatically for
subsequent pages. Only available if the Printer output option
is selected.
Start printing on new Check this option to have any printer output still in the print
page queue spooled before printing starts. If this option is not
selected then printer output will be added to that currently in
the print queue. Only available if the Printer output option is
selected.
Append to existing file Check this option to have output appended to that which
already exists in the selected file. If the selected file does not
exist, it will be created. If this option is not selected then the
selected file will be deleted (if it already exists) and then
recreated. Only available if the File output option is selected.

If OK is clicked and Printer output is not checked, but it was previously

checked, any output that has not yet been spooled to the printer will be
sent and the current document ended. If Printer output is now checked,
and it was not previously checked, you will be asked to select the printer
to which output should be directed and a new document will be started.
If OK is clicked and File output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, the specified file is closed. If File output is now checked, and it
was not previously checked, the specified file is opened and will
overwrite an existing file of the same name if the Append to existing file
option is not checked.

File Menu 4-35

Spool Output
Spool unprinted data to the printer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputSpool

Any output (print) data that has been sent to the printer but not yet
printed is spooled to the printer.
Windows tends to hold printed output in a spool file until the print job is
complete. In order to end a print job in Civil Designer you must deselect
the print option in the Output Manager, or exit the program.
Alternatively, this function will carry out the same procedure.

4-36 Survey Reference

Option Settings
Set INI file defaults that are not set by the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OptionSettings

Refer to the chapter on Option Settings for more details.

Security
When you first install your copy of AllyCAD, it will allocate a 30 day trial
license, allowing you to run the full program for 30 days. During this time
you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent authorization code.
Refer to the chapter on Security for more details.

Authorize
Authorize the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

cyAuthorize

This option allows you to obtain your user code and input the
authorisation code to activate the various modules in the program.

Procedure
The authorisation dialog box is displayed. Your User Code is displayed in
the centre of the dialog.

File Menu 4-37

Call the contact number to obtain your authorisation code. Alternatively
click on Save to write the user code into a file which can be e-mailed to
Knowledge Base at [email protected]. Click on the Authorise
button once you have input the confirmation code in the bottom edit
control. This code is stored in the security module.

Check Network Dongles

Toggle network security on/off

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CheckNetworkSecurity

This function switches the search for a network security module on or

off.

Exit
Quit Civil Designer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

quit

This function closes down Civil Designer.

4-38 Survey Reference

Editing Menu
The Editing Menu contains functions that are used to
edit the coordinate database on a non-graphical basis.
Most of the routines therefore reference points by their
names individually or with a name and surface filter.

Graphical editing can be done using the Terrain ►

Model menu. There are two warnings that should be
observed:

Firstly, very substantial changes can be made to the

database with these functions. If an error is made in a
name filter (for example) the entire data set can be
destroyed if the changes are saved. If a mistake was
made, the original data may be recovered by loading
the project file again (File ► Open Project) and selecting
No at the Save File prompt.
The second precaution relates to terrain lines. Some of these routines
can have a detrimental effect on lines if they exist. For example, a
rotation of part of a site or the shift of a named subset of points by the
addition of a constant can render a terrain model completely unusable.
To recover from a situation like this, reload the project file as described
above. As a general rule, use these Editing facilities with discretion once
a terrain model has been created.

Editing Menu 5-1

Enter Point
Add a new survey point by Y, X and Z coordinate values

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyEnterPoint

To speed up entry, constants may be set that will be added to all the
coordinates you add to the Terrain database.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Constants to add to... - Y Enter the constants that should be added to the
Coord, X Coord and Z Coord respective ordinates of each point added.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Output
Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options. The
Survey Point Entry dialog is displayed.

Name Enter a name of up to 16 characters for the point.

Y Coord, X Coord and Z Enter the ordinates for the point.
Coord
Surface Select the surface on which the point should be created.
Add Button Click this button to add the point to the Terrain database
with the current settings. These settings are retained for
the next point.

5-2 Survey Reference

Delete Point
Delete an existing survey point by name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyDeletePoint

This routine provides the facility to delete a single point from the
database by its name.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
The Single Point Deletion dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Find button to locate the point.
Click the Delete button to delete the point.
Point name Enter the name of the point to be deleted.
Find Button Click this button to find the named point. This will enable
the Delete button.
Delete Button Click this button to delete the found point.

Editing Menu 5-3

Edit Point
Edit an existing survey point by name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyEditPoint

This routine provides the facility to edit a single point in the database by
its name.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
The Point Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the point name to be edited and click the Search button to locate it.
Edit the point details and click the Save button to update the point.
Name Enter the name of the point.
Search Button Click this button to locate the named point. Note that
clicking this button a second time without changing the
name of the point will not find another point of the same
name, it will simply return the current point again.
Y Coord Enter the horizontal ordinate of the point coordinates.
X Coord Enter the vertical ordinate of the point coordinates.
Z Coord Enter the height ordinate of the point coordinates.
Surface Select the surface on which the point should be located.

5-4 Survey Reference

Batch Delete
Delete a number of survey points using a name filter

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyDeleteBatch

Once the details of a name filter have been completed, the database will
be scanned and all points passing the filter test will be removed.
For a full explanation on the use of name filters, refer to the relevant
section in this reference.

Procedure
The standard Name Filter dialog is displayed.

See the Name Filter section for details on setting up a set of descriptors
to process. Click the OK button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Editing Menu 5-5

Compare Points
List coordinate and elevation differences between points with a certain radius

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyScreen

This routine lists the coordinate and elevation differences between any
two points that are found within a certain distance of each another as
opposed to the automatic screen option that deletes them.
Compare Co-ordinates ( Plan Radius 0.200 )
==========================================
Name Y X Name DY DX Dist Dz
==== ======== ======== ==== ==== ==== ==== ====
mh3x 3963.384 5588.428 MH3 0.165 0.164 0.197 -0.036
234c 3923.510 5630.500 G24 -0.049 -0.026 0.074 0.040
235c 3967.211 5687.812 G25 -0.002 0.126 0.138 0.008
236c 3975.584 5697.048 G26 0.118 0.051 0.141 -0.036
237c 3874.020 5727.810 G27 0.188 0.041 0.197 -0.019
mtr5 3956.868 5712.303 G28 0.019 -0.970 0.110 0.020

Procedure
The Compare Details dialog is displayed. Fill in the relevant data and
click the OK button to continue.

Compare distance Enter the distance within which points should be of each
other in order to be compared.
Initial surface Select the surface containing the points with repect to
which comparisons will be made.
Compare points by Plan Only those points within the specified Compare distance
radius will be listed.

Compare points by Height Only those points within the specified Compare distance
5-6 Survey Reference
difference that are also within the specified Height difference of
each other will be listed. This is very useful for statistical
comparisons between as-built surveys and design data
of layer works.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that also fall
within the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
 Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

The standard Name Filter dialog is displayed.

See the Name Filter section for details on setting up a set of descriptors
to process. Click the OK button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Click the OK button to accept the settings.

Editing Menu 5-7

Automatic Screen
Rapidly eliminate duplicated data or any points that fall within a certain radius of
each other

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyAutoScreen

This routine is used for rapidly eliminating duplicated data or any points
that fall within a certain radius of each other. Points that are on top of
one another, or even very close together, can present severe problems in
forming terrain models. This is particularly true if their Z values differ
and they should be eliminated whenever possible.
After setting the screen details you will be shown a point filter dialog.
The program will make its own selection as to which points will be
removed and therefore the careful selection of a name filter is critical.
Points with no names will be first choice for deletion, followed by lower
case descriptors and, finally, points with upper case letters and numbers
(like NRB142) will be the least likely candidates for removal. If points
that fall within a certain radius of each other are to be viewed, but NOT
deleted, use Compare Points.

Procedure
The Screen Details dialog is displayed.

Screen distance Enter the distance within which points must be of each
other in order to be considered for screening.
Action to be carried out... Select either the Delete point (which will also enable the
Retain line info option) or Set coords same options. If
you select the Delete point option then one of the points
found will be deleted. If tight control is required on the
deletion of points, it may be better to use the Manual
Screen option. If you select the Set coords same option,
then the point that would have otherwise been deleted
will have its ordinates set to those of the other point. Not
available for Manual Screen.

5-8 Survey Reference

Use fence Check this option and select a pre-defined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
 Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.
Retain line info Check this option in order to have as many line
connections as possible transferred from the point being
deleted to the point being retained. This option will help
in retaining the line model even though points are
deleted, and is also useful where data points have been
imported from a DXF file which can create duplicate
points with a line model that refers to both duplicated
points but connects to different points. Not available for
Manual Screen.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click OK to
continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.

Editing Menu 5-9

Manual Screen
Point-by-point elimination or correction of duplicated data or any points that fall
within a certain radius of one another

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyManualScreen

This routine is used for point-by-point elimination or correction of

duplicated data or any points that fall within a certain radius of one
another. If points that fall within a certain radius of each other are to be
viewed but NOT deleted, use Compare Points.
As for Automatic Screen, after setting the screen details (shown in the
following dialog) you will be shown a point filter dialog.

Procedure
The Screen Details dialog is displayed.

Screen distance Enter the distance within which points must be of each
other in order to be considered for screening.
Use fence Check this option and select a pre-defined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
For every pair of points passing the filter and falling within the screen
radius of each other, the Manual Details dialog will be displayed and a
choice must be made as to which point to delete or alter or whether to
keep them both.

5-10 Survey Reference

Typically, if a pair of duplicated points is found, you will elect to keep one
and remove the other. The points will be listed as they are removed from
the database.

Because points with an elevation of '0' are not taken into account by the
terrain model, it is a useful trick to set any data that you wish to retain,
but exclude from the model, to that value. It also means that these
points can be subsequently isolated for inspection or deletion by using a
'Z'' range filter.

Editing Menu 5-11

Remove Duplicates
Delete duplicated points from surfaces

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyRemoveDuplicate

This function will remove duplicated points from all or selected surfaces.
Duplicate points are defined as points where the horizontal and vertical
ordinates are identical to other points in the model. Depending on
selections made in this function, heights can also be selected as a factor
when determining whether a point is duplicated or not.

This function is faster to process than the Automatic and Manual

Screen functions as no searching for points in other blocks is required,
only points within an index block are scanned to detect duplicates.

Procedure
The Remove Duplicates dialog is displayed.

Use height in comparison Check this option in order to remove points which are
duplicated in horizontal, vertical AND height ordinates as
opposed to the standard of horizontal and vertical
ordinates only.
Retain line information Check this option to transfer the line information from
deleted points to points being retained.
Use filter Check this option in order to apply a point filter by name
and/or surface.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fenced area in
which to limit the calculation.

Fill in the relevant information and click the OK button to proceed. If the
Use filter option is selected then the Point Filter dialog is displayed. Set
the filter and click the OK button to continue.

5-12 Survey Reference

The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.
The point database is then scanned and any duplicate points are deleted.

Rotate Points
Rotate a discrete set of points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyRotatePoints

This routine allows the rotation of a discrete set of points. A common use
would be to correct points from a mis-oriented tache station.
After setting up the Rotation Details dialog you will be shown a point
filter dialog that will allow you to select the set of points to be rotated.
When using In place rotation in conjunction with Use fence lines from
rotated points to points outside the fence are removed to prevent
possible line crossings. However line crossings can still occur if points
are rotated such that they fall into the area outside the fence. Careful
checking of lines is required.
It is advisable to rescale the database after rotation in order to update
the block structure with the coordinates of the newly rotated points.

Procedure
The Rotation Details dialog is displayed.

Point to rotate about Enter the name of the point that will form the axis of
rotation i.e. the point that remains stationary while all
other points are rotated.
Angle to rotate through Enter the angle by which the points should be rotated
about the axis of rotation. This angle is a cartesian angle
so positive values will rotate the point set anti-clockwise.

Editing Menu 5-13

In place rotation Select this option to have the points rotated in the
database.
Export points Select to have the coordinates of the rotated points
written to an ASCII file and to enable the Delete rotated
points option. The points will not be changed.
Delete rotated points Check this option to have the points that are selected for
rotation deleted after the new coordinates are exported.
This will enable the re-import of the rotated points
without any duplication.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option
Model ► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.
If you use this option in conjunction with the In place
rotation option then any lines from points inside the
fence that connect to points outside the fence are
removed in order to prevent line crossings from
occuring. Note that line crossings can still occur when
points are rotated such that they fall into the area of the
non-rotated points.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the OK
button to continue.
If you selected Export points then Windows’ standard save dialog is
displayed in order for you to select a file to which to export. The drive
and path automatically default to the last used drive and directory for
this type of file. The rotated points are then written to the selected file.
If you selected In place rotation then the point coordinates are updated to
their new positions. If the Use fence option was selected at the same time
then lines from the points being rotated that connect to points not being
rotated are also removed.

5-14 Survey Reference

Surface Change
Move points from one surface to another

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySurfaceChange

This routine is used to swap the surface flag of points.

A name filter is used to control the data set that will have its surface
altered. All points passing the filter will be listed with their new surface
designation as they are changed in the database.

Procedure
The Surface Change Details dialog is displayed.

Names to pass... Enter the filter that specifies which points to process.
Names to avoid... Enter the filter that specifies which points to ignore.
Current Select the surface on which the points are currently
located.
Destination Select the surface to which the processed points should
be transferred.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Editing Menu 5-15

Duplicate Surface
Duplicate points on a surface to another surface

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySurfaceDuplicate

This routine is used to make a duplicate of all points on an existing

surface. The destination surface for the copy must be empty if you wish
to use this routine.
The routine is useful in that you can create a duplicate surface on which
to make modifications without affecting the original surface. It is then a
simple matter of deleting the points on the duplicated surface using
Editing ► Batch Delete to return to the original data set.

Procedure
The Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Process surface Select the surface on which the points to be processed
are located.
Destination surface Select the surface to which the processed points should
be written.

5-16 Survey Reference

Name Change
Change the name of survey points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyNameChange

This routine is used to change the names of selected points to a specified

name.
A name filter is used to control which points will have their names
changed. All points passing the filter test will have their new names
listed as they are changed in the database.

Procedure
The Name Details dialog is displayed.

New name for points Enter the name to be set for the processed points.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the OK
button to continue.

Editing Menu 5-17

Name Constant
Add or subtract a character from survey point names

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyNameConstant

This routine is used to either add or remove a suffix to the names of

points.
A name filter is used to control which points will be altered. The points
passing the filter test will have their names altered by adding or
removing the relative suffix from each one’s existing name. The points
will be listed as they are altered in the database.

Procedure
The Constant Details dialog is displayed.

Name constant Enter the letters to be applied to the selected points.

Add to start of name The specified letters will be added to the start of the
current point name
Add to end of name The specified letters will be added to the end of the
current point name
Remove from name Any occurence of the specified letters will be removed
from the current point name.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option
Model ► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the OK
button to continue.

5-18 Survey Reference

Height Constants
Add or subtract a constant to the survey point elevation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtConstant

This routine is used to add a constant to the Z ordinate of a point. A

name filter is used to control which points will have the constant added
to their Z value. The points will be listed with the new Z value as they are
changed in the database.

Procedure
The Constant Details dialog is displayed.

Height constant Enter the value to be applied to the existing point

heights.
Apply constant by... - If you select Addition then the specified constant will be
Addition or Multiplication added to the existing height. If you select Multiplication
then the existing height will be multiplied by the specified
constant.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the OK
button to continue.

Editing Menu 5-19

Height Interpolation
Interpolate the elevation of points from a specified surface

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtInterpolate

This routine will set the Z ordinates of all the points on a particular
surface to the elevation of the ground defined by another surface at that
spot.
It is useful for rapidly elevating design points that have a position, but
are not part of the original survey data, for example subdivision layouts,
manhole positions or proposed road centrelines.
A valid terrain model must exist over the ground in order for the
interpolations to be made. There is a warning and an opportunity to
escape before the procedure starts. The program will interpolate the
elevation of the ground at the position of each design point and set the Z
ordinate of the design point to that value. If no interpolation can be made
then the Z ordinate is set to ' 0'.
The points and their levels will be listed as they are changed in the
database.

Procedure
The Height Interpolation Details dialog is displayed.

Names to pass... Enter the filter that specifies which points to process.
Names to avoid... Enter the filter that specifies which points to ignore.
Elevations Select the surface on which the terrain model to
interpolate from has been created.
Elevations to Select the surface on which the points whose elevations
5-20 Survey Reference
 should be set are located.
Search distance Enter the maximum distance about the point whose
elevation is being interpolated that will be scanned for
points from which elevations can be interpolated.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following message is displayed:

Click the OK button to continue with the function, or click the Cancel
button to stop.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.

Editing Menu 5-21

Height Differences
Determines the difference in elevation between points in two surfaces

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtDifference

This routine is used to calculate the difference in elevation between the

points in two surfaces directly above or below each other. Typically, this
design data will in fact be points from another survey of one sort or
another. It is useful for check surveys where a set of "as built" data has
been collected in a random manner (for example on a terrace) and this
must be compared to the theoretical elevations at that spot.
A valid terrain model must exist over the surface to be interpolated, in
order for the interpolations to be made. The difference between the Z
ordinate of the design point and the interpolated ground level at that
spot is written to an ASCII file. Also in that file are the Name, X and Y
ordinates of each design point.
This ASCII file has many uses. For example, in the case of "as built"
checks, it can be imported into a spreadsheet program for statistical
analysis. For dredging and construction control it can be read into a new
project, used to form a terrain model and contoured to get isopachyte
contours of cut-and-fill depths.

Procedure
The Height Difference Details dialog is displayed.

Names to pass... Enter the filter that specifies which points to process.
Names to avoid... Enter the filter that specifies which points to ignore.

5-22 Survey Reference

Interpolate on Select the surface on which the points for which height
differences are to be calculated are located.
Heights from Select the surface on which the points to be used for the
difference calculation are located.
Search distance Enter the maximum distance about the point whose
elevation is being interpolated that will be scanned for
points from which elevations can be interpolated.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model
► Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Windows’
standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which
to export. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
Click the OK button to accept the settings.

Editing Menu 5-23

Notes:

5-24 Survey Reference

Listing Menu
The Listing Menu allows you to list the data in the
DTM in a variety of formats.

Listing Menu 6-1

Automatic YX
List Y and X ordinates of selected points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListAutoYX

This routine lists the Y and X ordinates of all the points in the database.
Discrete sets of points may also be listed by using the name and surface
filter.
You are asked to enter constants for the data to be listed. The constants
you enter are not actually applied to the point coordinates but are rather
printed at the start of the listing. This gives you the option of listing
constants if your point data has been entered with a constant subtraction
applied.

Procedure
The Listing Details dialog is displayed.

Type of listing Select either the File or Sorted option. If you select File
the points are listed by their position in the database and
therefore will not be in any particular order. This listing
will however be quicker. If you select Sorted then the
points are sorted in the order specified in the Sort by
box.
Sort by Select the option by which the points should be sorted.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fenced area in
which to limit the calculation.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Constants dialog is displayed.

6-2 Survey Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates.
The standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the
OK button to continue.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.

Listing Menu 6-3

Automatic YXZ
List Y, X and Z ordinates of selected points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListAutoYXZ

This routine lists the Y, X and Z ordinates of all the points in the
database. Discrete sets of points may also be listed by using the name
and surface filter. You are asked to enter constants for the data to be
listed. The constants you enter are not actually applied to the point
coordinates but are rather printed at the start of the listing. This gives
you the option of listing constants if your point data has been entered
with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Listing Details dialog is displayed.

Type of listing Select either the File or Sorted option. If you select File
the points are listed by their position in the database and
therefore will not be in any particular order. This listing
will however be quicker. If you select Sorted then the
points are sorted in the order specified in the Sort by
box.
Sort by Select the option by which the points should be sorted.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fenced area in
which to limit the calculation.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Constants dialog is displayed.

6-4 Survey Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates.
The standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the
OK button to continue. The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order
for you to set output options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.

Listing Menu 6-5

YX
List Y and X ordinates of particular points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListYX

This routine is used to individually list a point's Name, Y and X

ordinates. Either a point may be listed or a line of explanatory text can
be inserted into the listing. An example of this would be 'Trigonometric
beacons follow:'. You are first asked to enter constants for the data to be
listed. The constants you enter are not actually applied to the point
coordinates but are rather printed at the start of the listing. This gives
you the option of listing constants if your point data has been entered
with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates.
The Manual Listing dialog is displayed. Fill in the relevant data and click
the Print button to continue.

6-6 Survey Reference

YXZ
List Y, X and Z ordinates of particular points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListYXZ

This routine is used to individually list a point's Name, Y, X and Z

ordinates. Either a point may be listed or a line of explanatory text can
be inserted into the listing. An example of this would be 'Trigonometric
beacons follow:'. You are first asked to enter constants for the data to be
listed. The constants you enter are not actually applied to the point
coordinates but are rather printed at the start of the listing. This gives
you the option of listing constants if your point data has been entered
with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates.
The Manual Listing dialog is displayed. Fill in the relevant data and click
the Print button to continue.

Listing Menu 6-7

YX + Comment
List Y and X ordinates of particular points with comments

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListYXC

This routine is used to individually list a point's Name, Y and X ordinates

with the addition of a comment. Either a point may be listed or a line of
explanatory text can be inserted into the listing. An example of this
would be 'Trigonometric beacons follow:'. You are first asked to enter
constants for the data to be listed. The constants you enter are not
actually applied to the point coordinates but are rather printed at the
start of the listing. This gives you the option of listing constants if your
point data has been entered with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates.
The Manual Listing dialog is displayed. Fill in the relevant data and click
the Print button to continue.

6-8 Survey Reference

YXZ + Comment
List Y, X and Z ordinates of particular points with comments

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListYXZC

This routine is used to individually list a point's Name, Y, X and Z

ordinates with the addition of a comment. Either a point may be listed or
a line of explanatory text can be inserted into the listing. An example of
this would be 'Trigonometric beacons follow:'. You are first asked to
enter constants for the data to be listed. The constants you enter are not
actually applied to the point coordinates but are rather printed at the
start of the listing. This gives you the option of listing constants if your
point data has been entered with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates.
The Manual Listing dialog is displayed. Fill in the relevant data and click
the Print button to continue.

Listing Menu 6-9

YX + Page + Comment
List Y and X ordinates of particular points with page numbers and comments

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListYXPC

This routine is used to individually list a point's Name, Y and X ordinates

with the addition of field book page and calcs page references and
comment. Either a point may be listed or a line of explanatory text can be
inserted into the listing. An example of this would be 'Trigonometric
beacons follow:'. You are first asked to enter constants for the data to be
listed. The constants you enter are not actually applied to the point
coordinates but are rather printed at the start of the listing. This gives
you the option of listing constants if your point data has been entered
with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates. The Manual Listing dialog is displayed.
Fill in the relevant data and click the Print button to continue.

6-10 Survey Reference

YXZ + Page + Comment
List Y, X and Z ordinates of particular points with page numbers and comments

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyListYXZPC

This routine is used to individually list a point's Name, Y, X and Z

ordinates with the addition of field book page and calcs page references
and comment. Either a point may be listed or a line of explanatory text
can be inserted into the listing. An example of this would be
'Trigonometric beacons follow:'. You are first asked to enter constants for
the data to be listed. The constants you enter are not actually applied to
the point coordinates but are rather printed at the start of the listing.
This gives you the option of listing constants if your point data has been
entered with a constant subtraction applied.

Procedure
The Constants dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Note that
the constants entered here are only displayed in the list heading and in
no way affect the point ordinates. The Manual Listing dialog is displayed.
Fill in the relevant data and click the Print button to continue.

Listing Menu 6-11

Notes:

6-12 Survey Reference

Calculations Menu
These are the basic coordinate geometry routines
that are most frequently used for design and simple
survey calculations. They deal in the horizontal
plane only and depend on the relevant points being
called by name. Refer to the graphical section for
an alternate system.

General Procedure
Like all the functions in the Survey section that use names to retrieve the
points from the database, if a coordinated point is required for the
calculation and cannot be found, there will be an opportunity to either
type in the known coordinate values, or to change the name and search
the database again.
When a name is provided for a newly calculated point, the database is
first searched for that point. If it is found, the existing values are replaced
with those generated in the current calculation. If it is not found, a new
point with that name and position is added to the database.

Calculations Menu 7-1

Join
Calculate the direction and distance between two points of known coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcJoin

This routine is used to obtain the direction and distance between two
points of known coordinates.
In the graphical version of this function, the points are selected by
clicking on them with the mouse.

Procedure
The Join Calculations dialog is displayed.

Base station name Enter the name of the point from which the join should
be calculated.
Target station name Enter the name of the point to which the join should be
calculated.
Join type - Standard, Select the option that describes the type of join to be
Radial or Chained carried out. This selection affects the join following this
one. For the Standard option both the base and target
names must be provided for each calculation. For the
Radial option the base is held constant and successive
joins to other targets are taken. For the Chained option
the target of this join becomes the base of the next.
Process Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue.

7-2 Survey Reference

Polar
Fix a new point a given distance and direction from a base point of known
coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcPolar

This routine is used to fix a new point a given distance and direction
from a base point of known coordinates.
In the graphical version of this function, the base point is selected by
clicking on it with the mouse.

Procedure
The Polar Calculation dialog is displayed.

Base station Enter the name of the point from which the polar should
be calculated.
Measurements – Fileld or Select Field to enter data in the form typically measured
Plan on site. This will allow you to also optionally calculate the
elevation of the target.
Select Plan to enter theoretical flat data.
Observed direction Enter the direction from the base to the target.
Horizontal / Slope Enter the horizontal distance (Plan measurements) or
distance slope distance (Field measurements) from the base to
the target.
Target point Enter the name of the point to be created.
Include elevation in Only available for Field measurements. Check to have
calculation the elevation of the target point calculated,

Calculations Menu 7-3

Instrument height Only available for Field measurements. Enter the
appropriate values for the elevation calculation to take
into account.
Target height Only available for Field measurements. Enter the
appropriate values for the elevation calculation to take
into account.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Type - Standard, Radial or Select the option that describes the type of polar to be
Chained carried out. This selection affects the polar following this
one. For the Standard option both the base and target
names must be provided for each calculation. For the
Radial option the base is held constant and successive
polars to other targets are taken. For the Chained option
the target of this polar becomes the base of the next.
Process Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.

7-4 Survey Reference

Resection
Fix an unknown point by means of un-oriented directions from the unknown point
to three known points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcResection

This routine is used to fix an unknown point by means of un-oriented

directions from the unknown point to three known points.

Directions must be used and NOT the subtended angles.

Procedure
The Resection Calculation dialog is displayed.

First, Second and Third Enter the name of the relevant coordinated point
station
Observed direction Enter the unoriented direction from the target point to the
relevant point. Note that directions must be used and
NOT the subtended angles.
Target point Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Process Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue.

Calculations Menu 7-5

Intersection
Fix an unknown point by means of oriented directions from two known points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcIntersection

This routine is used to fix an unknown point by means of oriented

directions from two known points. Also known as a ‘triangle’ calculation.

Procedure
The Intersection Calculation dialog is displayed.

First station Enter the name of the relevant coordinated point.

Observed direction Enter the oriented direction from the relevant point to the
target.
Second station Enter the name of the relevant coordinated point.
Observed direction Enter the oriented direction from the relevant point to the
target.
Target point Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Process Button Click this button to accept the current entries in the
dialog.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue.

7-6 Survey Reference

Trilateration
Fix an unknown point by means of horizontal distances from two known points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcTriLat

This routine is used to fix an unknown point by means of horizontal

distances from two known points. Also known as an ‘arc-arc intersection'
calculation.
There are two possible solutions to the calculation and a selection must
be made as to which of the two should be stored. The complete
calculation for both is listed in order to facilitate the selection.

Procedure
The Trilateration Calculation dialog is displayed.

First and Second station Enter the name of the relevant coordinated point
Measured distance Enter the horizontal distance from the relevant point to
the target.
Target point Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue. The
Point Adoption dialog is displayed.

1 or 2 Select either of the presented options as the coordinates

to be used for the calculated point.
Calculations Menu 7-7
Arc/Line Intersection
Calculate the intersection point between an arc (distance) from one known point
and a line (oriented direction) from another

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcArcLineInt

This routine is used to calculate the intersection point between an arc

(distance) from one known point and a line (oriented direction) from
another.
There are two possible solutions to the calculation and a selection must
be made as to which of the two should be stored. The complete
calculation for both is printed in order to facilitate the selection.

Procedure
The Arc-Line Intersection dialog is displayed.

Station name Enter the name of the point from which the direction to
the target point was observed.
Observed direction Enter the oriented direction from the base point to the
target point.
Arc centre name Enter the name of the point from which the distance to
the target point was measured.
Arc radius Enter the horizontal distance measured from the arc
centre to the target point.
Target point name Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue. If you
click the Process button, the Point Adoption dialog is displayed.

7-8 Survey Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Calculations Menu 7-9

Parallel Line Intersection
Fix a point at specified parallel offset from two lines that have a known
intersection point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcParallel

This function is used to fix a point at specified parallel offset from two
lines that have a known intersection point. A common use would be to
calculate manhole positions a set distance from buildings or boundaries.
The point calculated is assumed to be to the right of the three points in
the order they were specified. In other words, to get the complementary
situation of a point on the other side, specify the points in the reverse
order.

Procedure
The Parallel Point dialog is displayed.

First point Enter the name of a point that falls on line 1.

Middle point Enter the name of the point at the intersection of line 1
and line 2.
Last point Enter the name of a point on line 2.
Target point Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Offset from line 1 Enter the horizontal distance from this line to the first
offset line.
Offset from line 2 Enter the horizontal distance from this line to the second
offset line.

7-10 Survey Reference

Double Polar
Fix an unknown point when both oriented direction and distance are available
from two known points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcDoublePolar

This routine is used to fix an unknown point when both oriented

direction and distance are available from two known points.
This is a fieldwork-type calculation and therefore unreduced slope
distances can be used. Joins to outside stations during the calculation
can be used to correct un-oriented observations. An opportunity is given
to calculate orientation corrections for each of the setup stations. After
orientation for both setup stations has been completed, a proportionally
meaned final coordinate is adopted for the calculated point and the
residuals are printed.

Procedure
The Double Polar dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the name of the point observed from.

Horizontal Dirn. Enter the horizontal direction from the station to the
target point.
Vertical Angle Enter the vertical angle between the station and the
target point. If the measured distance is the horizontal
distance then the vertical angle should be set to
90.0000, otherwise it is assumed that the measured
distance is a slope distance and the entered vertical
angle will be used to reduce the slope distance to the
horizontal.
Distance Enter the measured slope or horizontal distance from the
station to the target point.

Calculations Menu 7-11

Correction factor Enter the correction to be applied to the measured
distances in meters per kilometer.
Target point Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue. The
Orientation dialog is displayed.

No orientation correction Select this option if no orientation is required.

Calculate orientation Select this option if you wish to calculate an orientation
correction correction for the horizontal observation from this station.
Observed station Enter the name of the point to which an orientation
direction was read.
Observed direction Enter the direction from the setup station to the
orientation station.
Calculate Button Click this button to calculate the orientation correction.
The calculated value is displayed in the Correction edit
box.
Correction Enter a value that you want to use as the orientation
correction.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

7-12 Survey Reference

Placing Joins
Obtain directions and distances from a base point to all points within a specified
radius of that point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyCalcPlacingJoin

This routine is used to obtain directions and distances from a base point
to all points within a specified radius of that point.
Extra points that may fall outside the defined radius can be inserted
manually. This is mainly provided for the insertion of outside orienting
data.
A name and surface filter can be used to control which points will be
processed for the placing joins.
The listing gives the direction and distance from the base point to each of
the points found within the search radius and that passes the name filter.
It also gives (in brackets) the distance that the chainman has to walk to
move from where he is standing to the next point. The order of the listing
is optimised to minimise these walking distances.

Procedure
The Placing Joins dialog is displayed.

Base station Enter the name of the point from which placing joins
should be calculated.
Walking distance Enter the radius around the base station which to scan
for points.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Additional Joins dialog is displayed.

Calculations Menu 7-13

Station to add Enter the name of a point to be included in the
calculation. This is for points that fall outside the walk
distance radius but should still be included in the
calculation. Used mostly for stations to be used for
orientation.
Add Button Click this button to add the current name to the station
list.
Remove Button Click on a name in the station list and then click this
button to remove the highlighted item from the list.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Done button to continue.
Notes:

7-14 Survey Reference

Heighting Menu
Here you can calculate the height of specified points
based on observations from known points in the
database.

Heighting Menu 8-1

Forward
Calculate the height of a point from a point of known height by means of forward
vertical angles

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtForward

This routine is used to calculate the height of a point (called the target
station) from a point of known height (called the base station) by means
of forward vertical angles from the base station.
The coordinates for both the base and target points must be known
because the horizontal join distance is used in the calculations.
Correction for earth curvature and atmospheric refraction are made in
the usual way. The calculated height will be adopted for the target
station.
See also the Survey Traverse, which also permits reductions and
adjustment of vertical observations.

Procedure
The Forward Heighting dialog is displayed.

Base station Enter the name of the point from which observations
were made.
Target station Enter the name of the point for which the height should
be calculated.
Instrument height Enter the height of the instrument at the base station.
Target height Enter the height of the observed target or signal at the
target station.
Rejection limit Enter the allowable difference between circle left and
circle right readings. Typically 2 minutes (0.02) is an
acceptable value.

8-2 Survey Reference

Circle left Enter the vertical angle on the left face between the
base and target stations. It is acceptable to enter 0 here
if there is a circle right reading.
Circle right Enter the vertical angle on the right face between the
base and target stations. It is acceptable to enter 0 here
if there is a circle left reading.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue.

Heighting Menu 8-3

Simultaneous
Calculate the unknown height of a point from the known height of another point
by means of vertical angles from both stations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtSimul

This routine is used to calculate the unknown height of a point (called

the target station) from the known height of another point (called the
base station) by means of vertical angles from both the base and target
stations.
Curvature and refraction correction is printed for information only. The
reciprocal calculation does not use it. The calculated height will be
adopted for the target station. See also the Survey Traverse, which also
permits reductions and adjustment of vertical observations.

Procedure
The Simultaneous Heighting dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the name of the relevant station.

Circle left Enter the vertical angle on the left face from the relevant
station to the other. It is acceptable to enter 0 here if
there is a circle right reading.
Circle right Enter the vertical angle on the right face from the
relevant station to the other. It is acceptable to enter 0
here if there is a circle left reading.
Inst. height Enter the instrument height at the relevant station.
Rejection limit Enter the allowable difference between circle left and
circle right readings. Typically 2 minutes (0.02) is an
acceptable value.
Slope distance Enter the measured slope distance between the two
stations.

8-4 Survey Reference

Mean Elevations
Assign an elevation to a point where height differences have been obtained to or
from it to several other points of known elevation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtMeanElev

This routine assigns an elevation to a point (base point) where height

differences have been obtained to or from it to several other points of
known elevation. The height differences are adjusted in indirect
proportion to the distances between the base station and the observed
stations. The meaned height calculated will be adopted as the Z ordinate
for the base station.

Procedure
The Mean Heighting dialog is displayed.

Base station Enter the name of the point for which the height must be
calculated.
Known station Enter the name of a station for which the height
difference between it and the base station is known.
Height diff. Enter the measured height difference between the
stations. In the case of inward observations, the signs of
the height differences must be transposed.
Add Button Click this button to add the current entries for Known
station and Height diff. to the list.
Delete Button Click on an entry in the Known stations list and then click
this button to remove the highlighted item from the list.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Heighting Menu 8-5

Traverse
Calculate the height of a number of points by means of a series of height
differences linked in a traverse

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHgtTraverse

This routine is used to calculate the height of a number of points by

means of a series of height differences linked in a traverse.
The traverse assumes that you will start and end on points of known
elevation. These points can of course be one and the same.
The height differences for each traverse leg are adjusted in indirect
proportion to the length of the leg. The heights for the points along the
traverse are calculated and the individual leg adjustments are printed as
well as the overall misclosure. If the traverse is a loop with common
points, the adjusted elevation of each common point is meaned in turn to
obtain the final value.
See also the Survey Traverse, which also permits reductions and
adjustment of vertical observations.

Procedure
The Traverse Heighting dialog is displayed.

Starting station Enter the name of the point on which the traverse
begins.
Traverse point Enter the name of the next point in the traverse.
Height diff. Enter the difference in height between this point and the
previous point in traverse order.

8-6 Survey Reference

Add Button Click this button to add the current entries for Traverse
point and Height diff. to the list. The traverse is carried
out in the order of the items in the list.
Delete Button Click on an item in the point list and then click this button
to remove the highlighted item from the list.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Heighting Menu 8-7

Notes:

8-8 Survey Reference

Transformations Menu
These functions transform a set of coordinates
from one plane system to another by applying an
optimum shift, swing and scale transformation to
the coordinates. If more than two points have
known coordinates on both systems there is redundancy and a least
square (Helmert) system can be used to obtain the final parameters.
These functions are also to be used in South Africa in order to convert
point coordinates from Clarke 1880 to WGS 84 as is now required by the
Surveyor General.
A new method of transforming points from Clarke 1880 to WGS 84 has
been introduced specifically for South African clients.
This transformation is based on degree squares for which the required
transformation parameters have been pre-calculated. These parameters
are applied to all points within their containing degree square in order to
calculate corrected coordinates.
The transformation is dependant on degree square files (KNB files)
which can be obtained from the following (sole) supplier:
Mark Newling
Tritan Survey cc
PO Box 18597
Wynberg
7824
Tel: 021 797-2081
Fax: 021 797-8195
EMail: [email protected]

The supply and use of the KNB files supplied by Mark Newling and
Tritan Survey is a matter between yourself and their company and
Knowledge Base will, other than to the extent of verifying that the
internal calculation used is correct, bear no responsibility for the
outcome of any transformation using these supplied files.

Transformations Menu 9-1

Individual
Convert points from one system to another, one by one on an individual name
basis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHelmertIndividual

This option is used to convert points from one system to another, one by
one on an individual name basis. The converted points are stored in an
ASCII file that may be subsequently imported into another job.
At least three points with coordinates on both systems must be available
to start, or the transformation parameters from a previous trans-
formation or an outside source must be available.
If transformation parameters are not available, then they must first be
established by the entry of common points. The names of points on the
original system must be provided as well as the (different) names of the
corresponding points on the target system.
Once the transformation parameters and list of points to transform have
been established, a name must be provided for the ASCII file in which to
store the converted coordinates. The point names are listed as they are
converted.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to use predefined transformation parameters, or

click the No button to calculate the parameters.
If you select to use your own transformation parameters then the
Helmert Transform Parameters dialog is displayed.

9-2 Survey Reference

Origin shifts Y and X - Enter the required origin shifts in metres.
From and To
Constants - a and b Enter the required constants.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you
selected not to use your own transformation parameters then the
Common Points dialog is displayed.

Old system Enter the name of a point with coordinates in the system
to be transformed from.
New system Enter the name of a point with coordinates in the system
to be transferred to.
Add Button Click this button to incorporate the current Old system
and New system entries into the solution. As each
additional pair of points is introduced after the first ones,
the updated scale and swing is displayed. The
percentage change induced by the last entry is also
displayed. There is little sense continuing with the entry
of common points once the percentage change has
become small.
OK Button Click this button to accept the entered common points.
Only available after a minimum of three common points
have been entered.

Transformations Menu 9-3

Fill in the relevant data and then click the OK button to continue. The
Scale and Swing dialog is displayed.

Scale factor and Swing These values are displayed for confirmation purposes
only.

Click the OK button to continue. The Point Selection dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Group
Convert points from one system to another on a batch basis

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyHelmertGroup

This option is used to convert points from one system to another on a

batch basis.
Data entry is identical to the Individual Transformation section.
Once the transformation parameters have been established, a name must
be provided for the ASCII file in which to store the converted
coordinates. The points are then dealt with on a batch basis by passing
them through a name and surface filter. Each point is listed as it is
converted.

9-4 Survey Reference

Clarke->WGS84 (SA Only)
These functions are used to convert points from Clarke 1880 to WGS84 in
accordance with the requirements of the South African Surveyor
General.

Individual
Convert points from Clarke 1880 to WGS84, one by one on an individual name
basis, using KNB files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyKNBIndividual

Convert points one by one on an individual name basis. The converted

points are stored in an ASCII file that may be subsequently imported
into another job.
The correct degree square files (KNB files, see the Notes entry for details
on obtaining these files) must be available in order to use this function. If
files are missing, or corrupted, you will be told which files need to be
obtained.

Procedure
The Browse Folder dialog is display.

Select the directory in which your KNB files are stored and click the OK
button to continue, or click the Cancel button to cancel the function. If
the correct KNB files are not found in the selected directory then the
following message is displayed:

Transformations Menu 9-5

Contact the KNB file suppliers (see the Note section for contact details)
and order the correct degree square files.
If the correct degree square files are found then the Output Manager
dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options. Click the OK
button to accept the settings.
The Point Selection dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue. The new
coordinates for the selected points are calculated and displayed.

Group
Convert points from Clarke 1880 to WGS84, on a group basis, using KNB files

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyKNBGroup

This option is used to convert points from Clarke 1880 to WGS84 in

accordance with the requirements of the South African Surveyor
General on a group basis. The converted points are stored in an ASCII
file that may be subsequently imported into another job.
The correct degree square files (KNB files, see the Notes entry for details
on obtaining these files) must be available in order to use this function. If
files are missing, or corrupted, you will be told which files need to be
obtained.

9-6 Survey Reference

Procedure
The Browse Folder dialog is display.

Select the directory in which your KNB files are stored and click the OK
button to continue, or click the Cancel button to cancel the function. If
the correct KNB files are not found in the selected directory then the
following message is displayed:

Contact the KNB file suppliers (see the Note section for contact details)
and order the correct degree square files.
If the correct degree square files are found then the Output Manager
dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options. Click the OK
button to accept the settings. The standard Name Filter dialog is
displayed. Set the filter and click the OK button to continue.
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

Transformations Menu 9-7

Notes:

9-8 Survey Reference

Conversions Menu
Most of these functions are designed to handle
conversions between different projection systems and
to correct physical data for conformance to map
projections. There is also a routine for converting
coordinates from one set of units to another.

LO System
Where reference is made to a 'National system' or a
'LO system' this refers to the Gauss Conformal or
Transverse Mercator projection as used throughout
southern Africa and in other countries. In South
Africa this is based (as of January 1999) on the WGS
1984 determination of the ellipsoid and having
standard parallels based on every odd degree of longitude. Prior to this it
was based on the Cape Datum which used the Modified Clarke 1880
ellipsoid. A “panel” refers to a coordinate system two degrees of
longitude wide with one of these standard parallels as origin.

Conversions Menu 10-1

Geo Topo
Convert geographical coordinates to Y and X coordinates in the project projection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvGeoTopo

This converts geographical coordinates in the form of degrees, minutes

and seconds of latitude and longitude, to Y and X coordinates in the
project projection in Civil Designer format.
An ASCII file is read and another one is written. The converted
coordinates can be set relative to any standard line of longitude.
Incoming data must be comma separated in the form:
Name, Lat.deg, Lat.min, Lat.sec, Long.deg, Long.min, Long.sec, Altitude
123617,29,46,56.2447,30,49,13.4724,492.57,02,14,11,19,00,068
123647,29,46,56.3786,30,49,13.7638,492.79,02,14,11,19,00,068
123717,29,46,56.3682,30,49,13.6238,491.73,02,14,11,15,00,068
123747,29,46,56.9579,30,49,12.5997,491.56,02,14,11,15,00,068
123817,29,46,56.4389,30,49,12.3948,497.75,02,14,11,19,00,068
123847,29,46,56.4549,30,49,12.5944,494.99,02,14,11,28,00,068
123917,29,46,56.7650,30,49,13.6075,495.62,02,14,11,28,00,068
123947,29,46,56.2697,30,49,13.6729,495.64,02,14,11,15,00,068
124017,29,46,56.1959,30,49,13.9915,494.91,02,14,11,15,00,068

Data after the last valid item will just be ignored. In the preceding
example these would be the six figures following the elevation that are
the GPS satellite numbers and PDOP.
Converted data is written as Name, Y, X, Z.
Note that in the above example, the time stamp on the reading has been
adopted as the name. This can be a very useful technique for tracking
movement and can also be used for the Intelli-Lines function.

Also note that latitudes in the southern hemisphere and longitudes in

the western hemisphere must be entered as negative values.

Procedure
The LO Details dialog is displayed. Fill in the destination LO and click
the OK button to continue.

10-2 Survey Reference

Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to process. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected a file to process Windows’ standard save dialog is
displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write. The drive and
path automatically default to the last used drive and directory for this
type of file.

Conversions Menu 10-3

Goldfields
Convert coordinates on the Witwatersrand Goldfields systems to the Gauss
Conform (Mercator) projection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvGoldfields

This routine is used to convert coordinates on the Witwatersrand

Goldfields systems to the Gauss Conform (Mercator) projection.
The routine caters for the five major systems, namely Johannesburg,
Krugersdorp, Boksburg, Heidelburg and Balfour South. The incoming
coordinates must be in Cape Feet in an ASCII file in the format Name, Y,
X, Z. Outgoing data will be in International Meters in similar form.

Procedure
The Goldfields dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Windows’
standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to
process. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected a file to process Windows’ standard save dialog is
displayed in order for you to select a file to which to write. The drive and
path automatically default to the last used drive and directory for this
type of file.

10-4 Survey Reference

Extract DXF
Convert DXF points and lines to Civil Designer readable ASCII (text).

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvDXF

This routine takes any points, lines, polyline structures or text that can
be converted to a floating point number in a DXF file and converts them
to Civil Designer readable ASCII.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
DXF file to process. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file. Once you have selected a
DXF file to process Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order
for you to select a file to which to write. The drive and path automatically
default to the last used drive and directory for this type of file.

Conversions Menu 10-5

Extract Text
Convert numeric text from CAD to DTM points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvText

This routine converts numeric text on any layer or combination of layers

in the currently loaded drawing to DTM points. The location of the text
items forms the Y and X coordinates of the new points while the value of
the text string (which must be numeric) forms the elevations of the new
points.

Procedure

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue. The
Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.
The text items on the selected layer(s) are processed and converted to
DTM points.

10-6 Survey Reference

LO to LO
Convert coordinated points from one LO panel to another

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvLoLo

This routine converts coordinated points from one LO panel to another.

The LO System origin to convert from is taken as the project LO but the
LO System origin to convert to must be supplied. There is an option for
constants to be added to the X and Y coordinates of the points to be
converted. The points may be converted individually by name or on a
batch basis controlled by a name and surface filter.
A name must be provided for an ASCII file into which the converted
coordinates will be stored. If necessary this ASCII file can be imported to
form a new database with the adjusted coordinates.

Procedure
The LO to LO Details dialog is displayed.

The Old LO entry is automatically set to the projection LO.

New LO Enter the value of the central meridian of the system to
be converted to.
Constants to add to old Enter constants that should be added to existing point
LO ordinates before conversion.

Constants to subtract from Enter constants that should be subtracted from the
new LO converted ordinates before being written to file.
Convert... Select either the Selected points option to convert
individual points, or the Complete file option to convert a
batch of points.

Conversions Menu 10-7

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you
selected the Complete file option the standard Name Filter dialog is
displayed. Set the filter and click the OK button to continue.
If you selected the Selected points option then the Point Selection dialog
is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

10-8 Survey Reference

LO to Lat/Long
Convert coordinated points from a LO panel to geographical coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvLoLatLong

This routine converts coordinated points from a LO panel to

geographical coordinates.
The LO System to convert from is taken as the project LO. Any constants
to be added to the X and Y coordinates of the points to be converted
must be supplied. The points may be converted individually by name or
on a batch basis controlled by a name and surface filter.
The coordinates will be listed as they are converted and stored to a text
file.

Procedure
The LO to Geo Details dialog is displayed.

LO system for output is automatically set to the project LO.

Constants to add to input Enter constants that should be added to point
ordinates before conversion.
Convert… Select either ‘Selected points’ to convert individually
named points, or the ‘All points’ to convert a batch of
points.
Coordinate format Select the format of the geographical coordinate
output.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you
selected the Complete file option the standard Name Filter dialog is
displayed. Set the filter and click the OK button to continue. If you

Conversions Menu 10-9

selected the Selected points option then the Point Selection dialog is
displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

10-10 Survey Reference

Lat/Long to LO
Convert geographical coordinates in angular Latitude and Longitude to a LO
panel in the project projection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvLatLongLo

This routine converts geographical coordinates in angular Latitude and

Longitude to a LO panel in the project projection.
The LO system to convert to must be supplied as well as any constants to
be deducted from the X and Y coordinates of the coordinates to be
converted.
The geographical coordinates are entered individually and they will be
listed as they are converted.

Procedure
The Geo to LO Details dialog is displayed.

Constants to subtract from Enter constants that should be subtracted from point
output ordinates after conversion.
Coordinate format Select the format of the geographical coordinate
output.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Geo to
LO Conversion dialog is displayed.

Conversions Menu 10-11

Calculated point name Enter the name of the point to be created.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Degrees - Latitude and Enter the geographic ordinates of the point to be
Longitude created. Note that latitudes are negative in the south and
longitudes are negative in the west.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Please note that southern latitudes and western longitudes must be

entered as negative values.

10-12 Survey Reference

t-T Correction
Calculate the adjustment required to bring angular field observations into
conformance with the orientation of a Gauss Conform projection

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvTT

This routine is used to calculate the adjustment required bringing

angular field observations into conformance with the orientation of a
Gauss Conform projection.
It only has a significant effect on longer distances (over 2 km) and where
the Y ordinate is well removed from the standard parallel (over 20 km).

Procedure
The t-T Correction Details dialog is displayed.

Name of base point Enter the name of the setup point from which
observations were made.
Constants to add to input Enter constants that should be added to existing point
ordinates before conversion.
Convert... Select either the Selected points option to convert
individual points, or the Complete file option to convert a
batch of points.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you
selected the Complete file option the standard Name Filter dialog is
displayed.

Conversions Menu 10-13

See the Name Filter section for details on setting up a set of descriptors
to process. Click the OK button to continue. If you selected the Selected
points option then the Point Selection dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

10-14 Survey Reference

Sea Level and Scale
Calculate the adjustments for atmospherics, sea level, scale and slope required
reducing measured distances to the horizontal at Mean Sea Level

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvSeaLevel

This routine calculates the adjustments for atmospherics, sea level, scale
and slope required reducing measured distances to the horizontal at
Mean Sea Level.
The atmospheric reduction pertains to distance measurements taken
with electro-optical equipment and the Barrel and Sears formulae.
Ambient temperature and altitude is used as a practical substitute for
pressure and humidity. A more detailed discussion of Barrel and Sears’
reduction can be found in the Tache Reductions section.
The base station must have a known elevation in order for the correction
to be correctly calculated. This is vital, even if it means entering a
dummy elevation at approximately the correct height just for the
purposes of this calculation.
The entry of the horizontal direction is not critical. It must be an oriented
direction but an accuracy of +/- 20 degrees is usually quite adequate.

Procedure
The Sea and Scale Constant Details dialog is displayed.

Name of base point Enter the name of a setup point with a known elevation.
Constants to add to input Enter constants that should be added to existing point
ordinates before conversion.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Sea
Level and Scale Correction dialog is displayed.

Conversions Menu 10-15

Point to fix Enter the name of the point for which the correction
should be calculated.
Direction Enter the oriented direction from the base station to the
point to fix.
Temperature Enter the ambient temperature at the time of
measurement.
Measured distance Enter the distance measured from the base station to the
point to fix. This can be a slope distance.
Vertical angle Enter the measured vertical angle (face left) between the
base station and the point to fix. This angle is used to
reduce the measured distance to the horizontal. Enter a
value of 90.0000 if Measured distance is not a slope
distance.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

10-16 Survey Reference

Unit Conversions
General-purpose conversions of length, area and volume

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvUnits

This routine is used for general-purpose conversions of length, area and

volume. The units to convert from and the units to convert to must be
selected. The values to convert are entered individually and are listed as
they are converted.

Procedure
The Unit Conversions dialog is displayed.

Conversion type Select the type of conversion to be carried out. Non-

relevant options will be greyed out.
Convert from... Select the units of the value to be converted.
Convert to... Select the units into which you want the value to be
converted.

The General Unit Conversions dialog is displayed. Fill in values and click
the Process button to continue.

Conversions Menu 10-17

User Units
Conversions using the users own units

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvUserUnits

This function does conversions using the users own units. In other
words, this option allows the user to multiply by a constant. The
inclusion of a shortcut to the Windows Calculator on the Desktop may be
found to be a more practical alternative to this routine.

Procedure
The User Conversion dialog is displayed.

Unit conversion factor Enter the factor to by which to multiply values in order to
convert from one unit to another.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The General
Unit Conversions dialog is displayed.

Value to convert Enter the value that you want to convert from the old
to the new units.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Process button to continue.

10-18 Survey Reference

Coord Conversion
Convert coordinated points from one unit of measure to another

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvCoords

This function converts coordinated points from one unit of measure to

another. The conversions available correspond to the units of length that
are available in Unit Conversions.
The converted coordinate values are not stored in the database, but are
stored in an ASCII file that must be named. This ASCII file can be
subsequently imported to form a new database with the adjusted
coordinates.
See also Geo Topo for complete GPS data file conversions, Goldfields for
the Witwatersrand system conversions and LO to LO for panel to panel
conversions.

Procedure
The Unit Conversions dialog is displayed.

Conversion type Select the type of conversion to be carried out. Non-

relevant options will be greyed out.
Convert from... Select the units of the value to be converted.
Convert to... Select the units into which you want the value to be
converted.

Conversions Menu 10-19

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Coordinate Details dialog is displayed.

Constants to add to old Enter values for constants to be added to point ordinates
coordinates before conversion.
Constants to subtract from Enter values for constants to be subtracted from the
new coordinates ordinates after conversion.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed.

See the Name Filter section for details on setting up a set of descriptors
to process. Click the OK button to continue.
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

10-20 Survey Reference

User Coord
Convert coordinated points to a user-defined coordinate system

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyConvUserCoords

This routine facilitates the conversion to a user-defined coordinate

system.
It allows you to multiply coordinates by a constant that is entered, as
opposed to being predefined. In all other respects it is the same as
normal Coord Conversion.
The converted coordinate values are not stored in the database, but are
stored in an ASCII file that must be named. This ASCII file can be
subsequently imported to form a new database with the adjusted
coordinates.

Procedure
The User Conversion dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Coordinate Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click the OK
button to continue.
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.
Conversions Menu 10-21
Notes:

10-22 Survey Reference

Reductions Menu
The functions on this menu allow you to calculate either
coordinate points or heights in various ways. All data
input is done through a spreadsheet interface and this
input is then reduced to create the final output.

General Notes
When loading field books for Error Figures, Tache reduction, Tache
Sections, Traverse, Levelling and Control Network, the data may be
loaded in three ways:
• By selecting Load Field book.
• By selecting New Field book to activate the correct input
spreadsheet and then typing in the relevant data.
• By selecting New Field book to activate the correct input
spreadsheet and then loading from a comma delimited file.
See ASCII Data Structures for details on the format of data files.

Reductions Menu 11-1

Tache
These items reduce tacheometric (tache) observations that have been
captured using a theodolite and staff, or theodolite and EDM, or a Total
Station. The data for the reduction must be provided in the form of a
field book. To activate the procedures, a field book must first be loaded
or a new one started.

New Field Book

Create a new tache field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTacheNew

Tache data can be typed directly into the spreadsheet. Each line of the
spreadsheet represents a set-up station, an outward orienting ray or a
tache observation. Tache observations can either be an EDM or prism
observation, a tache or staff observation or a polar observation (generally
from a total station).
Each type of entry has different requirements. All entries require at least
a field book indicator code (see below) and a point name. Set-up stations
require in addition an instrument height. Outward orienting rays require
in addition a horizontal angle reading. EDM or Tache observations
require in addition a horizontal angle reading, vertical angle reading, a
distance and a target height (stadia or prism). Polar observations require
in addition a horizontal angle reading, a distance and a height difference
(instead of the prism height).
Permissible field book indicator codes are:
{ Set-up station
% Outward orienting ray
e EDM (or prism) observation
t Tache (or staff) observation
p Polar option (see note below)

The Polar option

A "p" causes the vertical angle to be ignored and the reduction
calculation is performed as though the distance is flat. It is the equivalent
of using a 90° vertical angle, but without the necessity of entering it as
such. This option is used primarily with total stations that export fully
reduced horizontal distances and height differences.

11-2 Survey Reference

Curvature and refraction corrections are applied by default. Sea level,
scale and temperature corrections ARE applied if selected ON.

Load Field Book

Load an existing tache field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTacheLoad

The following description covers the Civil Designer (Stardust) field book
type. For other acceptable types refer to the Alternative Data Sources
section below.
The order of the data fields is:
1 Indicator code
2 Set-up name or target point descriptor
3 Horizontal angle reading
4 Vertical angle reading
5 Slope distance
6 Instrument or Target height (Stadia or prism)

The following is a listing of a typical Tache field book:

{,T1,0.0000,0.0000,0.000,1.642
%,P4,0.0000,0.0000,0.000,0.000
%,P2,304.2011,0.0000,0.000,0.000
e,Re,289.4158,86.1946,30.794,1.940
e,Re,295.1743,86.0412,27.756,1.940
e,Re,276.1219,86.4122,19.585,1.940
t,RDWe,182.4556,86.2919,8.880,2.000
t,Re,138.5245,89.2622,46.823,3.400
p,TRIG,345.1734,81.4520,294.785,63.254

• The first line is a set-up station called 'T1' and the instrument height
is 1.642.
• The second line is an orienting ray to 'P4'.
• The third line is an orienting ray to 'P2'.
• The next three lines are EDM observations to a feature described as
'Re'
• The next two lines are staff observations.
• The last line is a Polar observation where the final item is a height
difference

Reductions Menu 11-3

Alternative Data Sources
Various field book formats can be loaded into the Tache spreadsheet.
These types are:
• Logger
• Booker (in either Young or Brown formats)
• WILD
• Geodos
Descriptions of Booker and Logger data formats as well as instructions
for preparing for Civil Designer (or Stardust, as it was previously known)
are fully covered in their respective user manuals.

WILD Data Format

Files in the form of the following example are handled. Data output from
Wild equipment is configurable and users should amend their output
appropriately.
410001+000NRD25 42....+00001568
110002+00000001 21.104+09745430 22.104+27154500 31..00+00000000
51..1.+0015+000 71....+00000001 72....+000TR244 87..10+00002150
110003+00000002 21.104+28800400 22.104+26834520 31..00+00317598
51..1.+0015+000 71....+00000003 72....+000000GL 87..10+00002150
110004+00000003 21.104+27012400 22.104+26546250 31..00+00322258
51..1.+0015+000 71....+00000003 72....+000000GL 87..10+00002150

Note that in the above examples each line (after the first) is in fact a very
long line that starts with '11'. They may have been split onto two or more
lines due to margin constraints.
The WILD codes that are understood are as follows:
41 – Set-up station
42 - Instrument height in metres
21 - Horizontal angle as DDDMMSS
22 - Vertical angle as DDDMMSS
31 - Slope distance in metres
71 - Observation code (1 = orientation, 3 = tache shot)
72 - Point name
87 - Prism height

GEODOS Data Format

Geodos is a popular Swedish data collection and survey package. The
raw data that may be accepted looks like the example below:
P=MDTA C=
P=5 C=Stn 1.475 0 0 0
P=2 C=Bobj 0 111.904 42.544 1.34
P=7 C=M 166.718 98.297 61.126 1.34
P=100 C=TB 165.058 98.045 41.029 1.5
P=101 C=TB 162.307 98.007 41.029 1.5
P=102 C=TB 159.466 97.958 34.671 1.5
P=103 C=TB 156.479 98.108 33.418 1.5

11-4 Survey Reference

Procedure
The Tache File dialog is displayed.

Select the file type and click the OK button to continue.

Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to load. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Save Field Book

Save the current tache field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTacheSave

This function will save the Tache data in the spreadsheet into an ASCII
file in Stardust Tache format.
If data has been loaded from an alternative type of field book, you will be
asked to supply a new name for the file as only Stardust Tache format
files can be saved.

Procedure
If the data in the spreadsheet was loaded from an external file Stardust
Tache format file then it is saved back to that file. Otherwise, Windows’
standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which
to save. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.

Reductions Menu 11-5

List Field Book
List the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTacheList

This routine lists the Tache observation data from the spreadsheet in the
Output Window in a more readable format.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Reduce Field Book

Reduce the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTacheReduce

Once field data is present, it can be reduced.

Coordinates and elevations of set-up stations must be available in the
database or be ready for typing in on request. New stations can be
calculated by observation from another within the same field book. In
other words, if there is a set-up at 'Cow' and 'Horse' was sighted from it,
then the position and elevation of 'Horse' will have been established in
the database in preparation for a subsequent set-up at that location.
As each set-up station is encountered, there is an option to enter (or
revise) an orientation correction, a vertical index error correction, the
instrument height and correction for temperature, sea level and scale
factors. In the case of the latter, if the site is being surveyed on a local
system, a Y constant can be added to bring the Y ordinate up to the full
value.
Reductions are listed as they are produced and the resulting points are
added to the database. There is no search for duplicated names as these
points are added to the database. Any point descriptor can be repeated
as many times as necessary.
In the case of normal tache reduction, the orientation correction will be
displayed for each set-up station and an opportunity given to alter the
correction angle. The details of each set-up station are also displayed for
acceptance or amendment before the reductions from that station take

11-6 Survey Reference

place. The points will be listed as they are reduced and added to the
database.
A unique descriptor can be added to the point names of the shots from
each station. This permits these points to be identified as a group later
on. Typically they would be rotated, and/or shifted if the station
coordinate changed after the survey was entered. A descriptor has to be
added in order to use the Show Tache Rays function.
The station dialog box in Tache Reduction also offers an option to store
reduced data to a particular surface. This can be used advantageously
when several surveyors are gathering a large survey. By allocating each
one a particular surface, progress can be monitored, mistakes are
isolated and overlapping data becomes obvious.

Data Corrections
Four corrections are applied in the reduction process. One is
automatically applied and affects the elevation. The other three are
optional and apply to the measured distance. Each one is itemised and
some idea of each effect is given.
1) The observed vertical angle is automatically corrected for earth
curvature and refraction. On a sighting of 1000 m this increases the
elevation by 68 mm. On 2000 m this is 273 mm.
2) Sea level correction adjusts a distance measured at altitude to what
it would have been at sea level (where all map datums are based).
The effect is to reduce a distance of 1000 m by 157 mm if it was
measured at an altitude of 1000 m and by 314 mm if it was measured
at an altitude of 2000 m.
3) Scale correction corrects a distance for the Gauss Conform or UTM
map projection. The effect is to progressively increase a measured
distance the further away it is from the central standard meridian.
At 50 km from the meridian it will add 62 mm to a measured 1000 m
and at 100 km from the meridian it will add 124 mm.
4) Temperature correction adjusts distances measured with an infrared
or laser device using the Barrel & Sears formula. It uses
temperature and altitude (as a substitute for pressure) to compute
the correction. The standard temperature at which no correction will
take place is 11° C at sea level. This reduces by 32° C for every 1000
metre rise in altitude. In other words, to cancel out the effect of
temperature (but still get the effect of sea level and scale), enter a
temperature of -21° C for an altitude of 1000 metres. For every 10° C
above the standard temperature, the formula will increase a 1000
metre measurement by 10 millimetres.

Reductions Menu 11-7

Procedure
The following procedure is followed for each of the setup stations in the
tache. The Orientation Corrections dialog is displayed.

Edit Button Click on an item in the list and then click this button to
edit the highlighted item. The Orientation Observation
dialog is displayed.
Disable Button Click on an item in the list and then click this button to
remove an orientation observation from the calculation.
Orientation Correction Enter the revised orientation correction if necessary.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Station
Setup Details dialog is displayed.

Station name Enter the name of the setup station (filled in from the
spreadsheet data).
Y Coord, X Coord and Z Enter any updated ordinates of the setup station.
Coord
Orientation correction Enter any revised orientation correction.
Index correction Enter the constant required for index correction on the
theodolite observations.

11-8 Survey Reference

Instrument height Enter the height of the instrument at the setup station
(filled in from the spreadsheet data).
Suffix to add to reduced Enter a single character that will be added to the names
points of all points reduced from this setup station.
Store to surface Select the surface on which the reduced points should
be created.
Temperature correction Check this option and enter the ambient temperature at
the time of observation in order to apply temperature
corrections.
Scale correction Check this option and enter the Y constant required to
bring the Y ordinates of the setup station and reduced
points to the full Y coordinate value in order to apply
scale corrections.
Sea level correction Check this option in order to apply height above sea
level corrections.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Reductions Menu 11-9

Tache Sections
These tache cross-section routines enable cross-sectioning to be done
with a theodolite as opposed to using a level. It is intended for use in
rough terrain or in heavy vegetation where sections need to be observed
individually. No horizontal directions are required as it is assumed the
observations are taken normal to a horizontal alignment.
New Field Book
Create a new tache sections field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySectionNew

Tache Section data can be typed directly into the spreadsheet. Each line
of the spreadsheet represents a header entry, a set-up station or a section
observation. Tache section observations can either be an EDM or prism
observation or a tache or staff observation.
Each type of entry has different requirements. All entries require at least
a field book indicator code (see below) and a point name or descriptor.
Header lines require in addition a section chainage. Set-up stations
require in addition an instrument height. EDM or Tache observations
require in addition a vertical angle reading, a slope distance and a target
height (stadia or prism).
Permissible field book indicator codes are:
# Header line for section start
{ Set-up station
e EDM (or prism) observation
t Tache (or staff) observation
Naming Conventions
The theodolite must be set up at a station somewhere along the cross-
section. Up to 11 set-up stations can be occupied per cross-section, but
must conform to a naming convention. The reserved names for the set-
up stations are as follows:
• CL – set-up station on the horizontal alignment centreline
• L1 through to L5 – set-up stations to the left of the horizontal
alignment
• R1 through to R5 – set-up stations to the right of the horizontal
alignment
Although the elevation of the CL point will be used as the datum for the
reduction of the observations, it is not necessary to physically occupy it.

11-10 Survey Reference

An observation may be taken from one of the other set-up stations to the
CL.
Observations can be made from any number of the set-up stations in any
order as long as they are referenced to one another in some way and
ultimately with CL. For example, it is possible to set up at a station L1
and take observations, move to a station R1 and take more observations
but also observe L1 and CL at this set-up. In this way, L1 is referenced to
CL via L1's connection to R1.
Each observation of a section point must have an ' L' as the first letter of
the comment for an observation left of the current set-up station, or an '
R' if it is to the right of the current set-up station. If the observation
needs further comment it should be separated from the first letter by '/ '
e.g. 'L/ER' or 'R/TB'.
Load Field Book
Load an existing tache sections field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySectionLoad

The order of the data fields is:

1 Indicator code
2 Set-up name or target point descriptor
3 Vertical angle reading
4 Slope distance or section chainage
5 Instrument or target height (Stadia or prism)

The following is a listing of one cross-section in a field book:

#,,0.0000,2160.000,0.000
{,CL,0.0000,0.000,1.570
t,L/BB,97.2000,14.500,1.170
e,L/TB,97.1800,16.200,0.680
e,R,270.3800,16.100,0.780
t,R,272.2400,18.000,1.400
t,L1,97.1100,22.000,1.200
{,L1,0.0000,0.000,1.530
t,L/ER,89.2300,2.000,1.100

• The first line denotes the start of a cross-section at chainage 2160

• The second line is a set-up at CL with an instrument height of 1.570
• The next two lines are observations are to the left of CL (with
comments 'BB' and 'TB').
• The next two lines are observations to the right of CL

Reductions Menu 11-11

• The seventh line is an observation to the next set-up station L1 (First
station to the left)
• The eighth line is a set-up at L1 with an instrument height of 1.530
• The last line is an observation to a point 'ER' that is to the left of L1
• The next cross-section should follow directly after the last
observation of the current section.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to load. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Save Field Book

Save the current tache sections field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySectionSave

This function will save the Tache Section data in the spreadsheet into an
ASCII file.

Procedure
If the data in the spreadsheet was loaded from an external file with the
standard ".dat" extension then it is saved back there. Otherwise,
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to save. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

11-12 Survey Reference

List Field Book
List the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySectionList

This routine lists the Tache Section observation data from the
spreadsheet in the Output Window in a more readable format.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Reduce Field Book

Reduce the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveySectionReduce

Once field data is present, this can be reduced.

A file name must be provided for the storing of the ASCII cross-sections.
The observations will be listed on the screen as they are reduced and the
cross-sections will be written to the ASCII file in delimited form. These
sections may then be imported and manipulated in the Road Module.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to save. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

Reductions Menu 11-13

Traverse
These functions reduce a traverse using observed directions and
distances:
• A flat traverse can be reduced by using horizontal distances
• A slope traverse, using slope distances, can be reduced by
incorporating vertical angles
• A full traverse is a slope traverse that incorporates corrections for
the map projection
By default the traverse reduction works with Y and X coordinates only
but, by adding instrument and target heights, an elevation traverse can
be calculated simultaneously.
All traverses are adjusted by the Bowditch method.

New Field Book

Create a new traverse field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseNew

Traverse data can be typed directly into the spreadsheet or loaded from
a comma delimited file. Each line of the spreadsheet represents a set-up
station, an outward orienting ray, an oriented traverse observation or an
unoriented traverse observation. Traverse observations can either be an
EDM or prism observation or a tache or staff observation.
Each type of entry has different requirements. All entries require at least
a field book indicator code (see below) and a point name or descriptor.
Set-up stations require in addition an instrument height. Outward
orienting rays require in addition a horizontal angle reading. EDM or
Tache observations require in addition horizontal angle readings,
vertical angle readings, a distance and a target height (stadia or prism).
Permissible field book indicator codes are:
{ Set-up station.
% Outward orienting ray.
o Oriented traverse observation.
u Unoriented traverse observation.
n Redundant traverse observation (for network adjustment of the traverse).

11-14 Survey Reference

General Notes
Several orientation rays are acceptable. The weighted mean correction
will be presented as the default but you can override this.
The order of the observations at a set-up station is immaterial while the
order of the traverse is dictated by the sequence of the set-up stations in
the ASCII file.
If both Circle Left and Circle Right observations are entered, the mean of
the two will be used in the reduction of the traverse.
Distances can be observed in either direction. If both are present a mean
will be taken.
It is not vital that every traverse point has observations from it. In other
words, not every station has to be occupied. This applies to both the first
and last points as well. However, if a station is not occupied, the one after
it must have some outside orientation or the traverse cannot be reduced.

Load Field Book

Load an existing traverse field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseLoad

The order of the data fields is:

1 Indicator code
2 Set-up or target point name
3 Horizontal Circle Left
4 Horizontal Circle Right (optional)
5 Distance (Sloped or horizontal)
6 Vertical Circle Left (Not applicable to flat traverses except for heighting)
7 Vertical Circle Right (optional)
8 Instrument or Target height (optional except for heighting)

An example of a field book is given below:

{,T236,0.0000,0.0000,0.000,0.0000,0.0000,1.570
o,U17,354.3049,174.3043,98.259,93.4246,266.1723,1.590
%,T71,202.3705,22.3701,0.000,0.0000,0.0000,0.000
{,U17,0.0000,0.0000,0.000,0.0000,0.0000,1.570
u,T236,174.3048,354.3051,0.000,86.1746,273.4200,0.300
u,U21,202.3505,22.3502,673.194,89.2136,270.3808,1.536
%,WT,207.0102,27.0106,0.000,0.0000,0.0000,0.000

Reductions Menu 11-15

• The first line is a set-up station called 'T236' and the instrument
height is 1.570.
• The second line is an oriented reading to the next set-up station
called 'U17'
• The third line is an orientation ray to an outside point called 'T71'
• The fourth line is a set-up at the next station ('U17')
• The fifth line is an unoriented back observation to 'T236'
• The sixth line is an unoriented forward observation to 'U21'
• The last line is orientation ray to 'WT'

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to load. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Save Field Book

Save the current traverse field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseSave

This function will save the Traverse data in the spreadsheet into an
ASCII file.

Procedure
If the data in the spreadsheet was loaded from an external file then it is
saved back there. Otherwise, Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed
in order for you to select a file to which to save. The drive and path
automatically default to the last used drive and directory for this type of
file.

List Field Book

List the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseList

This routine lists the Traverse observation data from the spreadsheet in
the Output Window in a more readable format.

11-16 Survey Reference

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Flat Traverse
Reduce the traverse with horizontal distances

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseFlat

This function reduces a conventional simple traverse, in which it is

assumed that all distance reductions have been carried out separately
and that the distances supplied have been reduced to the horizontal. It
therefore does not require the entry of the vertical angles unless a height
traverse has been incorporated.
It can also be used for theoretical calculations, such as cadastral
reconstruction, where an adjustment is required.
Misclosures are presented for inspection and acceptance prior to the
final adjustment. If a height traverse has been incorporated, this will be
done immediately after the horizontal traverse. The final adjusted
coordinates of the traverse stations will be added to the terrain database.

Procedure
The Destination Surface dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. You now
need to make a choice as how outside orientation is to be handled. The
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button if you want the opportunity of editing the calculated
orientation corrections, or click the No button if the calculated

Reductions Menu 11-17

corrections should be use as-is. The Output Manager dialog is displayed
in order for you to set output options.
If you selected Yes for Manual input of outside orientation, then at every
setup station you will be asked to confirm the final orientation
correction. The Orientation Correction dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

If an oriented back observation is available from the final point, there is
the option of carrying out a preliminary angular adjustment before the
Bowditch adjustment. Generally, the angular adjustment will improve a
traverse with no outside orientation but make one with outside
orientation worse. The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have angular adjustment carried out or click the
No button to accept the calculated angles. Once the final coordinate
misclosure has been calculated, you must decide if you wish to proceed
with the final adjustment:

Click the Yes button to complete the reduction, or click the No button to
cancel the reduction. If you select Yes and there are no redundant
observations in the data, then the traverse coordinates are added to the
database.
If there are redundant observations (denoted by the code 'n') then the
following message is displayed:

11-18 Survey Reference

Click the Yes button if you want to carry out a network adjustment of the
final coordinates based on the redundant observations, or click the No
button to cancel the reduction.
The Adjustment Settings dialog is displayed:

Direction accuracy Enter the accuracy of directional observations in

seconds. For a single second instrument this should be
in the order of 3 to 5 seconds, and for a twenty second
instrument in the order of 50 seconds.
Distance accuracy Enter the accuracy of distance observations in metres.
For electronic measurements this should be in the order
of 0.004m, and for tape measurements in the order of
0.015m.
Acceptable closure Enter the desired closure in metres. The closure is the
measure of the adjustments made to provisional
coordinates in order to produce the final coordinates.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
observations are processed and the Observation Matrix Inspection dialog
is displayed.

Reductions Menu 11-19

Data in the table is presented for inspection purposes only. The Diff.
column shows the current correction required to bring the observations
into conformity. If any value in this column is very large compared to
similar values then that particular observation is suspect.
Click the Proceed button to continue with the adjustment, or click the
Cancel button to cancel the function. The network adjustment is
calculated. If no solution can be found then the following message is
displayed:

Click the OK button to end the function. If the network adjustment

converges then the final coordinates and corrections are listed. The
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the provisional coordinates updated to the
final calculated coordinates, or click the No button to retain the
provisional coordinates. The Output Manager dialog is redisplayed in
order for you to set output options.

11-20 Survey Reference

The free points are updated with the final coordinates, and the error
ellipse parameters (a measure of the accuracy of the observations) are
displayed. The error ellipses are displayed in the Design Centre window
centered on each of the free points and the following prompt is
displayed:
Error ellipses displayed...Press ESC to cancel
Use the standard CAD keys to zoom in and out in order to inspect the
error ellipses at each point. Press the ESC key when inspection is
complete.

Reductions Menu 11-21

Slope Traverse
Reduce the traverse with slope distances

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseSlope

This function is used to reduce a traverse where the provided slope

distances must be reduced to the horizontal. It therefore requires that
the vertical angles be supplied in the field book, which will also generate
a height traverse. Other general details are as for the Flat Traverse.

Full Traverse
Reduce the traverse with slope distances and corrections

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyTraverseFull

This routine is used to reduce a traverse where the distances provided

must be reduced to the horizontal and also require correction for Sea
Level, Scale and Temperature. Vertical angles must therefore be
supplied in the field book and the average elevation of the traverse and
the temperature correction will have to be supplied.
The temperature correction is a straightforward proportional multiplier
(Actually any factor can be entered as a plus or minus metres per
kilometre factor).

Procedure
After selecting the surface for reduced points (See Flat Traverse
Reduction), the Temperature and Elevation Corrections dialog is
displayed.

Mean elevation Enter the average elevation in metres of the traverse

points.
Temperature correction Enter the proportional multiplier in metres per kilometre
to be used in the reduction.

11-22 Survey Reference

Levelling
These routines permit the reduction of normal and cross-section spirit
levels by the rise and fall method.
The data for spirit level reductions must be provided in the form of an
ASCII field book file.

New Field Book

Create a new level field book
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
SurveyLevelNew

Levelling data can be typed directly into the spreadsheet. Each line of
the spreadsheet represents either a change point or an intermediate
point.
Each type of entry has different requirements. All entries require at least
a field book indicator code (see below) and a point name or descriptor.
Change points require in addition a back sight and/or fore sight reading.
Intermediate points require in addition an intermediate reading.
Permissible field book indicator codes are:
c Change point
i Intermediate point

Cross-sections
Spirit levelled Cross-sections are a special case of levelling.
The field book for levelled cross-sections has the same format as the
normal level field book with a few additional features.
You may optionally specify codes and offsets in the first few rows of the
spreadsheet for the points to the left and right hand side of the centre
line. Should the values (offsets) of the codes change, the changed values
have to be entered in the spreadsheet (in the same way as described
below) before these codes are used. These values may be changed as
many times as desired as long as the new values are entered for each
change. Allowed values for codes are A - Z and a - z. A maximum of five
is allowed on each side of the centre line.

Reductions Menu 11-23

An example in text form is given below:
A,,-6.5,,,
B,,-3.5,,,
C,,0,,,
D,,2,,,
E,,4,,,
c,2.094,0.000,0.000,BM206
#,0.000,0.000,0.000,24120
i,0.000,1.568,0.000,C
i,0.000,2.690,0.000,B
i,0.000,2.100,0.000,D
i,0.000,2.320,0.000,A
i,0.000,1.580,0.000,E
c,0.635,0.000,1.284,
#,0.000,0.000,0.000,24200
i,0.000,0.889,0.000,C
i,0.000,0.980,0.000,A
i,0.000,1.160,0.000,B
c,4.510,0.000,0.660,

The '#' is used to denote a chainage value that is set in the comment
field. All the readings following a '#' will be applied to that cross-section
until another '#' is read and that section then becomes the current cross-
section.
The 'Change Points' ('c') and Intermediate readings ('i') are similar to a
normal level traverse except that the comment can be used to either
specify an offset directly or have a single character conversion code. In

11-24 Survey Reference

the example, line 5 has a comment of 'D' and therefore, in the reductions,
an offset of 2.0 will be added to the section at chainage 24120.
The section observations can be taken in any order and there is no need
to complete any one section before starting the next. In fact it is often
convenient to complete the whole of one side of a road in one direction
before levelling the other side on the return. This is quite acceptable, as
complete sections will be built from whatever data is found.

Load Field Book

Load an existing level field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyLevelLoad

The order of the data fields is:

Observation code, Back sight, Intermediate sight, Fore sight, Point name

An example of the normal field book format is given below:

c,2.094,0.000,0.000,MR11
i,0.000,1.580,0.000,60
i,0.000,1.171,0.000,70
c,0.635,0.000,1.284,MH1
c,4.510,0.000,0.660,
i,0.000,0.510,0.000,80
c,0.000,0.000,2.682,MR12

The first line represents the start of the run, which is also a 'Change
Point', and denoted by 'c'.
The following two lines are Intermediate readings denoted by 'i'. Two
‘Change Points’ follow these, another Intermediate reading and the final
'Change Point' indicates the end of the traverse. Note that the entry of
the point description is optional.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to load. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Reductions Menu 11-25

Save Field Book
Save the current level field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyLevelSave

This function will save the Levelling data in the spreadsheet into an
ASCII file.

Procedure
If the data in the spreadsheet was loaded from an external file with the
standard ".dat" extension then it is saved back there. Otherwise,
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to save. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

List Field Book

List the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyLevelList

This routine lists the Levelling observation data from the spreadsheet in
the Output Window in a more readable format.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

11-26 Survey Reference

Reduce Field Book
Reduce the current leveling data from the field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyLevelReduce

This routine reduces and adjusts spirit levels by the rise-and-fall method.
Two basic types of field book are catered for. The first is for the
reduction of a normal level traverse and the other, an adaptation, for the
levelling of road cross-sections. The cross-section level data is recognised
as such by the presence of a "#" (indicator for chainage) in the first
column. See the New Field Book section for details.
Before running a reduction make sure that the Output Window is visible.
The field book data are reduced and the misclosure is calculated and
displayed in the Output Window for adoption. If the misclosure is
accepted, the adjusted elevations are calculated and printed.
In the case of a loop (traverse starts and ends on the same point), there is
the option of also adjusting the traverse onto the elevation of a known
turning point. Any common points (points with the same name) will have
their elevations meaned. If there is no particular turning point, or there
is a turning point but its elevation is unknown, the default turning point
elevation should be accepted. In this case there will be no re-adjustment
of the traverse but the common points will still be meaned.
An option exists to write the elevations as the z ordinates of the points
bearing same name in the database.
If the misclosure is unsatisfactory and the level traverse is either a
straight run or a loop without common points, there is very little that can
be done except to inspect your field book entries very carefully.
However, if there is a loop that contains common points in the forward
and back runs, any mistake can be rapidly isolated by running the full
reduction and looking for anomalies in the final means.
If the Level Traverse is of a road, it is advisable to create the chainages in
Horizontal Alignment in the Road Menu and store them before reducing
the field book so that the final elevations may be automatically added to
the road chainage coordinates on file.
In the case of levelled sections, the option is provided to store the cross-
sections in Civil Designer ASCII format so that they may be imported
into a road database at a later stage.

Reductions Menu 11-27

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
The field book misclosures are first calculated and displayed and you
need to select to proceed with the adjustment:

Click the Yes button to proceed with the adjustment, or click the No
button to cancel the adjustment.
If you select No then you are asked if you wish to carry out an error trace
on the field book:

Click the Yes button to have the error trace printed. The error trace
consists of a list of the change points in the levelling loop and their
calculated elevations. If any stations have been occupied twice in the run
then both calculated elevations and the difference between them are
listed.
If you selected Yes to proceed with the adjustment then you are asked if
you wish to update the elevations of the points in the terrain database:

Click the Yes button to have points in the database with the same name
as points in the field book updated with the calculated levels. Click the
No button to ignore this option.
If the level field book represents a closed loop, i.e. the start and end point
have the same name, then you have the option of readjusting the levels
onto the loop turning point. In other words, a mean correction for each
half of the loop will be calculated and added to the calculated levels:
11-28 Survey Reference
Click the Yes button to have the readjustment carried out, or click the No
button to ignore this adjustment.
If you select Yes then you are asked to confirm the name and elevation of
the loop readjustment point. The Bend Point Details dialog is displayed.

Point name Enter the name of the change point that represents the
loop mid-point.
Point elevation Enter the elevation of the loop mid-point.
OK Button Click this button to accept the entries in the dialog.
Cancel Button Click this button to cancel the function.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Reductions Menu 11-29

Error Figure
These functions adjust a provisionally fixed point that has redundant
observations by means of a least squares solution, or a graphical fix of
the error figure, or both.
A rough fix for the point should be calculated prior to using this routine
and usually this will be done under Survey Calculations. The data for the
calculation must be provided in the form of a field book.

New Field Book

Create a new Error Figure field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyErrorNew

Error Figure data can be typed directly into the spreadsheet. Each line of
the spreadsheet represents either a set-up station or an observation.
Each type of entry has different requirements. All entries require at least
a field book indicator code (see below) and a set-up point name or an
origin point name. Observations require in addition a target point name
and either a horizontal distance or a horizontal angle reading, depending
on the type of observation.
Permissible field book indicator codes are:
{ Set-up station
* Horizontal distance
% Direction

Observations can be in any order. Two types of observations are allowed,

distances (reduced to the horizontal) and denoted by ' *'; or directions,
either outward (unoriented) or inward (oriented) and denoted by '%'.
Where both a distance and a direction have been observed, they must be
entered in the field book as two separate observations.

11-30 Survey Reference

Load Field Book
Load an existing Error Figure field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyErrorLoad

The order of the data fields is:

Observation code, Origin station, Target station, Reading

An example of a field book follows:

{,M11
%,M11,M10,122.3847
*,M11,M10,108.190
*,M11,M12,387.780
%,M12,M11,39.5725
%,M11,M13,71.5712
*,M13,M11,439.550

The '{' on the first line is used to denote a set-up station, and provides the
name of the point to be fixed. The following lines consist of the
observations to be used for the calculations.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to load. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Save Field Book

Save the current Error Figure field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyErrorSave

This function will save the Error Figure data in the spreadsheet into an
ASCII file.

Procedure
If the data in the spreadsheet was loaded from an external file then it is
saved back there. Otherwise, Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed
in order for you to select a file to which to save. The drive and path
automatically default to the last used drive and directory for this type of
file.

Reductions Menu 11-31

List Field Book
List the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyErrorList

This routine lists the Error Figure observation data from the spreadsheet
in the Output Window in a more readable format.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Least Squares
Calculate least squares fix

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyErrorLeast

A straightforward least square solution is calculated.

An erroneous ray can cause the calculation to iterate outwards. If this
happens a solution is not possible and it is recommended that a graphical
error figure be executed to locate the rogue observation. A listing of the
results is printed with the residuals.
An option is provided to accept or reject the calculated co-ordinates for
the fixed station, so make sure that the Output Window is visible first.

Procedure
The coordinates of the point are calculated and output according to the
options specified in the Output Manager dialog. The following message is
then displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the provisional coordinates updated to the
calculated coordinates, or click the No button to retain the current point
coordinates.

11-32 Survey Reference

Error Figure
Graphical error figure fix

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyErrorFigure

This option produces an error figure plot that enables the point to be
fixed graphically.
The plot is auto-scaled so it is quite easy to do three or four error figures
in quick succession to home in on a final solution. Results virtually as
good as the least square solution can be achieved in this way.

Procedure
On the screen plot, by default, a line normal to the direction of a
measured distance is drawn with Pen 2, outward rays are drawn with
Pen 3 and inward rays are drawn with Pen 4. See INI File Components
for details on how the pens used may be changed.
The cross in the screen centre represents the provisional position of the
station. The mouse is used to select the final location. Once the cursor is
in the correct position, click the left mouse button and the coordinates
will be presented for final adoption or modification.

Reductions Menu 11-33

Once a position is chosen, a listing of the results is printed with the
residuals.
An option is provided to accept or reject the calculated coordinates for
the fixed station, so make sure that the Output Window is visible first:

Click the Yes button to have the provisional coordinates updated to the
calculated coordinates, or click the No button to retain the current point
coordinates.

11-34 Survey Reference

Control Network
These functions adjust provisionally fixed points that have redundant
observations by means of a least squares solution.
A rough fix for the free points should be calculated prior to using this
routine and usually this will be done under Survey Calculations. The
data for the calculation must be provided in the form of a field book.

Requirements
Any control network survey requires at least two fixed points from which
to adjust the network. At least one free point (provisionally fixed) must
be present in order for the solution to calculate.
The free points must have provisional coordinates. These can be
obtained using the various survey calculation routines such as Resection,
Intersection and Trilateration.
Below is an example of a control network:

As can be seen from the above diagram, it is not necessary to set up at all
stations. There must however be redundant observations in the network
like, for example, the observations to FREE1 from FIXED1, FREE2 and
FREE3.
The network shown also conforms to our requirements in that there are
four fixed points (TRIG1, TRIG2, FIXED1 and FIXED2) and five free or
provisionally fixed points (FREE1 to FREE5).

Reductions Menu 11-35

New Field Book
Create a new Control Network field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyControlNew

Control data can be typed directly into the spreadsheet. Each line of the
spreadsheet represents a set-up station or a network observation.

Procedure
Each type of entry has different requirements. All entries require at least
a field book indicator code (see below) and a point name or descriptor.
Network observations require any combination of horizontal angle
readings, vertical angle readings and distances.
Permissible field book indicator codes are:
{ Set-up station.
n Network observation.

General Notes
The order of the observations at a set-up station is immaterial. The order
of setups is also immaterial.
If both Circle Left and Circle Right observations are entered, the mean of
the two will be used in the adjustment of the network.
If vertical angles are present with a distance observation then it is
assumed that the distance is a slope distance and the observed vertical
angle (or the mean vertical angle if both circle left and circle right are
present) will be used to reduce the observed distance to the horizontal.
Without vertical angles the distance will be assumed to be a horizontal
distance.
It is not vital that every point has observations from it. In other words,
not every point has to be occupied. This applies to both fixed and free
points. However, if a point is not occupied, there must be redundant
observations to it or the network cannot be reduced.

11-36 Survey Reference

Load Field Book
Load an existing Control Network field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyControlLoad

The order of the data fields is:

1 Indicator code
2 Set-up or target point name
3 Horizontal Circle Left (for direction observations)
4 Horizontal Circle Right (optional)
5 Distance (Sloped or horizontal for distance observations)
6 Vertical Circle Left (only if the observed distance is sloped)
7 Vertical Circle Right (optional)

An example of a field book is given below:

{,T236,0.0000,0.0000,0.000,0.0000,0.0000
n,U17,354.3049,174.3043,98.259,93.4246,266.1723
n,T71,202.3705,22.3701,0.000,0.0000,0.0000
{,U17,0.0000,0.0000,0.000,0.0000,0.0000
n,T236,174.3048,354.3051,0.000,86.1746,273.4200
n,U21,202.3505,22.3502,673.194,89.2136,270.3808
n,WT,207.0102,27.0106,0.000,0.0000,0.0000

• The first line is a set-up station called 'T236'.

• The second line is a direction and slope distance observation to a
point called 'U17'.
• The third line is a direction reading to a (probably) fixed point called
'T71'.
• The fourth line is a set-up at station 'U17'.
• The fifth line is a redundant direction and slope distance observation
to 'T236'.
• The sixth line is a direction and slope distance observation to a point
called 'U21'
• The last line is a direction reading to a (probably) fixed point called
'WT'

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to load. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

Reductions Menu 11-37

Save Field Book
Save the current Control Network field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyControlSave

This function will save the Control Network data in the spreadsheet into
an ASCII file.

Procedure
If the data in the spreadsheet was loaded from an external file then it is
saved back there. Otherwise, Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed
in order for you to select a file to which to save. The drive and path
automatically default to the last used drive and directory for this type of
file.

List Field Book

List the current field book
Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command
SurveyControlList

This routine lists the Control Network observation data from the
spreadsheet in the Output Window in a more readable format.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

11-38 Survey Reference

Reduce
Reduce the current field book

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyControlReduce

This function reduces a control network.

Misclosures are presented for inspection and acceptance prior to the
final adjustment. The final adjusted coordinates of the free points will be
added to the terrain database.

Procedure
The Point Type Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
Adjustment Settings dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Output
Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options. The
observations are processed and the Observation Matrix Inspection dialog
is displayed.

Reductions Menu 11-39

Click the Proceed button to continue with the adjustment, or click the
Cancel button to cancel the function. The network adjustment is
calculated. If no solution can be found then the following message is
displayed:

Click the OK button to end the function.

If the network adjustment converges then the final coordinates and
corrections are listed. The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the provisional coordinates updated to the
final calculated coordinates, or click the No button to retain the
provisional coordinates.
The Output Manager dialog is redisplayed in order for you to set output
options.
The free points are updated with the final coordinates, and the error
ellipse parameters (a measure of the accuracy of the observations) are
displayed. The error ellipses are displayed in the Design Centre window

11-40 Survey Reference

centered on each of the free points and the following prompt is
displayed:
Error ellipses displayed...Press ESC to cancel
Use the standard CAD keys to zoom in and out in order to inspect the
error ellipses at each point. Press the ESC key when inspection is
complete.

Reductions Menu 11-41

Notes:

11-42 Survey Reference

Tools Menu
This menu contains various utilities to assist you.

Tools Menu 12-1

File Format
Reformat ASCII (text) file data from delimited to column-based, or vice-versa

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyToolsFile

There are two types of ASCII data files that are commonly encountered,
either column-based or delimited. Civil Designer will import or export
either type. This routine enables any file of either type to be reformatted
to the other and the data can be rearranged at the same time.
Use View ASCII to determine the type of file structure. If the file is in
Fixed Column format, the row of numbers above the listing can be used
to determine the start and end location for each item.
If what appears to be a column-based file will just not produce any
sensible answers, try it again as a delimited file but specifying the Tab
character (ASCII 9) as the delimiter. The speed of large file conversions
will be improved considerably if all forms of output are switched OFF.

Procedure
The File Format dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Fixed Columns
In column-based files, you specify the start and end location for each
field. This controls the order of the items as well. The actual data item
can be anywhere within the field. Using the example below, the Z
ordinate could be picked up by specifying the Start Column and Stop
Column as 30 and 35, or 27 and 37, or 28 and 36 etc.
The column ranges specified for items should not overlap and should be
large enough to accommodate the largest anticipated value. If any items
listed are not available, a ‘0’ should be entered for 'Start' and 'Stop' to
bypass that item.

12-2 Survey Reference

 1 2 3 4 5
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890
---------+---------+---------+---------+
ER -1691.247 2457.806 61.757
-1707.215 2469.010 61.011
ER -1695.679 2460.114 61.824
PEG -1697.261 2465.106 61.422
ER -1685.876 2470.018 62.417
PI1 -1739.073 2491.621 0.000

Column-based files look better but make for larger files, and it is easy to
make mistakes in specifying the column locations. When a fixed-column
file is selected as source or destination, the File Format (Fixed) dialogs
are presented.

Fill in the column data and click the OK button to continue.

Tools Menu 12-3

ASCII Delimited
A delimited file is smaller (because it has few blank spaces, or none at
all), very rarely causes specification problems, but is difficult to read. The
reading difficulty is largely overcome by the ease with which delimited
files can be dealt with in spreadsheet programs. The same data listed
above is shown below, delimited with commas. Using the example, the Z
ordinate would be specified by using a Field value of 4.
ER,-1691.247,2457.806,61.757
,-1707.215,2469.010,61.011
ER,-1695.679,2460.114,61.824
PEG,-1697.261,2465.106,61.422
ER,-1685.876,2470.018,62.417
PI1,-1739.073,2491.621,0.000

With delimited files, you only specify the order of the incoming or
outgoing data. Use ‘0’ if it is not present. The actual delimiter character
itself is specified (as an ASCII value) each time you convert. When a
delimited file is selected as source or destination, the File Format
(Delimited) dialogs are presented.

12-4 Survey Reference

Fill in the data sequence and click the OK button to continue. Windows’
standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to read.
The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive and
directory for this type of file. Once you select a file to read Windows’
standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which
to save. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.

Tools Menu 12-5

View ASCII
List a portion of an ASCII file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

SurveyToolsView

Use this option to view an ASCII file in order to determine the structure
of the file. You are asked to name the file and a listing of the first 20 lines
of text, whatever they might be, will be displayed in the Output Window.
There will also be a row of numbers above the text, which represent the
column position in the ASCII file.
For example:
1 2 3 4 5
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890
---------+---------+---------+---------+
ER -1691.247 2457.806 61.757
-1707.215 2469.010 61.011
ER -1695.679 2460.114 61.824
PEG -1697.261 2465.106 61.422
ER -1685.876 2470.018 62.417
PI1 -1739.073 2491.621 0.000
CC2 -1795.894 2502.028 0.000
ER -1690.512 2471.949 62.488
-1727.930 2481.962 61.514

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to read. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.

12-6 Survey Reference

Terrain Reference
File Menu
The File Menu contains all the functions to create,
load and save projects as well as import and export
survey data. In addition it also includes options to
set up the security.

File Menu 13-1

New Project
Create a new project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectNew

This option allows you to set up a new project and specify the data files
that must be used.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a drawing to the project simply click in the check box next to
Drawing, click on Browse on the right of the dialog, and select the
drawing using the standard Window file open dialog. The drawing name
will be displayed as shown above.
Similarly, to add a data file to the project click in the check box next to
the required data type and select the file to use with the Browse button. If
the file does not exist it will be created.
To use the Survey, Terrain or Roads functions, you must select or create
a Terrain data file.

13-2 Terrain Reference

Drawing File
You may only use an existing drawing file. The drawing may be an
AllyCAD DRG, AutoCAD DWG, Caddie CEX or a DXF file.

Terrain File
If you select a terrain file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the DTM file.

After you have clicked OK on the New Project Dialog the following dialog
will be displayed for a new DTM file.

Enter the Y and X coordinates of the centre of the site, or of the area of
principal interest, and a diameter that will encompass the site or, once
again, the area of principal interest. It is acceptable to leave the settings
at their default values, but you should then either import data from an
ASCII file which will offer a rescale that centres the site, or add data
manually and then use Tools
Rescale Survey from the Terrain menu
which does the same thing.
After clicking OK on the Database Dimensions dialog, the following
dialog is displayed.

File Menu 13-3

While the previous settings were to ensure an efficient DTM database,
the Project Coordinates are for the Design Centre cad window to match
the DTM. Similarly, these settings can be left as their defaults subject to
a later ASCII Import or Rescale Survey.

13-4 Terrain Reference

Sewer File
If you select a sewer file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the sewer database file.

Storm File
If you select a storm file that does not exist, the following dialog will be
displayed:

Click on Yes to create the storm database file.

Locale
You must make the settings that determine the manner in which the
stored coordinates are projected onto the display surface (the Design
Centre window).
Hemisphere Select either the Southern Hemisphere or Northern
Hemisphere options to set the hemisphere in which the data
is located.
Projection Select the mapping projection to be used. Currently only
three projections are available, namely Local, Transverse
Mercator and UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator).
Selecting Local will automatically set the Datum to Cape and
causes Civil Designer to treat the Terrain and Road
database coordinates in the same way as Stardust used to.
Datum Select the datum on which the data is to be based. This
determines the ellipsoid on which the projection is based and
therefore the constants used for the mapping projection.
Note that the Cape datum is the equivalent datum for that
used by Stardust.

File Menu 13-5

Prime Longitude Enter the central LO of the panel in which the data falls
(actually the longitude on which the 0 value of the horizontal
ordinates of the coordinate system falls) and also select
whether this LO is East or West of 0° longitude (Greenwich).
Origin Latitude Enter the latitude on which the 0 value of the vertical
ordinates of the coordinate system falls and also select
whether this latitude is North or South of 0° latitude (the
Equator). This should normally be set to 0° (origin at the
equator where North or South are immaterial) but could be
different for some projections.
Scale factor at prime Enter the factor by which coordinates are adjusted in order
longitude to fit the projection. This should normally be set to 1.0 except
if you are using UTM coordinates (see Remarks below).
False Easting and Enter the values to be subtracted/added to the LO
False Northing coordinates during projection conversion. These should
normally be set to 0 except if you are using UTM coordinates
(see below).

DO NOT use the False Easting and False Northing settings to apply
some constant to the data coordinates, as the projection calculations
rely on full coordinates and will give incorrect values if these entries are
used incorrectly.

Remarks
In order to use a UTM system the following settings should be made for
Locale:
• Convert the UTM block number to LO using the formula
(BLOCKNUMBER x 6°) - 183°. This calculates the Longitude of the
central meridian in degrees.
• Set the scale factor at the central meridian to 0.9996.
• Enter the correct False Easting and False Northing values of +500
000m Easting, and 0m Northing for Northern Hemisphere or +10
000 000m Northing for Southern Hemisphere.

13-6 Terrain Reference

Open Project
Load an existing project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectOpen

You can select which project to open using the standard Windows Open
dialog.

Procedure
The Open dialog will be displayed.

Select the project file (.CDP) to open and click on OK.

The existing project (if any) will be saved and the new project will be
opened. The associated data files will automatically be opened and
displayed in the Design Centre.

Only data that includes coordinates can be displayed in the Design

Centre.

File Menu 13-7

Edit Project
Edit the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectEdit

This option allows you to add design elements to the project or to change
the data files associated with the project.

Procedure
The Project dialog is displayed.

To add a design element to the project simply set the check box of that
element and select the data file using the Browse button. The standard
Window Open dialog will be displayed. Select the file to add to the
project or type in a new file name to create a new data file.

You may not change the locale settings of an existing project as the
projection settings have already been applied to data files and may not
be changed.

Click on OK.

13-8 Terrain Reference

Save Project
Save the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSave

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files.

Save Project As
Save the current project to another name

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectSaveAs

This option allows you to save the current project and the associated
data files to new file names. You may specify a new file name for the
project file and each of the active design files in turn.

Close Project
Close the current project

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

ProjectClose

This option allows you to close the active project and clear the Design
Centre. You will be given the option to save the associated data files.

File Menu 13-9

Output Manager
Set output defaults

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputManager

This function allows you to set up the Output Window's printing and file
export capabilities. If you select to send output to the screen and the
Output Window is not visible, use Window
Toggle Output Window to
display the window.

Procedure
The Output Manager is displayed.

Make the required settings and press OK to continue.

Screen output Check this option to have output directed to the Output
Window. If this window is not visible then select Window |
Toggle Output Window
Printer output Check this option to have output directed to a selected
printer. If this option was selected and you now turn it off,
any output previously directed to the printer will be spooled.
If this option was not selected and you now turn it on, you
will be asked to select the required printer.
File output Check this option to have output directed to a file. If this
option was selected and you now turn it off, the output file
will be closed. If this option was not selected and you now
turn it on, the selected output file will be created.
Don't show this dialog Check this option to retain the current settings for all future
in future output. You will no longer be prompted to make settings. In
order to adjust the settings, or to turn off this option, use File
| Output Manager.

13-10 Terrain Reference

Page Heading Enter the heading to be printed at the top of each page. Only
available if the Printer output option is selected.
Output filename Enter the path and name of the output file to be created.
Only available if the File output option is selected.
Browse Button (...) Click this button to browse for the output file using the
standard Windows Save As dialog. Only available if the File
output option is selected.
Page Number Enter the page number to be printed at the top of the first
page. The number will increment automatically for
subsequent pages. Only available if the Printer output option
is selected.
Start printing on new Check this option to have any printer output still in the print
page queue spooled before printing starts. If this option is not
selected then printer output will be added to that currently in
the print queue. Only available if the Printer output option is
selected.
Append to existing file Check this option to have output appended to that which
already exists in the selected file. If the selected file does not
exist, it will be created. If this option is not selected then the
selected file will be deleted (if it already exists) and then
recreated. Only available if the File output option is selected.
OK Button Click this button to accept the current settings.

If OK is clicked and Printer output is not checked, but it was previously

checked, any output that has not yet been spooled to the printer will be
sent and the current document ended. If Printer output is now checked,
and it was not previously checked, you will be asked to select the printer
to which output should be directed and a new document will be started.
If OK is clicked and File output is not checked, but it was previously
checked, the specified file is closed. If File output is now checked, and it
was not previously checked, the specified file is opened and will
overwrite an existing file of the same name if the Append to existing file
option is not checked.

File Menu 13-11

Spool Output
Spool unprinted data to the printer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OutputSpool

Any output (print) data that has been sent to the printer but not yet
printed is spooled to the printer.
Windows tends to hold printed output in a spool file until the print job is
complete. In order to end a print job in Civil Designer you must deselect
the print option in the Output Manager, or exit the program.
Alternatively, this function will carry out the same procedure.

Option Settings
Set INI file defaults that are not set by the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OptionSettings

Refer to the chapter on Option Settings for more details.

Security
When you first install your copy of Civil Designer, it will allocate a 30 day
trial license, allowing you to run the full program for 30 days. During this
time you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent authorization
code. Refer to the chapter on Security for more details.

Authorize
Authorize the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

cyAuthorize

This option allows you to obtain your user code and input the
authorisation code to activate the various modules in the program.

Procedure
The authorisation dialog box is displayed. Your User Code is displayed in
the centre of the dialog.
13-12 Terrain Reference
Call the contact number to obtain your authorisation code. Alternatively
click on Save to write the user code into a file which can be e-mailed to
Knowledge Base at [email protected]. Click on the Authorise
button once you have input the confirmation code in the bottom edit
control. This code is stored in the security module.

Check Network Dongles

Toggle network security on/off

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

CheckNetworkSecurity

This function switches the search for a network security module on or

off.

Exit
Quit Civil Designer

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

quit

This function closes down Civil Designer.

File Menu 13-13

Notes:

13-14 Terrain Reference

Model Menu
The functions on this menu allow you to graphically
manipulate the terrain database.

Model Menu 14-1

Insert Point
Graphically insert points into the database.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

F5 TerrainInsertPoint

This routine is used for inserting points into the database graphically
with a mouse. When the mouse is clicked, a dialog box will pop-up
indicating the coordinates at which the mouse button was clicked.
Switching on Snap Mode under Settings allows you to snap to the
nearest existing point. A name may be entered and a surface to which
the point should be assigned must be selected. The Y, X or Z coordinates
may be altered if required.
If the Auto Interpolate function under Settings is switched on, a height
will be interpolated for this point from the currently selected surface.
See also Interpolate Point for situations where one needs to control the
surface and points used to define the plane used for interpolation or
where one needs to interpolate points beyond the limits of the reference
plane.
Because the default Y, X and Z ordinates that are presented in the dialog
box may be altered, this routine can also be used for rapidly typing in
new coordinates without resorting to Enter Point in the Survey Editing
Menu.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate position for new point
After clicking on a position in the Design Centre window the Survey
Point Entry dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the name of the point to be created.

14-2 Terrain Reference

Y Coord, X Coord and Z Enter the ordinates of the point.
Coord
Surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Add Button Click this button to accept the current entries for the
dialog.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

So long as you remain in this function the dialog box will retain the
previous entries for Name, Z Coord (unless Auto Interpolation is
switched on), and Surface. The name entry will however be adjusted if it
ends in a digit. In this case the digits at the end of the name will
automatically be incremented by one.

Model Menu 14-3

Edit Point
Graphically edit points in the database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

F7 TerrainEditPoint

This routine is used to edit points in the database graphically with a

mouse. A dialog box with the name and coordinates of the nearest point
to the cursor when the mouse is clicked will be displayed. Snap Mode is
automatically toggled on. Any of the fields (Name, Y, X, Z or Surface)
may be altered.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Snap on point to edit
After clicking on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window
the Point Details dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the name of the point to be created.

Y Coord, X Coord and Z Enter the ordinates of the point.
Coord
Surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Save Button Click this button to accept the current entries for the
dialog.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Save button to continue.

14-4 Terrain Reference

Delete Point

Graphically delete points from the database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

F6 TerrainDeletePoint

This routine is used for deleting a point from the database graphically
with a mouse. A dialog box with the name and coordinates of the nearest
point to the cursor when the mouse is clicked will be displayed. This
obviously pertains to active surfaces only. Snap Mode is automatically
switched on. The deletion can be confirmed or aborted.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Snap on point to delete
After clicking on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window
the following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the selected point deleted, or click the No
button to retain the point.

Model Menu 14-5

Move Point
Graphically move points in the database

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainMovePoint

Used to move a point graphically. First snap on the point to be moved,

then on the position to which the point is to be moved. Snap Mode can be
toggled on during this routine to place new points precisely on top of
existing points. You may also use any of the CAD snap modes to position
the point.
This facility does not move points from one surface to another. To move
a single point to another surface, use the Terrain
Edit Point or Survey

Edit Point functions. To move multiple points to another surface use the
Survey
Surface Change function.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Snap on point to move
After clicking on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window
the following prompt is displayed:
Indicate new position for point
Click on a new position in the Design Centre window and the point
coordinates are updated.

14-6 Terrain Reference

Interpolate Point
Set the height of a new point on a plane defined by three existing points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainInterpPoint

Used to set the height of a new point precisely on a plane defined by

three existing points. Snap on the three points that define the plane for
interpolation. These may be on any surface. Then click or snap on the
point for which a height is to be interpolated. It may be on or off the
defining plane.
This facility is similar to using Insert Point with Auto Interpolate (under
Settings) switched on. The difference is that, under Interpolate Point,
you choose the points from which interpolations are to be made, and
they may be on any surface.
When using Insert Point, the surface from which to interpolate is set
under Auto Interpolate. Therefore only the active surface can used and
the actual plane from which to interpolate the level is selected by the
computer.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Snap on first plane point
Snap to an existing point in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Snap on next plane point
Snap on an existing point and the following prompt is displayed:
Snap on next plane point
Snap on an existing point and the following prompt is displayed:
Indicate position for new point
After clicking on a position in the Design Centre window the Survey
Point Entry dialog is displayed.

Model Menu 14-7

Name Enter the name of the point to be created.
Y Coord, X Coord and Z Enter the ordinates of the point.
Coord
Surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.
Add Button Click this button to accept the current entries for the
dialog.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Add button to continue. The
function continues prompting for a position for the new point.

14-8 Terrain Reference

ID Point
Graphically identify all the details known about a point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainIDPoint

This function is used to print and graphically identify all the details
known about a point.
The ID, Name, Y, X, and Z coordinates, surface, lines (connections from
this point to another point) and shadow lines (connections to this point
from other points) are displayed. Graphically, the lines and shadow lines
are displayed in user-selected pens.
The function is useful when trying to identify errors in the bounding
polygon of a site. It sometimes happens that what appears to be a clean
edge is actually broken as there are duplicate points with different line
connections. Using this function, you can identify the points and lines
that actually make up the boundary and thereby identify the error.

Procedure
The Point ID Settings dialog is displayed.

Pen for lines and Pen for Click these buttons to show the colour dialog from where
shadow lines Buttons you can select the pen in which to display the relevant
items.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on point to ID
Thereafter click on the points in the Design Centre window that you wish
to process.

Model Menu 14-9

Locate Point
Find and display the position of a named point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLocatePoint

This function will find a named point in the terrain database and zoom
the Design Centre window so as to centre the view on this point. In
addition, concentric circles will be displayed around the point to isolate it
from surrounding points.
There is also an option to find the next point of the same name. The
normal point location functions that use names will always find the same
point with a given name every time they are run. This function is the
only one that can locate duplicate named points.

Procedure
The Point Locator dialog is displayed:

Point name Enter the point name you wish to search for.
Find Button Click this button to find the first point with the given
name.
Next Button Click this button to find the next point with same name
as the last point found.
Close Button Click this button to end the function.
Found data Displays data relevant to the last found point.

Fill in the relevant details and click the Find button to find the first point.
If found the current view will be zoomed around the point position. To
find the next point with the same name as the point last found click the
Next button. Click the Close button to end the function.

14-10 Terrain Reference

AutoSuffix
Automatically add a selected suffix to indicated points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainAutoSuffix

This function will add a selected suffix from a range of suffixes

(!@$%^&) to each point indicated graphically. This suffix can then be
used in conjunction with a Name Filter to select certain points for
processing or display.
Normally the Name Filter operates on points with the same or very
similar names. However, using this function, you can give disparate point
names a common entry that will suffice to recognise them as a group in
Name Filter operations.
The selected suffix and all characters following it are not displayed on
the screen or any plots.

Procedure
The Autosuffix Settings dialog is displayed:

Select suffix Select the suffix (!@$%^&) to be added to indicated

points.

Make the relevant settings and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on point for autosuffix
Thereafter click on the points in the Design Centre window that you wish
to process.

Model Menu 14-11

Polyline to DTM
These functions allow you to extract terrain model points from cad
polylines and assign a height to all the extracted points.

Indicate Polyline
Generate DTM points from a single indicated CAD polyline

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolyToDTM

This routine will create DTM points from the vertices of a CAD polyline.
The points have a user-assigned surface, height and line.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate polyline to process
Click on the polyline to be converted. The Polyline to DTM dialog is
displayed:

Point name Enter a name to be assigned to each of the generated

points.
Height to assign Enter the height to be assigned to each of the generated
points.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the DTM points should be
created.
Generate lines as Select the type of line to be created between generated
points.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

14-12 Terrain Reference

The polyline points will be regenerated as DTM points. The function will
continue prompting for a polyline to process. Press ESC to end the
function.

Selected Polylines
Generate DTM points from a single indicated CAD polyline

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainSelPolyToDTM

This routine will create DTM points from the vertices of a CAD polyline.
The points have a user-assigned surface, height and line.

Procedure
Select the polylines to be converted. The Polyline to DTM dialog is
displayed:

Point name Enter a name to be assigned to each of the generated

points.
Height to assign Enter the height to be assigned to each of the generated
points.
Destination surface Select the surface on which the DTM points should be
created.
Generate lines as Select the type of line to be created between generated
points.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

The points of each selected polyline will be regenerated as DTM points.

Model Menu 14-13

Mark Bank Points
Graphically mark points in the database as either shoulder or top/bottom bank
points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainMarkBanks

Used to mark points graphically as bank points in order to generate bank

lines for points that have not been generated by the Terrace Banks
functions.
This function would be used if you wished to display bank lines for
certain areas of your model. However, in order to display bank lines
correctly, the line model for the points must be correct. Use the Terrace
Banks function to generate a bank and see how the line connections are
made. Your marked points should implement the same type of line
model.

Procedure
The Mark Bank Points dialog is displayed.

Bank surface Select the surface on which the points to be marked

reside.
Mark points as Select whether to mark the points as Shoulder, Top or
Bottom points or Unmarked as a bank point. The
Unmarked option will take out internal settings as well.
Point Selection Select whether points should be selected individually
(Individual) or all points within an indicated polygon
should be selected (Polygon).

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

14-14 Terrain Reference

The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.
If you selected the Individual option for Point Selection then the
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on point to change
Indicate the required point and its name is changed to reflect its status as
a bank point.
If you selected the Polygon option for Point Selection then the following
prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate next point
Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the
starting point again. The names of points within the indicated polygon
are changed to reflect their status as bank points.
In either case the function will continue until you press ESC.

Model Menu 14-15

Polygon Clip
Mass deletion of points within a specified horizontal and vertical plane

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolyClip

This routine enables the mass deletion of points within a specified

horizontal and vertical plane. The horizontal plane is determined by a
polygon and the vertical plane by maximum and minimum height values
entered in a dialog box. In addition, a name and surface filter may be
used to control which points, passing the polygon and height range test,
should be removed.
Define the perimeter of the polygon with the mouse and close it by
clicking on the start point. Snap Mode may be switched on. A dialog box
will then be displayed requesting the minimum and maximum height
values for the vertical range. The default values will normally delete ALL
the points within the area.
You may elect to remove the points within the boundaries of the polygon
and within the height ranges, or points outside the boundaries of the
polygon. The tests are mutually exclusive. This means that if you choose
to delete points 'inside' and a certain point falls within the perimeter of
the defined polygon but is higher than the maximum value of the height
range, it will not be deleted
To delete all the points in a polygon, set a height range that encompasses
all the data (like '-9999' to '9999') and universal names filter (like 'ALL'
and 'NONE') and apply it to ALL surfaces.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate next point
Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the
starting point again.
The Polygon Clip dialog is displayed.

14-16 Terrain Reference

Delete points… Select either the Inside option to delete points inside the
defined polygon, or the Outside option to delete points
outside the defined polygon.
Height range for clip… - Enter the minimum (Min.) and maximum (Max.) heights
Min. and Max. to be considered for points to be deleted. Only available
if the Inside option has been selected.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click on the
OK button to continue.

Model Menu 14-17

Polygon Copy/Move
Mass moving or copying of points within a specified horizontal plane to a different
surface.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolyCopyMove

This routine enables a group of points within a specified polygon to

either be moved or copied to a different surface. A name and surface
filter may be used to control which points should be copied or moved.

Procedure
Define the perimeter of the polygon with the mouse and close it by
clicking on the start point. The following dialog is then displayed.

Copy points Select to have a copy made of the points on the

destination surface.
Move points Select to have the points moved to the destination
surface.
Current surface The surface on which the points that are to be moved or
copied are situated.
Destination surface The surface to which the points are to be moved or
copied.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
standard Name Filter dialog is displayed. Set the filter and click on the
OK button to continue.

14-18 Terrain Reference

Fence Clip
Mass deletion of points within a specified horizontal and vertical plane

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainFenceClip

Before this function can be used, at least one Fence has to be defined
using the Define Fence function.
Fence Clip is similar to Polygon Clip, the difference being that once a
Fence has been defined, the same polygon may be used several times to
clip points using different height ranges or different name filters.

Procedure
The Select Fence dialog is displayed.

Fence name Enter a new name for this fence (if defining a new
fence), or select any of the existing fence names to
replace that fence with the new polygon definition (if
defining a fence) or to use that pre-defined fence.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. From here
the function proceeds as for Polygon Clip.

Model Menu 14-19

Fence

These three functions are for the defining, deleting and temporary
display of fences. Fences are used in various functions allowing you to
limit the routine to a points within a certain area.

Define
Name and define an area of interest that will be used subsequently for other
operations

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainFenceDefine

Used to name and define an area of interest that will be used

subsequently for other operations. Civil Designer allows multiple fences
to be defined and selected.
Define the perimeter of the polygon and close it by clicking on the start
point again. There is no output from this routine. The fence perimeter is
stored in the Project .cdp file.
This is a very powerful tool because it enables most of the name-based
survey editing routines such as Height Constant, Surface Change,
Automatic Screen, etc., to be constrained to a visually defined polygon.
See also Fence Clip in the Model Menu and Isograde Line in the Terrain
Menu.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate next point
Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the
starting point again. The Select Fence dialog is displayed.

14-20 Terrain Reference

 Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to
continue.

Remove
Remove a previously defined fence

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainFenceRemove

This function allows the removal of a fence that was created previously
by the Define Fence function.

Procedure
The Select Polygon(s) dialog is displayed.

Select Polygon(s) Select any of the existing fence names to replace that
fence with the new polygon definition (if defining a fence)
or to use that pre-defined fence. Multiple names can be
selected by holding down the shift or control key.

Click the OK button to continue.

Display
Graphically display all fences previously defined.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainDispFence

Model Menu 14-21

This routine is used to display graphically all the fences that have been
defined in this project. Each fence is shown by displaying a solid hatch
with the fence name in the centre.

Procedure
If fences have been defined then the fences are shown and the following
prompt is displayed:
Displaying Fences (Esc to cancel)
The area of the fence is printed in the Output Window.
Use the normal CAD functions to pan and zoom to view the different
fences. When you are done press ESC to end the function.

14-22 Terrain Reference

Exclusion Polygons

These three functions are for the defining, deleting and temporary
display of PolyFences. PolyFences are used in various functions allowing
you to limit the routine to a points within a certain DTM polygons.

Define PolyFence
Name and define a contour fence that can be used subsequently to prevent
certain contours from being generated

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolyFenceDefine

Used to name and define a polygon that can be used as a contour fence
during the Contours from Lines function. Civil Designer allows multiple
polyfences to be defined and selected.
A polyfence is a polygon in the line model completely defined by the lines
that surround it. No other lines can cross through such a polygon. This
polygon would represent such items as dams, settling ponds, dunes, etc.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
PolyFence: Indicate inside desired polygon near a line
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the polygon formed
by the lines surrounding that point will be tracked.
If the polygon was tracked successfully then the Select Fence dialog is
displayed.

Fence name Enter a new name for this fence (if defining a new
fence), or select any of the existing fence names to
replace that fence with the new polygon definition (if
defining a fence) or to use that pre-defined fence.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
function continues prompting for a position until you press [Esc].

Model Menu 14-23

Remove PolyFence
Remove a previously defined polyfence

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolyFenceRemove

This function allows the removal of a polyfence that was created

previously by the Define PolyFence function.

Procedure
The Select Polygon(s) dialog is displayed.

Select Polygon(s) Select any of the existing fence names to replace that
fence with the new polygon definition (if defining a fence)
or to use that pre-defined fence. Multiple names can be
selected by holding down the shift or control key.

Click the OK button to continue.

14-24 Terrain Reference

Display PolyFences
Graphically display all polyfences previously defined.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainDispPolyFence

This routine is used to display graphically all the polyfences that have
been defined in this project. Each polyfence is shown by displaying a
solid hatch with the fence name in the centre.

Procedure
If fences have been defined then the fences are shown and the following
prompt is displayed:
Displaying PolyFences (Esc to cancel)
The area of the fence is printed in the Output Window.

Use the normal CAD functions to pan and zoom to view the different
polyfences. When you are done press [Esc] to end the function.

Model Menu 14-25

Polygon Area
Calculate the area and perimeter length of a polygon

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolygonArea

This routine enables the area and perimeter length of a polygon, defined
by series of points, to be determined.
Use Screen Output and Printer Output to view the results.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate next point
Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the
starting point again.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. Click the OK button to accept the settings.

14-26 Terrain Reference

Break Line

These functions are for the adding, deleting (singular and globally) and
converting of DTM break lines

Add
Generate break lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre F8 TerrainAddBreakLine
This function is used to generate break lines between points by clicking the mouse
on the first point and then on the second.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Break Line: Snap on start point
Click on an existing point in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Break Line: Snap on next point
Lines are added continuously (with single clicks). To break a string of
continuous lines click the right mouse button. Pressing the ESC key will
end the function.
Adding a breakline over another breakline will remove the original
breakline as crossing lines lead to an invalid model. The behaviour for
adding a breakline over a feature line is similar, but because feature lines
are regarded as a bit more permanent you are asked to confirm this.

This is an optional setting on the Terrain Options dialog.

Model Menu 14-27

Delete
Delete break lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre F9 TerrainDelBreakLine

This routine is used to remove break lines between points by clicking the
mouse on the line connecting two points.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate break line to remove
Click on the break line between any two points to delete it. The nearest
break line to the indicated position will be removed.
Pressing the ESC key will end the function.

Remove All
Delete all break lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainRemoveBreakLines

This function is used to remove the break lines from all points currently
visible on the display. You are given the opportunity to cancel the
function before it starts, or you can press the [Esc] key during the
function to stop it.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to proceed with the function, or click the No button
to cancel the function.

14-28 Terrain Reference

Convert to Feature Lines
Batch conversion of break lines to feature lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainConvertBreakFeature

This function will convert break lines originating from selected points to
feature lines.

Procedure
The Fence Filter dialog is displayed.

Names to pass Enter the filter that specifies which points to process.
Names to avoid Enter the filter that specifies which points to ignore.
Specific surface or All Select the surface on which the points are located or
selected surfaces have the function pertain to all surfaces.
Only convert lines where If left unchecked (default), then all lines originating from
both terminals pass the a point that passes the filter will be converted. If
filter checked, then the opposite terminal must also pass the
filter.
Use fence Check this option and select a predefined fence in order
to restrict processing to only those points that fall within
the defined fence polygon. If no fences have been
defined previously using the Terrain menu option Model

Define Fence, this check box will be disabled.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Model Menu 14-29

Feature Line

These functions are for the adding, deleting (singular and globally) and
converting of DTM feature lines. Feature lines are similar to break lines
but more permanent.

Add
Generate feature lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre Shift F8 TerrainAddFeatureLine

Operation of this function is the same as for Add Break Line, except that
Feature Lines (semi-permanent lines) are added.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Feature Line: Snap on start point
Click on an existing point in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Feature Line: Snap on next point
Lines are added continuously (with single clicks). To break a string of
continuous lines click the right mouse button. Pressing the ESC key will
end the function.
Adding a line over another line will remove the original line because
otherwise the crossing lines would lead to an invalid model.

Delete
Delete feature lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre Shift F9 TerrainDelFeatureLine

Operation of this function is the same as for Delete Break Line, except
that Feature Lines (semi-permanent lines) are deleted.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:

14-30 Terrain Reference

 Indicate feature line to remove
Click on the feature line between any two points to delete it. The nearest
feature line to the indicated position will be removed.
Pressing the ESC key will end the function.

Remove All
Delete all feature lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainRemoveFeatureLines

Operation of this function is the same as for Remove All Break Lines,
except that Feature Lines (semi-permanent lines) are deleted.

Procedure
The following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to proceed with the function, or click the No button
to cancel the function.

Model Menu 14-31

Lines From CAD Lines
Convert CAD lines to break lines or feature lines.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLinesFromCad

This function is used when you have cad lines on top of your DTM
model, and you want DTM lines and points included in the model
coinciding with the CAD lines. The cad lines could be from a drawing
attached to the project or simply drafting you've done during that
session.

Procedure
The Lines From CAD Lines is displayed.

Fill in the relevant details and press the OK button to continue.

Convert CAD lines on all Check to have the processing of CAD lines take place on
layers all CAD layers.
Convert CAD lines on Check to have the processing of CAD lines take place on
visible layers just a visible CAD layer. Follow up by selecting from the
dropdown list which of the visible CAD layer you want.
Interpolate from Choose the DTM surface from which new points will have
their elevations interpolated.
Store on surface Choose the DTM surface onto which new points will be
stored.
Point name Type in a name that will be given to new points.
Create dtm lines as Select this option to have breaklines drawn between
breaklines points coinciding with cad lines.

14-32 Terrain Reference

Create dtm lines as Select this option to have feature lines drawn between
feature lines points coinciding with cad lines.

Each CAD line on the relevant layers is then processed. The coordinates
of the terminals then get assigned an elevation by an interpolation on the
surface you specified, and stored into the DTM database. Duplicate
points should not occur.

Model Menu 14-33

Intelli-Lines
Automatically generate break and feature lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainIntelliLines

This function is used to generate break and feature lines between points
automatically. The function joins points that lie within a certain
proximity of one another and that pass a name filter. There is no limit on
how many times the routine can be run. Either points that are currently
visible on the screen or points located within a defined fence are
processed.
Each time the routine is run, up to four search distances can be entered
to set the maximum distance beyond which no two points will be
connected. As a rule of thumb, use the nominal point spacing multiplied
by 1.5 or 1.75. For example, if the terrain points are at 20m intervals, try
using a search area of 30 or 35m. For ground surfaces it is better to err on
the short side rather than the long. For design surfaces, a long search
distance is usually required.
'Spaces' may have been left between spot heights when doing a survey
because of inaccessible areas. If your search distance is too short, points
will not be joined across these areas. This may cause problems when
generating contours. On the other hand, a long search distance may
generate inaccurate contours therefore good judgement is required from
the operator.
A name filter and surface must also be specified. This controls the data
points that will be considered for connection. To consider every point,
use the key word 'ALL' in the inclusion filter and 'NONE' in the exclusion
filter. The distance specified for the search distance will usually be
dependent on the criteria in this name filter.
You can select whether to retain or abandon any existing break lines (all
feature lines are automatically retained). If existing break line data is
retained, no new lines will cross existing lines. This allows you to handle
tricky sites by first joining critical areas (such as valley lines, banks and
roads) manually or in separate passes and then connecting the
remainder of the site automatically.
The routine will attempt to link each point to eight other points, one in
each octant, within the specified search distance, and without crossing
an existing or previously generated line. Lines will not be connected to
points on different surfaces and any points with an elevation of '0' will not
be considered.

14-34 Terrain Reference

Once lines have been generated, they should be checked to make sure
that they are a true reflection of the site (a 3D View can help here).
Remember that the idea is to have a system of co-planar polygons that
hug the ground surface. Generally, if the lines between the points do this
then the polygons will take care of themselves. However, some manual
editing is usually required in areas of complicated or man-made terrain.
Run the routine several times if more than one descriptor is to be used.
The lines should be generated by specifying the most critical data in the
first name filter followed by less critical data in subsequent filters and
finally a 'mopping up' filter for the remainder of the points.
See also the Terrain section in Basic Concepts.

Procedure
The Intelli-Line Details dialog is displayed.

Max Dist Enter the maximum distance around a point to be

searched for points with which to connect. To ignore any
particular passes enter ‘0’.
Names to include Enter the names of points to be processed in each pass.
Names to exclude Enter the names of points to be ignored in each pass.

Model Menu 14-35

Existing Lines Select either the Keep option in order to retain any
existing break lines, or the Delete option in order to
delete existing break lines before beginning the first
pass.
New Lines As Select either the Break option to create new lines as
break lines, or the Feature option to create new lines as
feature lines.
Surface to process Select the surface on which the points to be processed
are located.
Use fence Check this option to process only points within a
selected fence, and select the required fence.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

14-36 Terrain Reference

Triangulate
Automatically generate break lines between points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainTriangulate

This routine is similar to Intelli-Lines. It also joins points with lines that
lie within a certain distance of each other on the site. All points on the
specified surface are processed, not only those that are currently visible
on the screen.
The difference between the two routines is that Intelli-Lines joins points
within a certain radius of each other by forming polygons and both pre-
defined break lines and name filters are possible.
The Triangulate routine is much, much faster but it creates triangles
using break lines only and all pre-existing line data on that surface is
deleted before processing begins. Therefore, where data is sensitive and
only points with a certain character in the names should be joined, use
Intelli-Lines.
This form of model creation uses a Delauney tessellation algorithm to
form the most equal-angular triangles that are possible and then
converts these data to lines. Because it is a high speed alternative to
Intelli-Lines it will be found most useful for large sites with little or no
break line detail.
There is very little required in the way of input, just a maximum search
distance (which can be ignored if so desired). No name filters are
available, as this would negate the benefit of the high speed.
Before processing begins you are given the opportunity of cancelling the
function as all existing lines for the visible points (whether break or
feature lines) on the surface to be processed will be deleted. On a site
with limited detail it sometimes makes sense to run a triangulation first
and then edit the detail lines.
Remember that every time the routine is used it deletes all lines that
were generated previously. However, also remember that like all the
other graphical routines, it works only on what is visible on the screen.
So, by zooming into an area of interest, limited triangulation is possible.

Model Menu 14-37

Procedure
The Triangulation Settings dialog is displayed.

Surface to process Select the surface on which the points to be processed

are located.
No length check Check this option in order to accept lines of any length.
Maximum line length Enter the maximum distance between points that will be
joined with lines. Only available if the No length check
option has not been selected.
Single pass or two passes Choose the number of passes. If you have many feature
lines that constrain the triangulation it is safer to select
two passes. The default is a single pass.

Timing information is given.

14-38 Terrain Reference

Validate Model
Validate the lines forming a model on a surface

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainValidateModel

This routine scans the line model on the visible portion of a selected
surface to check for any errors. It does this by firstly tracking a perimeter
around the visible points, and then by tracking all the polygons that form
the surface within that perimeter. If the program encounters an error in
a polygon it will display a message indicating why the tracking failed.
The view is then zoomed into the area where the failure occurred and a
pointer with the word “ERROR” is given so you can correct the model.
There are a number of reasons why polygon tracking will fail. Chief
among these are duplicate points, crossing lines and points linked only to
one other point. Inspect the model carefully in the vicinity of the zoomed-
in area and you will find the cause of the error.
Quick contours are switched off automatically with this function as they
interfere with the display of the afore-mentioned error indicator.

Procedure
The Model Validation dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Surface to check Select the surface on which the points and lines to be
processed are located.

If polygon tracking fails the following message is displayed:

Model Menu 14-39

The second line of the message will indicate the reason for the failure.
Click the OK button and the view will be zoomed to the general area of
the problem. Correct the problem and then re-run the function.
Once the tracking has been completed the following message is
displayed:

Click the OK button to close the message box.

14-40 Terrain Reference

Notes:

Model Menu 14-41

Notes:

14-42 Terrain Reference

Terrain Menu
These functions produce data from the fully formed
terrain model. For example, terrace banks can be
calculated between two surfaces, cross- and long
sections can be extracted, and volumes can be
calculated.
All these routines presuppose that a polygon network
of break and feature lines has been generated that
completely describes the surface or surfaces to
process.
Errors in the polygon network will generate errors in
the calculations so take time to ensure that the
polygon model is correct.

Terrain Menu 15-1

Band vs Prism Volumes
The terrace volume calculation functions (Terrace Volume, Fixed Slope
Banks and Variable Slope Banks) can output details of the volumes in
depth ranges.
There are two ways of calculating the volumes by depth range.
• The Band method of calculation will subdivide the calculated
volume for a particular depth into the various depth bands
consisting of the actual cut or fill depth AND all the preceding
bands. This is in accordance with the SABS 1200 method of volume
calculation.
• The Prism method of calculation will assign the entire calculated
volume for a particular depth to the depth band of the actual cut or
fill depth.
Numerical examples might help to explain these options better:
Assume that we have a cut of 2.75 metres in depth and that depth ranges
have been assigned as 0 to 1m, 1 to 2m and 2 to 3m.
Using the Band method of calculating volumes, the volume of excavation
up to 1m will be calculated and assigned to the depth range 0 to 1m, the
volume of excavation between 1 and 2m will be calculated and assigned
to the depth range 1 to 2m, and the volume of excavation between 2 and
2.75m will be calculated and assigned to the depth range 2 to 3m.
Using the Prism method of calculating volumes, the volume of
excavation from 0 to 2.75m will be calculated and assigned to the depth
range 2 to 3m.
There is a relationship between Band and Prism calculations in that the
volume for any depth range calculated by the Prism method is equal to
the sum of the volume for that depth range AND all preceding depth
ranges when calculated by the Band method.
Either way of calculation will result in the same overall cut and fill
volumes. In other words, your choice of calculation method will not affect
the volume calculation in any way. It will merely change the way the
volume calculation is reported.

15-2 Terrain Reference

Contours from Lines
Track contours singly or at any specified interval.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainContourLine

This function is used to track contours either singly or at any specified

interval through a network of polygons connecting the terrain points.
The layer to be contoured and the vertical interval have to be specified.
Fractions such as '0.5' are permitted.
The function will first locate the perimeter of the site. Once a perimeter
has been located the contours will then be tracked from the lowest
possible elevation to the maximum elevation at the specified interval.
Contours will be stored in a file called Jobname.CNT.
Because this routine is based on polygons, the lines forming the polygon
boundaries must have been previously created under Model using Add
Break Line, Add Feature Line, Intelli-Lines or Triangulate. The accuracy
of the contours is directly dependent on these lines, thus it is essential
that the lines conform to the terrain surface as accurately as possible.
It is essential to join all the points on the perimeter of the portion of the
site to be contoured. Once the operation starts, the first process is to
locate the perimeter. If a 'Perimeter failed' message comes up, inspect
the site to see where the tracking stopped, then carefully check the lines
in that area. Look for crossed lines, single lines that go into space or
points that appear to be connected by lines but are in fact not joined,
thereby creating a gap (The ID Point function is ideal for this).
Duplicated data is a common criminal in this regard. Make sure all gaps
are closed before generating contours again.
Refer to DTM contours for a discussion on the relative merits between
generating contours from break lines and generating contours from
DTM information.
There are two potential hazards in generating Contours from lines:
• As a contour is being tracked, if there is more than one possible exit
from a polygon, the contour will exit through the point closest to its
entry point. This may not necessarily be correct.
• If two lines on the surface being contoured cross each other, it has
the effect of producing two overlapping polygons. If this situation is
encountered, the contours in that section will be omitted so that the
user may make the correct connections by hand later on.

Terrain Menu 15-3

Both hazards can be overcome by correctly formed polygons.
Always check your contours. Being a line-based system, the contours are
in their theoretically correct positions but this only holds true if the
line/polygon system is also correct. Of course it never is, and a bad break
line will result in erroneous contours. See the remarks under DTM
Contours.
See also Contours from Lines versus from DTM.

Procedure
The Contour Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Surface to contour Select the surface whose line model must be used to
generate contours.
Contours by interval Enter the vertical interval between successive contours.
Single contour Alternatively, enter the elevation if just a single contour is
required.
Use exclusion polygons Check to be offered a list of all defined PolyFences after
(Polyfences) clicking OK. Contours will then not appear within these
areas.

15-4 Terrain Reference

Cross Sections
These functions allow you to extract cross sections from the terrain
model and also convert cross sections into terrain model points.

Extract

Extract cross sections along a pre-calculated horizontal alignment

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainCrossExtract

This function is used to extract cross sections from ground or design data
along a pre-defined route. A horizontal road alignment should therefore
have been generated prior to using this function. This can be
accomplished using Alignment
Horizontal in the Road Menu.
A start and stop chainage must be specified for the extraction of the
sections. The chainage values and the chainage coordinates will be
retrieved from the current road database. First select the required road if
necessary.
The width of the section to the left and right of centreline must be
specified. If the extracted cross section data extends beyond these limits,
the cross section is 'snipped' and an elevation is interpolated at the offset
limit.
The search distance is the distance (left and right of the section line) that
is scanned for line nodes. The shorter the distance, the less data has to be
scanned and the faster will be the operation. There is however a
minimum distance of 100 m that is applied if the entered distances are
less than that.
Be careful of specifying a very short search distance which may result in
points being omitted, particularly in the case of design data where lines
joining terrace corners are of critical importance but can often be a long
way apart. The line might fall within the search radius but the nodes may
not and the line will therefore be ignored.
A minimum distance between section points may be entered. This is
used to filter out redundant data on the section that are closer together
than the specified distance. In areas of critical detail such as existing
roads, drains, etc., this value should be set to '0' so that all points or line
crossings on the section line are adopted.

Terrain Menu 15-5

Sections may be extracted from the lines connecting points or from the
point coordinates directly. In the case of extraction from lines, a terrain
model must have been previously generated using Add Break Line, Add
Feature Line, Intelli-Lines or Triangulate.
An offset and elevation will be added to the section by interpolation at
each point where the section crosses a terrain break line. This option will
be used where sections are required in new and theoretical locations on
a previously surveyed or defined site.
In the case of extracting the sections from coordinates, the offsets and
elevations will be derived from all points within a specified distance of
the section line. All points falling within this "band of interest" will be
assumed part of the section, and their offsets and elevations added to the
file.
This option has relevance where sections are surveyed in the field
approximately along some physically defined alignment, for example
between batter boards during road construction or along a boundary for
pipeline design.
A layer (in the current road database) must be entered into which the
cross sections will be stored. You may choose if the extracted cross
sections are to be stored or simply viewed by selecting or de-selecting the
Store to road layer option.
De-select the Store to road layer option if your cross sections are to be
checked first before storing them. If this has been done previously, and
the sections are to be saved, make quite sure that the correct road file is
loaded.
The speed of these routines will be greatly improved by switching the
screen output OFF in Output Manager.
If the first or last section on a run appears misaligned, check that the
horizontal alignment in the road database is correct. The direction of
each section is derived by comparing the current chainage coordinate
with the one before and after it.
If one of those is wrong (as a result of a partial recalculation for example),
the derived section will be skew. Another possibility is that the section
has been deliberately set skew by editing the Chainage Record under
Tools in the Road Menu.

15-6 Terrain Reference

Procedure
The Cross Section Extraction dialog is displayed.

Chainage - Start and Stop Enter the first and last chainages of the portion of the
horizontal alignment to process.
Section width - Left and Enter the distances left and right of the centreline over
Right which to extract the cross section.
Extract from terrain Select the surface that contains the points/line model
surface from which to extract sections.
Store to road layer Check this option and select the road layer in which the
extracted cross section must be stored. If this option is
not checked then the extracted data is only listed for
information purposes.
Extract sections from… Select either the Break lines option to extract sections
from line model intersections, or the Coordinates option
to extract sections directly from points along the cross
section.
Apply DTM point filter Check this option to display the Point Filter dialog and to
only extract cross section points from filtered points
Section ID Enter an ID number for the extracted points.
Allowable offset to normal Enter the distance around the normal to the centreline
that will be considered when searching for a point to use
in the cross-section (in order to accomodate points that
might not be exactly on the normal to the centreline).
Only available if the Coordinates option has been
selected in Extract sections from...
Minimum distance Enter a filter distance to be used to thin out points along
between points the cross section.

Terrain Menu 15-7

Section search distance Enter the maximum distance away from the centreline
that will be searched for cross section line crossings or
points. Note that the actual maximum search distance
will be the greater of this distance and the specified left
and right section widths with a min. distance of 100m.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Output
Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options.

Translate
Insert existing cross sections back into the model as points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainCrossTranslate

This function is used to convert cross sections from a road database into
YXZ coordinate points in the Terrain model. The cross sections must
therefore already exist in a road database and a horizontal alignment
must have been coordinated.
The layer from which the cross sections in the roads file will be
extracted, and the terrain surface into which the generated points will be
added, is selected. A suffix may optionally be entered to add to the names
of the points generated. By default, all the points on the cross sections
will be translated to YXZ coordinates. If the ‘Batters Only’ check box is
selected, only the first two points on the left and the last two points on
the right of the cross section will be translated (In other words, the banks
only).
The generated points are automatically named to enable the points to be
connected by lines using a suitable name filter in the Intelli-Lines
function. The naming convention is as follows:
• Ground points are called ...., l3x, l2x, l1x, clx, r1x, r2x,.....
• Design points are called bblx, sblx, ..., l1x, clx, r1x, ..., sbrx, tbrx.
The "x" suffix on all the points indicates that they come from cross
sections and would enable a mass deletion at a later stage if necessary.
An Intelli-Line name filter that connected all the "l1" points would pick
up the left edge of the road, a filter that connected all the "bb" points
would pick up all the bottom of banks (both left and right), and so on.

15-8 Terrain Reference

Procedure
The Cross Sections to YXZ dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Chainage - Start and Stop Enter the first and last chainages of the portion of the
horizontal alignment to be processed.
Transform road layer Select the road layer containing the cross sections to be
translated.
Store to terrain surface Select the surface on which the generated points should
be stored.
Suffix to add to names Enter a single character suffix that will be added to the
names of all generated points. This helps in identifying
points at a later stage.
Translate…-Roads Model Select this option to translate a road design into a
complete triangulated DTM model.
Translate… - Batters only Select this option to translate only the first and last two
points in each section.
Translate… - By offset Select this option (and enter the Left and Right offsets)
to translate points between specified offsets.
Translate… - By point Select this option (and enter the Left and Right PLC
location code codes) to translate points between specified points in the
cross-section.
Create lines on section Check this option and select either the Break lines option
as… or the Feature lines option to have lines automatically
generated between the translated points. The generated
lines automatically delete any crossing lines in the
surface to which the cross-section is being translated.

Terrain Menu 15-9

Fast Cross
Extract cross sections along an alignment selected with the mouse

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainCrossFast

This function is used to extract sections along a randomly defined

straight line. It is well suited to the extraction of sections for volumes of
terraces and sites where the orientation of the cross sections is not an
issue. A start and an end point are entered with the mouse and sections
are extracted in a straight line between the two points at the interval that
you define. No prior horizontal alignment is required but the sections are
stored in the current road file.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Snap on start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Snap on end point
Click on another position in the Design Centre window and the Cross
Section Interval dialog is displayed.

Interval for cross sections Enter the spacing at which cross sections should be
extracted.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to overwrite the current road file, or click the No
button to cancel the function. From this point the function proceeds as
for the Extract function.

15-10 Terrain Reference

Long Sections
These functions allow you to extract long sections from the terrain
model.

Extract
Extract a long section along a defined alignment (road or pipe bend points)

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLongExtract

This function is used to extract long sections from ground or design data
along a pre-defined route. The route the long section takes may be
specified by 'bend point' names (e.g. a pipeline) or by chainage points
from the road database. Like the Cross Section functions, the long
sections may be extracted from either lines or points.
In the case of extracting the long section from points, an offset from the
section line must be entered. This defines a 'band of interest'. All points
falling within this band will be assumed part of the section and their
offsets and elevations added to the file.
A minimum distance between successive section points may be entered.
This is used to filter out redundant data on the section that are closer
together than the specified distance. In areas of critical detail such as
existing roads, drains, etc., this value should be set to '0' so that all points
or line crossings on the section line are adopted.
In the case of entering the bend points by name, a list box must be filled
with the names of the points defining the route through which the long
section should be extracted. There is an option to interpolate a height for
the bend points or to leave them as is.
If the route of the long section is to be derived from the chainage points
in the road database, a Start and Stop chainage for the extraction must
be entered.
The long section extracted may be stored in an ASCII file or in the
currently loaded road file as chainage and centre point elevation. The
names, heights and coordinates of the bend points are also stored. This
long section may be plotted using the Plot function. If you choose to store
the data to the current road file, existing data in that file may be
overwritten and any new data will be added to the file. Select a
redundant road file if you do not wish to keep the output.

Terrain Menu 15-11

Technical Notes
The method used for interpolating the heights for the bend points
depends on whether the section is being gathered from lines or points.
In the case of a long section from lines, the program will first attempt to
height all the bend points that do not have a Z value.
In the case of a long section from points, the entire long section is
extracted and then the elevations of the bend points are determined by
interpolation from the long section.
Running chainages are handled differently depending on the long
section type:
• A section through named bend points will have its chainages related
to the straight-line distances between bend points.
• A section based on road points will have its chainages adjusted onto
the bend points. In other words, between 22400 and 22500 there will
be 100 m of section regardless of whether the actual straight-line
distance is less than this or not.

Procedure
The Long Section Extraction dialog is displayed.

Extract from terrain Select the surface from which the long section should be
surface extracted.
Store to road layer Check this option and select a layer in which to store the
long section. If this option is not checked then the
extracted data is only listed for information purposes.

15-12 Terrain Reference

Minimum distance Enter a filter distance to be used to thin out points along
between points the long section.
Extract section from... - Select this option to extract points from line crossings.
Lines
Extract section from... - Select this option to extract the long section directly from
Coordinates points along the long section. For Allowable offset to
normal enter the maximum distance around the long
section that will be searched for points.
Bend point types Select either the Name option to extract the long section
along an alignment defined by named points, or the
Chainages option to extract the long section along an
alignment defined by the horizontal alignment of the
current road file.
Minimum search distance Enter the maximum distance away from the centreline
that will be searched for cross section line crossings or
points. Note that the minimum distance is 100m.
Height the bend points Check this option to have the bend points assigned a Z
ordinate by interpolation (See the Technical Notes in
Long Section for details on how the interpolation is
carried out).
Save to ASCII file Check this option to have the long section points written
out in comma-delimited format for later import into a
spreadsheet or other program.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you
selected the Name option in Bend point types then the Bend Point Names
dialog will be displayed.

Start chainage Enter the chainage to be assigned to the first bend

points. Subsequent chainages will be relative to this start
chainage.
Bend point name Enter the name of an existing point that defines the
alignment.

Terrain Menu 15-13

Add Button Click this button to add the current Bend point name to
the bend points list. The long section will be extracted in
the order of the names in the list.
Delete Button Click on an item in the bend points list and then click this
button to remove a name from the list.

Fill in the relevant data and then click the OK button to continue. If you
selected the Chainages option in Bend point types then the Chainage
Details dialog will be displayed.

Chainage - Start and Stop Enter the first and last chainages of the portion of
the horizontal alignment for which processing should
be carried out.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the longsection chainages added to the
existing chainages in the current road file.
If you click the No button then the following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the current road file replaced by the
longsection that is extracted. Click the No button to cancel the function.

15-14 Terrain Reference

String Long
Creates a long section following terrain lines and a unique name filter

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLongString

This function is similar to the one described under Extract Long Section.
The long section is extracted along a route defined by points joined up to
each other by the user. These points have to be joined by using Add
Break Line or Add Feature Line before the String Long Section routine
is run. You select the start point and the long section is generated from
this point along the series of lines starting from this point.
It must be a unique string, as unpredictable results will occur if there are
multiple branches from a node. Generally it is recommended that the
extraction string be allocated to a unique layer. An efficient way to do
this is to create the bend points or nodes in Model
Insert Point with Auto
Interpolate under Settings toggled on.
Note that even though the point being created is being allocated to a
particular surface, auto-height can calculate the elevation from any other
surface. In the same way, when the long section is extracted, it may be
derived from a surface independent of the one on which the bend points
are located.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
String Long: Snap on line start point
Click on an existing point in the Design Centre window that is the start of
a series of points joined by lines. From this point on the function
proceeds as for Extract except that in the extraction dialog the Bend
point types options are disabled as the alignment has already been
defined from the lines joining the points.

Terrain Menu 15-15

Chainage String
Creates road chainages from connected points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLongStringChg

This function will generate road chainages from a series of connected

points. No long section will be extracted between these points, in
contrast to the String Long function described above. A chainage will be
generated for each point which is in the connected string.
The points must have heights assigned as no height calculations are
performed.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
String Long: Snap on line start point
Click on an existing point in the Design Centre window that is the start of
a series of points joined by lines.
The String Chainage dialog is displayed:

Store to road layer Select the layer for the cross section level.
Save to ASCII file Check this option to have the generated chainages
written to a file.

Fill in the relevant details and click OK to continue. The following

message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the long section chainages added to the
existing chainages in the current road file.
15-16 Terrain Reference
If you click the No button then the following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the current road file replaced by the long
section that is extracted. Click the No button to cancel the function.

Fast
Extracts a long section along an alignment selected with the mouse

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLongFast

This function extracts a long section along a route selected graphically.

As long sections are generally defined by pre-defined conditions, it is
mostly used for quick looks at a particular profile across the site
Click on a start point, successive bend points (if any) and an end point
that defines the route. Click the right mouse button to indicate that the
whole route has been entered. The data is collected in the current road
file. This can sometimes result in a lot of unwanted chainages so swap to
a redundant road file if you do not wish to keep the output.
To capture the data to an ASCII file, use the Output Manager to switch
on text file output.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Fast Long: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Fast Long: Indicate next point
Continue indicating points for the longsection alignment. Right-click in
order to continue with the extraction.
From this point on the function proceeds as for Extract except that in the
extraction dialog the Bend point types options are disabled as the
alignment has already been defined from the lines joining the points.

Terrain Menu 15-17

Surface Area
These routines work on the whole site. Use a temporary layer to
calculate areas or volumes on a portion of a site.

Plan Area
Calculate area without taking slopes into account

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainAreaPlan

This routine calculates the area inside the perimeter of the site by using
polygons. It is essential to join all the points that fall on the perimeter of
the site. See Contours from Lines for more information on perimeters
and joining of lines. Any polygons that are encountered on the surface
during these calculations are automatically broken up into temporary
triangles.

Procedure
The Area Details dialog is displayed.

Surface for area Select the surface that contains the line model for which
the area must be calculated.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Output
Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options.

Slope Area
Calculate area taking individual slope polygons into account

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainAreaSlope

This function works in the same way as Plan Area except that the slope
of the polygons is taken into account when calculating the area.

15-18 Terrain Reference

Area by Slope Category
Calculate area taking individual slope polygons into account and display results
ordered by slope category

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainAreaSlopeCalc

This function works in the same way as Slope Area. The results however
are output grouped by slope categories that have been set up using the
Slope Shading option of Display Settings.

Terrain Menu 15-19

Surface Volume
Calculate the volume of the terrain above a certain datum inside a perimeter by using
polygons

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainVolume

This routine calculates the volume of the terrain above a certain datum
inside the currently defined perimeter by using polygons. The datum
itself may be set before the calculation starts.
It is essential to join all the points that fall on the perimeter of the volume
to be calculated. See Contours from Lines for more information. Before
using this option, break lines obviously have to be generated using Add
Break Line, Add Feature Line, Intelli-Lines or Triangulate.
Any polygons that are encountered on the surface during the volume
calculation are automatically broken up into temporary triangles.
The volume that is obtained corresponds to the 'Datum volume' that is
given in the Single Surface option of DTM volumes.

Procedure
The Volume Details (Surface) dialog is displayed.

Surface for volume Select the surface that contains the line model for which
the volume must be calculated.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Volume
Details (Datum) dialog is displayed.

Datum for volumes Enter the datum above which volumes should be
calculated. The initial value is one metre below the
lowest point on the surface rounded to the next lowest
full metre, and you may not enter a value greater than
this.

15-20 Terrain Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Output
Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options.

Terrain Menu 15-21

Dam Volumes
Calculate the volume and area of a dam.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainDamVolume

This function is used to calculate the volume from a set level down to a
DTM surface. The set level will typically be that of a water surface. The
volume is calculated by taking slices through the surface and the
thickness of the slices is user-defined.

Note: This function is highly dependant on a decent line model. Ensure

that the surface validates prior to trying this function. Surfaces with
large open or complicated shaped polygons inside a model are highly
undesirable for this function. Triangular models are far better than
polygon models.

Procedure
The Dam Volumes dialog is displayed.

Water level Type in the level of the water surface.

Ground surface Choose the surface to be used for the volume
calculation.
Depth increments This is an important setting. The volume is calculated in
slices with thickness of this value. The smaller the
setting, the more accurate the calculation. In addition it is
also the increment that the output in the Output Window
uses.
Cad output None: No cad output;
Water surface only: The outline of the water surface is
drawn as a cad polyline;
Each depth increment: The contour of each depth
increment is drawn as a cad polyline;
15-22 Terrain Reference
Label lowest point Check this option and type in a point name to which the
lowest existing point in the dam will be renamed.

Fill in the relevant details and press OK to continue.

You are prompted:
Click inside dam
Click at a point inside the dam.
The calculation routine iterates through each depth increment and
cumulatively calculates the total volume. The output is sent to the
Output Window. The smaller the depth interval the more accurate the
volume calculation will be. This is especially so when the DTM surface is
irregular.
If you choose a zero depth increment in the Dam Volumes dialog then
you get warned.

This is telling you that the volumes cannot be calculated at all reliably.
The depths increment is very important as without it you are not
accumulating the volumes of successive slices though the surface but
instead using one thick slice. It is meaningless and you should pay
attention to the message and not use the resultant value.

Terrain Menu 15-23

Terrace Banks
The design points defining the terrace must have been inserted into the
database and connected with lines prior to using any of the options
under Terrace Banks. The lines connecting the outer design points must
form a complete perimeter around the terrace. There may be a complex
network of design lines and points defining the surface within the
perimeter.
When banks are created, points are generated along each side of the
selected terrace on the shoulders and at the toes of banks. They are
named according to the following convention:
• sbz for points on the shoulder (terrace edge).
• bbz for points on the bottom of a bank.
• tbz for points on the top of a bank.
Suffixes may also be added to the generated names. This combination
gives excellent control on subsequent point deletion and plotting. For
example, any one terrace may be deleted by name or the bank lines may
be drawn with one pen color for cut slopes and another for fill slopes.
After banks have been generated, you may choose to display the bank
lines on the screen by switching on the display in the Display Settings
dialog.
In projects that consist of a large number of terraces, it is advisable to try
and reduce the number of individual platforms by connecting adjacent
terraces with extra design lines between them. This intervening area can
then be treated as earthwork shaping and may be considered as part of a
single larger terrace. The larger each perimeter is, the easier and the less
work there will be to balance the earthworks.

Delete Banks
Delete all banks around a terrace perimeter

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainBankDelete

This function is used to remove previously generated bank points from a

terrace. The mouse must be clicked on any one of the design points
defining the terrace perimeter. All the previously generated bank points
connected to the selected terrace will then be removed. It is not
necessary to use this routine before generating new banks around a
terrace as it will be carried out automatically.
15-24 Terrain Reference
Procedure
The Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Terrace surface Select the surface on which the terrace points are
located.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to continue with the function, or click the No button
to cancel the function.

Dynamic Drag
Dynamically move a complete terrace to a new location

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainBankDrag

This function enables you to graphically reposition a platform. A point on

the perimeter of the platform has to be selected in order to identify the
platform to use. Any point may be chosen but the point closest to the
bottom right corner will be found to be the easiest as this becomes the
reference point for the subsequent move.
The actual move is a two-stage operation. Once identified, the platform
perimeter changes colour and can be dragged to a new position. The new
position is confirmed by clicking with the left mouse button.
The platform may now be rotated around the reference point. The
position will be fixed once the left mouse button is clicked a second time.

Terrain Menu 15-25

It will be found that more control can be exercised on the rotation if the
mouse point is kept some distance from the reference point.
In the process of the move the old banks (if they exist) will have been
automatically deleted. They can be regenerated in the new location with
the normal Fixed Slope or Variable Slope options.

Procedure
The Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
following prompt is displayed:
Indicate new terrace position
Drag the terrace to a new position and click to place it. The following
message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to rotate the terrace about the placing point. Click
the No button to retain the current terrace orientation.
If you click the Yes button the following prompt is displayed:
Indicate rotation for terrace
Move the mouse cursor and the terrace will rotate. Click on a position to
fix the terrace in place.

15-26 Terrain Reference

Fixed Slopes
Create banks around a terrace with constant slopes

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainBankFixed

This function is used to generate bank points along each side of a terrace
using the same cut or fill slopes along the entire perimeter. Before
commencing the routine, it is a good idea to Zoom onto the particular
terrace of interest so that it fills the whole screen.
The mouse must be clicked on any one of the terrace points defining the
perimeter to identify the perimeter of interest. The perimeter is then
tracked and any previously generated bank points connected to the
selected perimeter will be removed.
Data entry consists of:
• The cut-and-fill slopes to apply
• A name suffix to add to the generated bank points
• The interval between generated points along the terrace edges
• A search distance from the terrace edge
Two further options exist:
• The terrace may be raised or lowered prior to calculation
• A unique serial number may be attached to each generated toe point
The purpose of the serial number is to facilitate the extraction of placing
data for setting out the terrace. Bank points will be generated along each
edge of the terrace at the specified interval. Each bank intersection with
the ground will be at, or within, the search distance from the edge.

Procedure
The Bank Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-27

Ground surface Select the surface which contains the points/line model
that define the ground or base surface.
Terrace surface Select the surface which contains the points/line model
that define the terrace surface.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
Fixed Slope Details dialog is displayed.

Cut slope Enter the slope (as 1 in X) at which banks in cut

should be calculated.
Fill slope Enter the slope (as 1 in X) at which banks in fill
should be calculated.
Section spacing Enter the distance between successive bank
sections around the terrace.
Search distance Enter the maximum distance from the terrace
perimeter to which bank lines will be extended.
Suffix to add to names Enter a single character code that will be added to
the names of all the generated bank points.
Automatic cut/fill optimization Check this option and enter the percentage
difference between cut and fill volumes to have the
terrace automatically lifted or dropped and
recalculated in order to balance cut and fill volumes.
Balancing will stop when the percentage difference
is less than the specified value or twenty attempts at
balancing have been made without reaching this
value.

15-28 Terrain Reference

Compaction factor Enter the factor to apply to cut material before being
used as fill. A factor of 100 gives no compaction,
less than 100 gives compaction, and over 100 gives
bulking. Note that this entry is not used during the
balancing calculations but is used when the final
volumes are reported.
Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil to be stripped from the
terrace before fill takes place. Note that this entry is
not used during the balancing calculations but is
used when the final volumes are reported.
Use exclusion polygons Check this option to exclude predefined regions from
(PolyFences) the optimization calculation.
Volume report by Band or Select the required option. See the entry on Band vs
Prism Prism Volumes for details on the various options.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Bank
Creation Details dialog is displayed.

Add elevation constant to Check this option and enter the constant to be added to
terrace elevations in order to lift or drop (negative constant) the
terrace points before calculating the banks.
Add serial number to toe Check this option in order to have a serial number added
points to the names of the generated bank points in addition to
the specified suffix.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The terrace
banks are now calculated.

The following error message could be displayed.

This happens if banks extend out in such a way that they overlap with
the banks from another part of that same terrace. It is a design problem

Terrain Menu 15-29

and suggestions are given to correct it. Pressing Yes will lead to the
terrace surface having an invalid model. Pressing No will lead to an
indicator pointing to the problem area with the word ‘ERROR’.

If you selected the optimisation option then the Output Manager dialog is
displayed in order for you to set output options.
Optimisation calculations are done and the following message is
displayed:

Click the Yes button to have the new elevations of the optimised terrace
top listed.

Variable Slopes
Create terrace banks with different slopes on each face

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainBankVariable

This function is used to generate bank points along each side of a terrace
using a different cut or fill slope for each edge of the terrace. It is useful
where circumstances require one edge of a terrace to be a retaining wall
or perhaps an access ramp.

Procedure
The Bank Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Ground surface Select the surface which contains the points/line model
that define the ground or base surface.
Terrace surface Select the surface which contains the points/line model
that define the terrace surface.

15-30 Terrain Reference

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
Variable Slope Details (General) dialog is displayed.

Section spacing Enter the distance between successive bank sections

around the terrace.
Search distance Enter the maximum distance from the terrace perimeter
to which bank lines will be extended.
Suffix to add to names Enter a single character code that will be added to the
names of all the generated bank points.
Automatic cut/fill Check this option and enter the percentage difference
optimization between cut and fill volumes to have the terrace
automatically lifted or dropped and recalculated in order
to balance cut and fill volumes. Balancing will stop when
the percentage difference is less than the specified value
or twenty attempts at balancing have been made without
reaching this value.
Compaction factor Enter the factor to apply to cut material before being
used as fill. A factor of 100 gives no compaction, less
than 100 gives compaction, and over 100 gives bulking.
Note that this entry is not used during the balancing
calculations but is used when the final volumes are
reported.
Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil to be stripped from the terrace
before fill takes place. Note that this entry is not used
during the balancing calculations but is used when the
final volumes are reported.
Volume report by Band or Select the required option. See the entry on Band vs
Prism Prism Volumes for details on the various options.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The cut-
and-fill slopes are entered for each edge of the terrace individually. The
edge currently requiring cut or fill details will be highlighted in the
Terrain Menu 15-31
defined Fill pen. See INI File Components for details. The Variable Slope
Details (Slopes) dialog is displayed for each edge of the terrace.

Cut slope Enter the slope (as 1 in X) at which banks in cut should
be calculated.
Fill slope Enter the slope (as 1 in X) at which banks in fill should
be calculated.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. From this
point on the function proceeds as for the Fixed Slope Banks function.

15-32 Terrain Reference

Terrace Top
Identify the probable extent of a terrace

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainTerraceTop

This function is used to identify the probable extent of a terrace if the

perimeter of the outsides of the banks is known. It is typically used to
maximise a platform within a property boundary.
The surfaces of the terrace and the base, a reference point on the outside
perimeter for the banks, the platform level and the cut-and-fill slopes are
entered.
The routine interpolates points inwards from the perimeter to indicate
the limits of a theoretical platform. It is normal to use these displayed
data points to visually insert final terrace corner points at locations that
make optimum use of the space available but still provide a pleasing
aesthetic appearance.

Procedure
The Bank Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Ground surface Select the surface which contains the points/line
model that define the ground or base surface.
Terrace surface Select the surface which contains the points/line
model that define the terrace surface.

The following prompt is displayed:

Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
Terrace Base Details dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-33

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

15-34 Terrain Reference

Terrace Merge
Convert terrace and batters into ground surface points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainTerraceMerge

This function is used to convert the terrace and batters generated under
Terrace Banks into ground surface points.
You must specify the terrace and ground surfaces (and optionally a third
surface on which the merged points should be created) and identify the
terrace to be used by clicking on a corner point. The function will:
• Copy all the points on that design surface into the relevant ground
surface
• Add the lines that describe terrace and banks to the ground surface
• Connect the bank top and toe points into the terrain model
• Delete all the ground points that previously fell under that terrace
and it's banks.
Note that after this function is complete the original terrace will still
exist, even though it will have been merged into either the ground or
merge surface. Previous versions of the program would remove the
specified terrace after the merge.

Procedure
The Bank Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Ground surface Select the surface which contains the points/line

model that define the ground or base surface.
Terrace surface Select the surface which contains the points/line
model that define the terrace surface.
Merge surface Check this option and select a surface in order to
have the specified ground surface copied to the
merge surface (which must be an empty surface)
before the terrace merge takes place.Only available
when merging the terrace and ground surfaces.

Terrain Menu 15-35

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to proceed with the merge, or click the No button to
cancel the function.

15-36 Terrain Reference

Terrace Volume
Calculate cut-and-fill quantities for one specific terrace

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainTerraceVolume

This function is used to calculate cut-and-fill quantities for one specific

Terrace at a time.

Once the terrace (with or without banks) is identified, a DTM grid is run
across it and the cut-and-fill volumes are determined. Figures for
compaction and topsoil stripping can be incorporated and a final figure is
presented. The results are presented in the Output window as usual.
The volume data is substantially the same as is given under DTM -
Design/Surface Difference.
Use this function to get a preliminary idea of whether the cut-and-fill
balances for a specific terrace. If the quantities do not balance, the
terrace may be very quickly adjusted and the procedure used again.

Procedure
The Bank Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Ground surface Select the surface which contains the points/line model
that define the ground or base surface.
Terrace surface Select the surface which contains the points/line model
that define the terrace surface.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
Terrace Volume Details dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-37

Platform name Enter a descriptive name for this terrace. This name is
shown in the results.
Compaction factor Enter the factor for cut compaction before it is used as
fill. Specify a compaction factor of 100 for no
compaction, less than 100 for compaction, and greater
than 100 for bulking.
Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil to be stripped before
calculating cut-to-fill quantities.
Grid interval Enter the spacing in metres between grid points to be
used for interpolating levels. A large grid interval causes
more error in the calculated volumes but is faster to
calculate.
Set Depths Button Click this button to set the depth ranges at which to
report the cut and fill volumes.
Use exclusion polygons Check this option to exclude predefined regions from the
(PolyFences) volume calculation.
Volume report by Band or Select the required option. See the entry on Band vs
Prism Prism Volumes for details on the various options.
CAD Output Click this check box to have the generated grid points
created as CAD points on a selected CAD layer.
CAD Layer Combo Select the (existing) CAD layer to which the CAD points
should be written.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Click the Set Depths button in this dialog to display the Depth Intervals
dialog in order to set the depth ranges at which to report the cut and fill
volumes.

15-38 Terrain Reference

The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

Terrain Menu 15-39

Delete Ground
Delete all the points on a surface that fall within or "under" a particular terrace and its
banks

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainTerraceDelGround

This function is used to delete all the points on a surface that fall within
or "under" a particular terrace and its banks. Since changes are not
stored until the file is saved, you can recover from this operation by
loading the file again and selecting No at the 'Do you want to save'
prompt.
The routine will remove all surface points within the selected terrace.
Unlike the Terrace Merge function, it will not attempt to link up any
terrain lines and it will not change the surface allocated to the terrace
points.

Procedure
The Bank Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Snap on terrace point
Click on one of the terrace points. Once the terrace has been located the
following message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to delete the ground points under the terrace
perimeter, or click the No button to cancel the function.

15-40 Terrain Reference

Point Grid
Generate a grid of points with interpolated heights

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPointGrid

This function will, given a rectangle, generate a grid of points inside the
rectangle with interpolated heights.

Procedure
The Point Grid Settings dialog is displayed.

Interpolate heights from Select the surface from which the grid points heights
should be interpolated.
Interpolation search Enter the maximum distance in metres to search around
distance a generated grid point in order to find lines from which to
interpolate heights.
Generate grid on Select the surface on which the grid points should be
generated.
Grid Spacing - Horizontal Enter the spacing between grid points in metres. The
and Vertical spacing is measured from the first point placed.
Grid Spacing - Angle Enter the angle from the horizontal for the grid points.
Don’t store points with If a point falls outside a surface, or if the interpolation
zero heights search distance is insufficient then the point will have a
zero height. Select this option to ignore the point.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Enter first point of grid rectangle (grid generated from
this corner)

Terrain Menu 15-41

Click on a position in the Design Centre window that defines the first
point of the grid rectangle. The first point of the grid will be placed here
and all spacing will be calculated from this point.
The following prompt is displayed:
Enter second point of grid rectangle
As the mouse is moved a rectangle is displayed. Click on a position in the
Design Centre window that defines the second point of the grid
rectangle.
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options. The grid points are generated within the defined rectangle.

15-42 Terrain Reference

DTM Grid Volumes
These functions impose a regular grid over one or two terrain surfaces.
Elevations are interpolated from the line data at each grid point and
volumes are calculated. Particular attention should be paid to the
general discussion on DTM Volumes.
The elevations on the grid generated by these routines are stored in a file
with the same name as the terrain file but with a ".grd" extension.
The calculations will be performed only on the portion of the site
currently visible on the screen. Therefore, if a volume of a particular area
is required, the zoom functions should first be used to display the entire
desired locality on the screen.
For volumes of terraces, it will be quicker to use the dedicated Terrace
Volume function.
It is always a good idea to contour the DTM grid in DTM Contours
and/or generate a 3D View after creating a model. This should at least
show up any gross errors that might exist due to one of the terrain points
having an incorrect elevation.
One of the following routines must be run in order for DTM contours to
be generated.

Single Surface
Calculate a grid and volume from one surface to a datum

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridSingle

This function is used to generate a grid model of one specified surface.

Each 'sheet' is processed in turn, starting at the top right-hand corner.
Lines of grid points are dropped vertically at the specified interval and
levels are interpolated at each point as they are displayed. All other
surfaces are ignored in this process.
The resultant DTM grid (and hence derived contours) will reflect the
single chosen surface ONLY.
A grid interval must be defined. This interval controls a trade off
between speed and precision. The site is broken up into squares (called
sheets). These sheets may be viewed by selecting Preview inside the
dialog box. Each sheet comprises of 40 x 40 grid points at the specified
spacing. A maximum of 200 sheets is permissible. If this number is
exceeded, larger grid spacing must be specified.

Terrain Menu 15-43

A smaller grid interval produces more sheets, and thus a more
concentrated grid, which will yield a higher accuracy in the volumes and
smoother contours, but takes longer to process.
A 'Search hole' distance controls the way in which the data is interpreted.
As each grid line is scanned, elevations are initially interpolated from the
line data at the spots where the 'grid line' crosses them. If the distance
between these interpolations is greater than the specified 'Search hole'
distance, no elevations will be generated at those locations and contours
and volumes will not be obtained in this region. This setting can
therefore be used to avoid contouring or quantifying through dams or
large buildings, across the arms of horseshoe shaped sites, etc.
A specific elevation datum is set in order to enable a constant datum
elevation to be used for sequential volume measurements. The datum
elevation that is set may not be higher than the default provided.
Two volumes from the model are printed:
• The Perimeter Base Volume is obtained by creating a uniform base
around the perimeter of the gridded surface. This base is assumed to
run from the first grid point on a 'grid line', directly to the last grid
point on the line. Thus, for each line of grid points, a base will be
created between the first and last grid points in that line.
Any grid point elevations below the base will be considered as cut
and any above will be considered as fill. This volume is useful for
dumps and stockpiles where the base level below the surface is not
known, or where it may be assumed that there is a plane surface
from one side to the other.
• The Elevation Datum Volume is the volume between the gridded
surface and a datum elevation below it. This volume is most
frequently used in comparative measurements spaced over a period
of time and special attention must be given to the reliable definition
of a perimeter in these circumstances.
In using these volumes, particular attention should be paid to the points
raised in the general discussion on DTM Volumes.

15-44 Terrain Reference

Procedure
The DTM Grid Volumes - Grid Type page is displayed.

Choose the first button and press Next to continue. The DTM Grid
Volumes - Surface Details page is displayed.

Surface to grid Select the surface for which the DTM grid must be
calculated.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The DTM
Grid Volumes - Grid Details page is displayed.

Grid interval Enter the spacing between grid points in metres.

Description Optionally enter a descriptive name for the calculation
Terrain Menu 15-45
 printout
Preview Button Click this button to regenerate the grid display. If the
specified grid interval would generate too many sheets,
then the interval is reset to the previous value.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The DTM
Grid Volumes - Search Distances page is displayed.

Search hole distance Enter the distance beyond which interpolations should
be discarded.
Datum elevation Enter the base elevation from which to determine
volumes. The initial value is calculated from the lowest
point on the site and a higher value than this may not be
specified.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The
calculated volume is displayed in the Output Window.

15-46 Terrain Reference

Ground/Design Surface
Calculate a grid and quantities between two surfaces

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridGndDes

This function is used to generate a model of a combination of two

surfaces that can be thought of as the "ground" and "design" surfaces.
General details are the same as those described for the Single Surface
DTM. The difference is that the grid points will generally track along a
ground surface, but will follow the second "design" surface whenever it is
found. This means that the resulting grid represents an 'as built'
situation.
The gridded points on the design surface are stored with a different flag
compared to the ground surface so that subsequent contours and 3D
models can show the design portions in a unique colour.
When setting the "Hole Distance" for this routine it is usually necessary
to set a much larger 'hole' distance when gridding the design surface.
This is because the point interpolation procedure has to reach from one
side of a terrace to another.
Volumes and areas of the earthworks will be calculated and displayed.
These are the quantities of cut and fill between the two surfaces as well
as the plan areas of cut and fill. The amount of topsoil to be stripped may
then be entered as well as a bulking or compaction factor for the
excavated material. To increase the amount of cut available due to
bulking, set the factor greater than 100%. To decrease the amount of cut
due to compaction, set the factor below 100%.
This last part of the routine will cycle so that further topsoil and
compaction factors can be entered. Click Cancel to terminate.

Procedure
The DTM Grid Volumes - Grid Type page is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-47

Choose the second button and press Next to continue. The DTM Grid
Volumes - Surface Details page is displayed.

Ground surface Select the surface on which the ground or base model is
located.
Design surface Select the surface on which the design or terrace model
is located.

Select the relevant surfaces and click the Next button to continue. The
DTM Grid Volumes - Grid Details page is displayed.

Grid interval Enter the spacing between grid points in metres.

Description Optionally enter a descriptive name for the calculation
printout

15-48 Terrain Reference

Preview Button Click this button to regenerate the grid display. If the
specified grid interval would generate too many sheets,
then the interval is reset to the previous value.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The DTM
Grid Volumes - Search Distances page is displayed.

Ground hole distance Enter the distance beyond which interpolations on the
ground surface should be discarded.
Design hole distance Enter the distance beyond which interpolations on the
design surface should be discarded.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The
Volume Details dialog is displayed.

Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil to be stripped before

calculating cut and fill volumes.
Compaction factor Enter the factor to be applied to cut volumes before
being used as fill. A factor of 100 gives no compaction,
less than 100 gives compaction, and over 100 gives
bulking.

Ground/Design Difference
Calculate a grid and height difference between two surfaces

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridDiff

Terrain Menu 15-49

This function is used to grid, and obtains the difference between, a
"design" surface and "ground" surface.
General details are the same as those described for the Ground/Design
Surface DTM. Volume details are the same as those described in the
Ground/Design Surface option.
In this routine the grid points will be generated only in areas where there
is both ground and design data The grid elevations that are retained are
the differences in elevation between the two surfaces.
This type of grid model is extremely useful in showing depths of cut and
fill. These contours are widely used to check designs, control site
earthworks and obtain "as built" data. Due to their flexibility, these
isopachyte contours largely replace the traditional mass haul diagram for
planning and executing bulk earthworks and dredging.

Procedure
The DTM Grid Volumes - Grid Type page is displayed.

Choose the third button and press Next to continue. The DTM Grid
Volumes - Surface Details page is displayed.

Ground surface Select the surface on which the ground or base model is
located.

15-50 Terrain Reference

Design surface Select the surface on which the design or terrace model
is located.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The DTM
Grid Volumes - Grid Details page is displayed.

Grid interval Enter the spacing between grid points in metres.

Description Optionally enter a descriptive name for the calculation
printout
Preview Button Click this button to regenerate the grid display. If the
specified grid interval would generate too many sheets,
then the interval is reset to the previous value.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The DTM
Grid Volumes - Search Distances page is displayed.

Ground hole distance Enter the distance beyond which interpolations on the
ground surface should be discarded.
Design hole distance Enter the distance beyond which interpolations on the
design surface should be discarded.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Next button to continue. The
Volume Details dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-51

Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil to be stripped before
calculating cut and fill volumes.
Compaction factor Enter the factor to be applied to cut volumes before
being used as fill. A factor of 100 gives no compaction,
less than 100 gives compaction, and over 100 gives
bulking.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue, or click the
Cancel button to end the function.

15-52 Terrain Reference

Polygon Volume
Calculate volumes within a user-defined polygon

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridPolyVolume

This function is used to obtain a volume between two surfaces, or

between a surface and a specified height, within an indicated polygon or
a predefined fence.

Procedure
The Polygon Volume dialog is displayed.

Determine volume by - Select whether the polygon is to be defined by a

Fence or Polygon predefined fence (see Define Fence) or by indicating an
arbitrary polygon. If determining volume by fence then
you must select the name of an existing fence.
Base surface Select the base surface for the calculation.
Terrace - Surface or Level Click the Surface option and select the terrace surface
for the calculation, or click the Level option and enter the
height to be assumed for the terrace surface.
Compaction factor Enter the factor to be applied to cut volumes before
being used as fill. Use a factor of 100 for no compaction,
less than 100 for compaction, and over 100 for bulking.
Search Distance Enabled for the terrace surface option, not the terrace
level option. Enter the distance from an imaginary
rectangle that encloses the fence/ polygon area such
that points on the terrace surface will be found. The
default is 10 (metres).
Topsoil to strip Enter the depth of topsoil to be stripped before
calculating cut and fill volumes.

Terrain Menu 15-53

Volume report by - Band Select the required option. See the entry on Band vs
or Prism Prism Volumes for details on the various options.
Set Depths Button Click this button to display the Depth Intervals dialog for
setting the depth intervals for reporting purposes.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you
selected to determine volume by polygon then the following prompt is
displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Perimeter: Indicate next point
Continue indicating perimeter points and end by clicking on or near the
starting point again.
In either case the Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to
set output options. The volumes for the polygon are calculated and
displayed according to the output selections made.

15-54 Terrain Reference

DTM to ASCII
Write the most recently generated DTM information to an ASCII file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridExport

This function writes the most recently generated DTM information to an

ASCII file.
The format is Name, y, x, z with a "g" being inserted for the name. The
ASCII file can then be imported and triangulated to form a standard
DTM model in addition to the current line model if required.
Duplicate points are stored in this file. If you import the data into a DTM
then you will need to run the Editing
Automatic Screen function in the
Survey menu in order to remove these.

Procedure
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected a file the Output Manager dialog is displayed in
order for you to set output options.

Terrain Menu 15-55

DTM Contours
Track contours at any interval through a regular grid of elevation points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridContour

This function is used to track contours at any interval through a regular

grid of elevation points created in DTM Grid Volumes. This obviously
implies that one of the DTM Grid routines has to be run first.
If the DTM grid was created on a portion of the site, this is the area that
will automatically be displayed for contouring. Only the contour interval
need be entered and fractions (like 0.5) are permitted. The contours will
then track through each DTM grid 'sheet' in the order in which they were
created. The type of contours created will depend on the DTM
generated. If either a Single Surface or Ground/Design Surface DTM was
created, the contours will conform to the relative terrain surface. If the
Ground/Design Difference DTM was generated, the contours produced
will indicate depths of cut-and-fill (Isopachyte contours).
The area first has the original gridding squares (or sheets) plotted on it.
Each square is scanned round its edges and then quartered in the search
for a contour start position. If a start point is not found the contour will
be abandoned. It is therefore possible for highly localised contours to be
omitted if the DTM grids are too large.
Always check your contours. Being a grid-based system, the contouring
is almost infallible. The area can be any shape and even have holes in it.
Any topographical feature, other than a reverse slope, will be contoured
as long as it is reasonably well defined by the spot heights.

Procedure
The DTM Contour Details dialog is displayed. Fill in the relevant data
and click the OK button to continue.

Contour interval Enter the vertical difference in elevation between

successive contours.

15-56 Terrain Reference

Neutral Contour
Convert a datum contour to ASCII coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainGridDiffContour

This function converts a Datum Contour to ASCII coordinates to assist

the setting out of earthworks.
Datum Contour actually refers to the cut/fill break line from isopachyte
contours generated in DTM Contours that were in turn derived from a
DTM Difference grid. The ASCII coordinates that are generated
represent the "prick" point of neutral cut and fill and can be read back
into a job for the further processing of setting out data.

Procedure
Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.
Once you have selected a file the Output Manager dialog is displayed in
order for you to set output options.

Terrain Menu 15-57

Drainage
These functions assist with visualizing how water would flow over a
given grid surface.
• Flow Direction: From a given position determine the route would
flow. This function uses the 8-point pour algorithm.
• Drainage Network: Determine the dominant water routes over an
entire surface. This function uses the flow accumulation algorithm.
Both functions require that a DTM single surface grid file (*.grd) is
available for this project. You generate a grid file using the DTM Grid
Volumes command. The calculations are performed from the gridded
surface and not the line model.

15-58 Terrain Reference

Flow Directions
Flow directions using 8-point pour method.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainDrainageFlowDir

This function is used to determine the route that water would flow over a
grid surface from any given point A. Then, the end of the route is used to
determine the catchment area in which A is situated. Only 8 directions
are assumed to exist for water to flow from any given point. These
correspond to multiples of 45 degrees.

Procedure
This function depends on their being a DTM grid file available for the
project. Without one you get presented with a similar error message to
this:

A grd file exists only through generating one via the DTM Grid Volumes
command. It needs to be of type Single Surface and not a Ground /
Design type grid file.

Otherwise, the Flow Direction dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-59

Water course pen Choose the colour used for drawing the water route from
the indicated point.
Water course cad Check if you want the route drawn as a cad polyline and
output choose which layer it will be drawn on.
Catchment area pen Choose the colour used for drawing the area that will
contribute to the same catchment area as the indicated
point.
Catchment area cad Check if you want the catchment area drawn to a cad layer,
output and choose which layer it will be drawn to.

Fill in the relevant details and press OK to continue.

The grid points are drawn in a colour denoting the flow direction from
that point. The possible directions are one of the 8 main compass
directions.
You are prompted:
Click to start tracking water course (Esc to quit)
Irrespective of whether you chose CAD output for the water course
and/or catchment area, these will get temporarily displayed. However
only if you chose CAD output, will they remain there as cad entities when
you redraw the screen.
Click at a point. The route is calculated, plotted and some statistics about
the calculation are printed to the Output Window.

15-60 Terrain Reference

Drainage Network
Drainage network using flow accumulation.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainDrainageNetwork

This function is used to show the dominant water routes over a grid
surface. A water route is considered to be dominant if at least a user
defined set number (threshold) of upstream grid cells flow into it.

Procedure
This function depends on their being a DTM grid file available for the
project. Without one you get presented with a similar error message to
this:

A grd file exists only through generating one via the DTM Grid Volumes
command. It needs to be of type Single Surface and not a Ground /
Design type grid file.

Otherwise, the Drainage Network dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-61

Threshold value This is the number of upstream cells that you consider
sufficient to be considered a dominant water route. It is a
site-specific value. A trial-and-error approach will quickly
lead to the value giving the best result. Too low a value
will give too many dominant routes, while too great a
value will not give all the dominant routes.
Water course pen Choose the colour used for drawing the water route from
the indicated point.
Water course cad output Check if you want the route drawn as a cad polyline and
choose which layer it will be drawn on.
Shade grid with flow Check this option to have each cell (grid point) temporarily
directions drawn in a colour reflecting the 8-point compass direction
flow direction.
Subsequent catchment Check this option to manually indicate outlet points
areas subsequent to the function first determining the dominant
flow routes.
Catchment area pen Visible only if 'Subsequent catchment areas' is checked.
Choose the colour used for drawing the area that will
contribute to the same catchment area as the the
indicated point.
Catchment area cad Visible only if 'Subsequent catchment areas' is checked.
output Check if you want the catchment area drawn to a cad
layer, and choose which layer it will be drawn to.

Fill in the relevant details and press OK to continue.

The dominant water routes are plotted. How this works is that each cell
that has more than the threshold number of upstream cells flowing into
it, is considered to be dominant. Then the direction from this cell to the
next adjacent cell is plotted. This is the reason why the route is plotted as
line segments and cannot be plotted as a polyline unfortunately.

15-62 Terrain Reference

If you left checked the option 'Subsequent catchment areas' then you get
prompted:
Click at outlet point (Esc to quit)
This requires you to click at the end of a water course for the program to
determine what the corresponding catchment area is.

Terrain Menu 15-63

Isograde Line
Track a route at a defined constant grade

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainIsograde

This function will track a route at a defined constant grade in the

direction indicated by you. The main uses for this facility lie in irrigation,
canal, and furrow design as well as low-cost road route location where
constant grades are required. Haul roads and timber extraction routes
are typical examples.
You only need to identify a start point and a direction in which to track.
The function will hunt a route along a specified slope.
The initial data entry box permits definition of the extraction surface and
the slope to track. The line start point may be on a different surface to
allow for separated defining data or points obtained from another source.
If the 'Track to pre-defined fence' option is checked, the grade line will be
constrained to tracking within the boundaries of a particular polygon. If
this option is used the Define Fence function under Model has to be
completed before the Isograde Line is tracked.
After the data entry box has been completed, it is necessary to use the
mouse to select a start point for the grade line. Because at any one spot
(unless it is on the edge of the site), there will be two possible directions
for a grade to run, you must also provide a starting direction. This
direction is approximate and only needs to be within the same quadrant
as the required line.
The line will then be tracked. Tracking always attempts to take place in
the same general direction. In other words, lines will not double back on
themselves within the same polygon. This is not to say that a gradual
double back, which occurs over several polygons, will not take place.
Although the function attempts to follow a particular direction, this
decision is sometimes marginal. Unexpected results are therefore not
uncommon in grade line tracking, particularly in rough country. It is a
good idea to work on small portions at a time.
The generated grade line points are linked with lines and automatically
integrated into the extraction surface. Each point is named 'fl' plus the
suffix that has been specified. This permits lines to be isolated and
plotted or deleted in the normal way.
See the section on Farm Planning for Furrows and Roads in How To Do
It for a typical application.

15-64 Terrain Reference

Procedure
The Grade Line Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Surface for grade line Select the surface on which the grade line will be stored.
start point
Extract grade line on Select the surface from which the grade line will be
surface calculated.
Suffix to add to generated Enter the single character suffix that will be added to the
points names of points generated by this routine.
Track grade line at Enter the percentage grade (positive is rise, negative is
fall) that must be tracked.
Track to pre-defined fence Check this option and select a fence in order to have
tracking constrained to a polygon.

The following prompt is displayed:

Snap on start point
Click on an existing point in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Isograde: Indicate starting direction
Click on a position in the Design Centre window to indicate a first-try
direction from the start point and the isograde line will be calculated (if
possible).

Terrain Menu 15-65

Line of Sight
Generate a set of points at a given height at the nearest intersection with the model at
that height

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLineOfSight

This function will, given a centre point and an eye-level height, generate
a set of points at the given height either at the nearest intersection with
the model at that height or at the specified sight distance should no
ground intersection occur within that distance.
In order to generate the line-of-sight points, a cross-section is taken
every three degrees around the centre point and the intersection
between the line of sight and ground model calculated. The default
rotation angle can be changed using the setting Sweep=n in the
[Terrain] section of the file CivDes6.INI where n is the sweep angle
increment (in degrees) to be used. See INI File Components for more
information.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate eye location
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the Line of Sight
Details dialog is displayed.

Track elevation Enter the height at which the tracking line should be
generated.
Track surface Select the surface that contains the model defining the
site to be processed.
Max. track distance Enter the maximum distance that the tracking line can be
from the eye point.

15-66 Terrain Reference

Result surface Select the surface on which the tracking line should be
created.
Result name Enter the name to be assigned to the points generated
during tracking.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Output
Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output options.

Terrain Menu 15-67

3D View
The following functions allow you to generate a rendered three
dimensional view of the terrain model. You may generate a model that
includes up to 2 surfaces, and overlay that with contours or a bitmap.
The model can be rotated along various axes.

View
Generate and view the site in 3D

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Terrain3DView

This function generates and displays a 3D view based on the line

polygons in the terrain model.
You can select to generate the view for only a base surface, or for a base
and terrace surface. In either case the line polygons that define the
surface are decomposed into triangles for the view. As each triangle is
created it is filled with a colour determined by the slope of the triangle.
The colours and slopes used are the same as those defined for Slope
Shading in the Display Settings dialog.
If the view data was created previously, you will be given an option to use
that data or to regenerate the data. You should select to regenerate if the
line model has been changed in any way.

Procedure
If the view data had been generated previously then the following
message is displayed:

Click the Yes button to reuse the existing view data, or click the No
button to redefine the view.
If the view data had not been generated previously or you clicked the No
button for the previous message then the View Surface Details dialog is
displayed.

15-68 Terrain Reference

Base surface Select the surface containing the line model that defines
the ground surface.
Terrace surface Check this option and select the surface containing the
line model that defines the terrace surface in order to
generate a dual surface model or fly path.
Eye height Enter the height above the surface at which the fly path
should be generated. Only available when generating a
fly path.
View radius Enter the distance ahead of the current position that will
define the position being looked at. Only available when
generating a fly path.
Speed Enter the distance that the view position moves between
successive frames. Only available when generating a fly
path.
Acceleration Enter the distance that the view moves between
successive frames when changing direction (only
available if the Path from road file option is not selected).
Only available when generating a fly path.
Path from road file Check this option and select the road file from which the
fly path definition should be taken. Only available when
generating a fly path.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The 3D
View dialog is displayed.

Terrain Menu 15-69

Click the Close button to close the view.
Some of the settings made on the tabs in this dialog are applied to the
view immediately. Other settings need to be typed in and then you click
on the Apply button to redraw the view according to the new settings.

15-70 Terrain Reference

View Tab

View Scale - Z Scale Enter the scaling exaggeration factor to be applied to

point heights.
View Translation - Eye X, Enter the ordinates of the view position. Alternatively,
Eye Y and Eye Z drag the mouse pointer in the view with the right button
held down to change the Eye X and Eye Y values
interactively.
View Rotation - Rotation Enter the rotation and inclination angles of the view.
and Inclination Alternatively, drag the mouse pointer in the view with the
left button held down to change the Rotation and
Inclination interactively.
View Axes - None, Cross Select these options to turn off all axis display, to display
or Cube the axes as a 3D cross, or to display the axes as a unit
3D cube respectively.
Show - Contours and Fly Check these options to display contours and/or the
path defined fly path as overlays on the view.
Fly - Start/Stop button, Click the Start button to display the fly animation. Once
Frame delay and AVI flying has started, the Start button will change to a Stop
output button, which can be clicked to terminate the animation
prematurely. For Frame delay enter the delay in seconds
between successive frames of the animation. Check the
AVI output option to have the successive view frames
written out as an AVI file for subsequent replay. The
created file has the same name as the terrain file with an
'.avi' extension.

Terrain Menu 15-71

Material Tab

Shininess Enter the value of the reflectance of the colours in the

view.
Colour by… - Height or Select either the Height option to display the view
Constant colour coloured by heights, or the Constant colour option to
display the view in solid colours.
Start Hue and End Hue Click these buttons to set the start and end hues of the
Buttons range of colours that will be applied to the site when the
Height option is selected.
Base and Terrace Buttons Click these buttons to set the solid colours that will be
displayed when the Constant colour option is selected.
Texture Enter the name of the texture file to be loaded.
Browse Button Click this button to locate a texture file.
Apply texture Check this option to have the selected texture applied to
the view.
Stretch Distort the texture to fit the view
Repeat Copy the texture to fit the view

15-72 Terrain Reference

Lighting Tab

Light Select the light (from 1 to 8) whose parameters you wish

to change.
Enabled Check this option to enable the selected light.
Parameters - % Ambient Enter the percentages of the types of light emitted by the
light, % Diffuse light and selected light source.
% Specular light
Ambient light is directionless and lights all surfaces
evenly in all directions. Diffuse light comes from a
particular direction but is reflected evenly off a surface.
Specular light is also directional, but is reflected sharply
and in a particular direction.
X, Y and Z Enter the position of the selected light.
Spot or Infinite Select the Spot option to have the selected light behave
like a spotlight, or select the Infinite option to have the
selected light behave like the sun.

Terrain Menu 15-73

Output Tab

Save Button Click this button to save the current view. The Bitmap
Dimensions dialog is displayed.
Print Button Click this button to print the current view.
Info Button Click this button to display information on the renderer
and the version of the libraries being used. A text file
called "PixelFormats.txt" is also written to the program
directory and is useful in sorting out problems with the
display in conjunction with the programmers.
Start/Stop AVI Capture Click this button to create a new AVI file. Once capturing
has started click this button again to close the AVI file.
Capture Frame Click this button to add the current view as a frame into
the current AVI file.
Save Defaults Save settings as default

15-74 Terrain Reference

Below are examples of the type of information displayed after clicking
the Info button. Details will change depending on the presence (and use)
of 3D accelerator cards capable of accelerating OpenGL.

Terrain Menu 15-75

Define Fly Path
Define a path for tracking around the 3D site

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Terrain3DPath

This function generates a path that can be flown in the 3D View.

The path can be defined either by clicking on the display to define corner
points (or PI’s) or can be generated from the chainage coordinates of an
existing road file. If the path is defined by clicking then you should end
the definition by clicking with the right mouse button on the final point
in the path.
In either case the direction of the path is taken from the first point
looking towards the second, from the second looking towards the third,
and so on. The path is smoothed according to the entered acceleration
factor. The higher the acceleration factor the smoother the path will be
as it changes from one direction to another, but the larger the data set
will become.
The height of the viewpoint is taken as the elevation of the selected point
plus the specified eye height. If only a base surface is specified then the
elevation is interpolated from that surface. If both base and terrace
surfaces are specified then the elevation is interpolated from the terrace
surface.

Procedure
The View Surface Details dialog is displayed.

Base surface Select the surface containing the line model that defines
the ground surface.
Terrace surface Check this option and select the surface containing the
line model that defines the terrace surface in order to
generate a dual surface model or fly path.

15-76 Terrain Reference

Eye height Enter the height above the surface at which the fly path
should be generated. Only available when generating a
fly path.
View radius Enter the distance ahead of the current position that will
define the position being looked at. Only available when
generating a fly path.
Speed Enter the distance that the view position moves between
successive frames. Only available when generating a fly
path.
Acceleration Enter the distance that the view moves between
successive frames when changing direction (only
available if the Path from road file option is not selected).
Only available when generating a fly path.
Path from road file Check this option and select the road file from which the
fly path definition should be taken. Only available when
generating a fly path.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. If you did
not select the Path from road file option then the following prompt is
displayed:
Fly Path: Indicate start point
Click on a position in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Fly Path: Indicate next point (Right click to end)
Continue indicating positions in the Design Centre window. Right click
on the last point in the path to end.
If at any point a height cannot be interpolated for an indicated position
the Fly Height dialog is displayed.

Surface elevation Enter the height at the surface of the indicated position.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

Terrain Menu 15-77

Plot 3D
Create a 3D line model as a CAD drawing

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Terrain3DPlot

This function is used to produce 3 dimensional views of a site using a

model created by DTM generated from one of the DTM Volume routines.
There is also a proofing view that uses the original line data.
The function generates a full perspective view with two vanishing points,
not an isometric view. This means that objects that are further away will
appear closer together in depth and further apart in spread.
The site is automatically scaled to fit into the selected sheet size and will
not tolerate sites with a DTM sheet configuration that yields more than
20 sheets on a face.
There are no hard and fast rules for obtaining a good 3D model. It is very
much dependant on the artistic flair of the operator and a fair bit of
personal taste. Within a few general guidelines, trial and error is the only
way. Use the quick Lines option to experiment.
For site orientation, try a view that results in the lowest ground being
closest to you as the viewer. In other words, let the ground slope
upwards as you look at it. Looking up a valley also helps. If it is a long
skinny site, orient it so that the length faces you and use a low vertical
viewing angle.
It is frequently possible to achieve an orientation and vertical viewing
angle that eliminates any hidden spots in the topography but still gives
the impression of relief. If this can be achieved, one can plot a full
drawing without switching on hidden line removal. However, for any sort
of presentation that includes the base surface, hidden lines should be
removed.

15-78 Terrain Reference

Procedure
The 3D Plot Settings dialog is displayed:

Type Select the type of view to be generated. Lines will

generate a model based on the lines of a selected
surface while the other types will generate a model
based on the generated DTM grid.
Horizontal view angle Enter the direction from which the site will be viewed.
Any angle may be used although angles around 45
degrees (and 135, 225 or 315 degrees) are generally
considered the most aesthetically pleasing. Usually the
most important consideration when setting a horizontal
viewing angle is to choose a view that positions the
lowest part of the site closest to the viewer.
Vertical view angle Enter is the deflection or “tilt” of the model relative to the
horizontal. This angle may range from 0° 30" (worm’s
eye view) to 89° 30" (bird’s eye view). The greater the
vertical angle the fewer the hidden spots but also the
flatter the apparent relief. The flatter the angle the more
dramatic the relief but more portions of the site will be
hidden.
Vertical exaggeration Enter the exaggeration factor in the vertical plane.
Values between 1 and 20 are acceptable. This factor
exaggerates the vertical scale of the plot to enhance
relief features. The higher the vertical viewing angle the
greater the need for vertical exaggeration. Obviously at
the extreme case of a birds eye view, no amount of
exaggeration is going to help.

Terrain Menu 15-79

Grid lines to skip Enter the number of grid lines that can be skipped. This
value enables rows of grid points to be left out of the
plot. The purpose is to speed up plots and reduce the
size of CAD files as large amounts of drawing data may
be generated.
Sheet size Select the sheet size for the generated drawing.
Lines from surface Select the surface from which lines should be extracted
for plotting. Only available when the Lines option is
selected under Type.
CAD layer Enter or select the name of the CAD layer on which the
view should be generated.
Hidden lines Check this option in order to hide grid lines that should
not be visible. This incurs a processing time penalty so
should be used with caution on large sites.
Contours Check this option to have the stored contours generated
as part of the plot.
Pens - Horizontal Click this button to set the pen colour for horizontal grid
lines.
Pens - Vertical Click this button to set the pen colour for vertical grid
lines.
Pens - Base Click this button to set the pen colour for the grid base.
Pens - Design Click this button to set the pen colour for grid lines from
the design surface.
Pens - Contours Click this button to set the pen colour for contours.
Pens - North Click this button to set the pen colour for the north arrow.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue. A new
CAD window is created and the 3D plot is generated into it.

15-80 Terrain Reference

Terrain Menu 15-81
Notes:

15-82 Terrain Reference

Graphical Menu
These functions enable the basic survey calculations
to be executed in a graphical environment by
clicking on the relevant points instead of calling
them up by name. Refer to the Survey Calculations
section for the naming equivalent to these routines.
When using the survey routines it is a good idea to
make frequent reference to the prompt line in the
Power Bar that will describe what action is currently
being requested.

Graphical Menu 16-1

Join
Obtain the direction and distance between two points of known coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainJoin

This routine is used to obtain the direction and distance between two
points of known coordinates.
The two points are selected by clicking on them with the mouse. The
database will be scanned to retrieve their YX and Z ordinates and the
join information will be displayed.
The terminal of the last join then becomes the origin of the next.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Join: Snap on start point
Click on an existing point in the Design Centre window and the following
prompt is displayed:
Join: Snap on next point
Click on a second existing point in the Design Centre window and the
join information is displayed:

The function continues in a cycle prompting for the next point.

16-2 Terrain Reference

Polar
Fix a new point a given distance and direction from a base point of known coordinates

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainPolar

This routine is used to fix a new point a given distance and direction
from a base point of known coordinates. The base point is selected by
clicking on it with the mouse. The database will be scanned to retrieve its
Y and X ordinates and new point will be inserted a specified distance
and direction away from the base point.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Polar: Snap on base point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
Polar Details dialog is displayed.

Direction Enter the bearing from the indicated point to the new
point.
Distance Enter the distance from the indicated point to the new
point.
Name of calculated point Enter the name to be assigned to the new point.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Point
Details dialog is displayed.

Graphical Menu 16-3

Name Enter the new name for this point.
Y Coord Enter the new horizontal ordinate for this point.
X Coord Enter the new vertical ordinate for this point.
Z Coord Enter the new height ordinate for this point.
Surface Select the surface to which the point should be stored.
Search Button Click this button to search the database for the first point
with the entered name.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Save button to continue. The
function continues in a cycle prompting for the base point.

16-4 Terrain Reference

Resection
Fix an unknown point by means of un-oriented directions to three known points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainResection

This routine is used to fix an unknown point by means of un-oriented

directions from the unknown point to three known points.
The three known points must be identified by clicking on them with your
mouse. The direction from the unknown point to each of them then has
to be entered.

Directions must be used and NOT the subtended angles.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Resection: Snap on start point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Resection: Snap on next point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Resection: Snap on last point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
Resection Calculation dialog is displayed.

Direction from Enter the bearing from the specified point to the new
point.
Calculated point name Enter the name to be assigned to the new point.

Graphical Menu 16-5

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Point
Details dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the new name for this point.

Y Coord Enter the new horizontal ordinate for this point.
X Coord Enter the new vertical ordinate for this point.
Z Coord Enter the new height ordinate for this point.
Surface Select the surface to which the point should be stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Save button to continue. The
function continues in a cycle prompting for a start point.

16-6 Terrain Reference

Parallel Line
Fix a point at specified parallel offset from two lines that have a known intersection
point

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainParallel

This function is used to fix a point at specified parallel offset from two
lines that have a known intersection point. A common use would be to
calculate manhole positions a set distance from buildings or boundaries.
The intersecting lines are defined by entering a point that falls on the
first line, followed by the intersection point and finally a point defining
the second line. Thereafter offsets are entered from both the first and
second lines and the intersection point is calculated.
The point calculated is assumed to be to the right of the three points in
the order they were specified. In other words, to get the complementary
situation of a point on the other side, specify the points in the reverse
order.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Parallel Intersection: Snap on start point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Parallel Intersection: Snap on next point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Parallel Intersection: Snap on last point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
Parallel Intersection dialog is displayed.

Graphical Menu 16-7

Offset from line Enter the offsets from the first and second lines.
Calculated point name Enter the name to be assigned to the new point.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. The Point
Details dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the new name for this point.

Y Coord Enter the new horizontal ordinate for this point.
X Coord Enter the new vertical ordinate for this point.
Z Coord Enter the new height ordinate for this point.
Surface Select the surface to which the point should be stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Save button to continue. The
function continues in a cycle prompting for a start point.

16-8 Terrain Reference

Mid Point
Calculate a point midway between two points

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainMidPoint

This function calculates a point that falls in the middle of a straight line
joining two points indicated with a mouse. After the points are defined,
the mid point is calculated and its coordinates are displayed on the
screen. You have the option of adding the point to the database or
canceling the operation.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Midpoint: Snap on start point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Midpoint: Snap on end point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
Point Details dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Ok button to continue.

Name Enter the new name for this point.
Y Coord Enter the new horizontal ordinate for this point.
X Coord Enter the new vertical ordinate for this point.
Z Coord Enter the new height ordinate for this point.
Surface Select the surface to which the point should be stored.

The function continues in a cycle prompting for a start point.

Graphical Menu 16-9

Two Line Intersection
Calculate the point where two lines intersect

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainLineLine

This function is used to calculate the point where two lines intersect.
You must select two points on each line by indicating them with the
mouse. The intersection point is calculated and its coordinates displayed
on the screen. You have the option of adding the point to the database or
canceling the operation.
In the diagram below, the user clicks on the circled points and the point
in the box is calculated:

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Line Intersection: Snap on line 1 start point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Line Intersection: Snap on line 1 end point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Line Intersection: Snap on line 2 start point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following prompt will be displayed:
Line Intersection: Snap on line 2 end point
Click on an existing terrain point in the Design Centre window and the
following dialog is presented:

16-10 Terrain Reference

This gives the option of specifying from which of the two lines the z-
ordinate should be interpolated. Alternatively press Cancel to assign a
zero height to the point.
The Point Details dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the new name for this point.

Y Coord Enter the new horizontal ordinate for this point.
X Coord Enter the new vertical ordinate for this point.
Z Coord Enter the new height ordinate for this point.
Surface Select the surface to which the point should be stored.

Fill in the relevant data and click the Ok button to continue. The function
continues in a cycle prompting for a line 1 start point.

Graphical Menu 16-11

Elevation Tracking
Dynamically track elevations on one or two model surfaces

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainElevationTrack

This function is used to dynamically track the elevations on one or two

surfaces as the mouse is moved over the project. When tracking
elevations on two surfaces the height difference between the tracked
elevations is displayed in addition to the elevations themselves.

Procedure
The Elevation Tracking dialog is displayed:

Base surface Select the base surface from which elevations should be
extracted.
Terrace surface Check this option and select the terrace surface from
which elevations should be extracted in order to track
elevations from two surfaces simultaneously.
Search distance Enter the distance around the cursor position to search
for lines in order to interpolate elevations.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue. The
following prompt is displayed:
Move cursor to display data (Esc to cancel)

As the cursor is moved over the project elevations are interpolated from
the selected surfaces and displayed in the form of a prompt. When
tracking a single surface the prompt is as follows:
Surface 1 height = 66.676
When tracking two surfaces the prompt is as follows:
Surface 1 height = 58.275 : Surface 2 height = 53.875 : Diff
= 4.400

16-12 Terrain Reference

Click down to insert a new DTM point at the mouse position or press
ESC to exit the function.
If you click down, then the Point Details dialog is displayed.

Name Enter the name of the point to be created.

Y Coord, X Coord and Enter the ordinates of the point.
Elevation
Surface Select the surface on which the new point should be
created.

Fill in the relevant details and press OK to have the point inserted into
the DTM model.

Graphical Menu 16-13

Show Tache Rays
Display rays from one point to points with a known suffix

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainTacheRays

This function is used to display rays from a set-up station to points with a
known suffix.
It is assumed that a unique suffix was added to all points from a
particular station when a tache survey was reduced.

Procedure
The Tacheometric Rays dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Tache setup station name Enter the name of the point from which the rays should
be drawn.
Suffix for reduced Enter the single character suffix on the names of the
observations points to which the rays should be drawn.

16-14 Terrain Reference

Strings Menu
String functionality is a versatile design tool assisting in
the design of any ordered sequence of points.

Strings Menu 17-1

Select String
Select / deselect a string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsSelect

Selecting strings is an easy way to preselect which string will be the

default choice in any subsequent editing function.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate near vertex to select/deselect string (Escape to
cancel)

Click on the desired string.

If there are two or more vertices on top of each other then you will be
asked to specify which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings
dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK.

If the chosen string was already selected, then selecting it again is the
manner to deselect it. Otherwise the chosen string becomes the selected
string.
The selected string is identified by it getting drawn in a distinctive
colour.
Strings can also become the selected string when created. The
assumption is made that the next operation you will want performed on
the newly created string, so it is automatically selected.

17-2 Terrain Reference

Select String by Name
Select a string by specifying its name.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsSelectName

Selecting strings is an easy way to preselect which string will be the

default choice in any subsequent editing function.

Procedure
The Select a String dialog will be displayed:

The currently selected string will be selected on the dialog's tree display.
Click on the string you wish to select on the tree display.
The selected string will be highlighted on the Design Centre Window.
Press Close.

Strings Menu 17-3

Recalc String
Force a string family to be recalculated.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StringsRecalc

Forcing a string family to be recalculated can be necessary in certain

instances. An example is when a family has a toeline string, which no
longer extends to the DTM surface because the DTM surface has been
editted. Then, recalculating the string will lead to the new DTM surface
being used to determine the toeline string.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Click near string to recalculate ...
Click on any string belonging to the family of strings that is to be
recalculated.
Each string beginning with the first string of the hierarchy is
recalculated in turn

17-4 Terrain Reference

String Creation
A single string can be created in various ways.
• Defined manually by clicking along the route;
• Defined to coincide with a sequence of cad entities;
• Copied from the position of a cad polyline;
• Imported from Genio.
A child string can be created using the Create Child function.

Strings Menu 17-5

Define String
Manually define a string by clicking.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsDefine

This function involves clicking along the route where string bend points
are required. Upon finishing, you will specify what elevation the points
are to have.

Procedure
The Define String dialog is displayed.

String name Enter the name of the resultant string

Zero height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have zero elevation.
Fixed height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have a fixed elevation value.
Interpolate on surface Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have an elevation interpolated from a DTM
surface. Choose which surface is to be used from the
dropdown list.
Search distance Greyed out unless the 'Interpolate on surface' option is
selected. Choose a value at least double the average
distance between points on the selected surface.
Constant to add Type in a value if you want the interpolated elevation to
have a further constant added or subtracted.
Chainage interval for arcs Greyed out for all functions other than 'Convert Entities
to String'. With this function you can select an arc cad
entity and have the string coincide with the arc. For this
reason a chainage distance along the arc is needed.

17-6 Terrain Reference

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.
The following prompt is displayed:
Click along the intended route (Right click to stop)
Click along the desired route. You can finish in two ways:
Either right click, or click on or near the start point. In the latter case you
are given the option to close the string. A closed string is one where the
start and end point are the same. This impacts on later editing functions.
Once completed, a new string exists in that project. The heights of each
vertex are as defined in the dialog above. The string will be visible where
you defined it and it is made selected. The appearance of the string is
definable in the Strings Display Settings.

Strings Menu 17-7

Entities to String
Convert CAD entities to string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsEntities

This function involves selecting a sequence of CAD entities along the

route where string edges are required. Upon finishing, you will specify
what elevation value the points are to have.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Select the string route one element at a time. (Right click
to finish)
A running count is maintained in the prompt bar while selecting entities.
E.g.
8 Elements Selected, Select next. (Right click to stop)
The Define String dialog is displayed.

String name Enter the name of the resultant string

Zero height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have zero elevation.
Fixed height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have a fixed elevation value.
Interpolate on surface Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have an elevation interpolated from a DTM
surface. Choose which surface is to be used from the
dropdown list.

17-8 Terrain Reference

Search distance Greyed out unless the 'Interpolate on surface' option is
selected. Choose a value at least double the average
distance between points on the selected surface.
Constant to add Type in a value if you want the interpolated elevation to
have a further constant added or subtracted.
Chainage interval for arcs Greyed out for all functions other than 'Convert Entities
to String'. With this function you can select an arc cad
entity and have the string coincide with the arc. For this
reason a chainage distance along the arc is needed.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

Once completed, a new string exists in that project. The heights of each
vertex are as defined in the dialog above. The string is made selected.
The string will be visible where you defined it, though the cad entities
will obscure the string. You will probably want to switch of the visibility
of the cad layers on which they are drawn. The appearance of the string
is definable in the Strings Display Settings.
Closed strings can also be defined if the cad entities themselves form a
closed figure.

Strings Menu 17-9

Polyline to String
Convert CAD polyline to string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsPolyline

This function involves selecting a CAD polyline that defines the intended
route where string a string is required. Upon finishing, you will specify
what elevation value the points are to have.

Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
Indicate next polyline to process (Esc to stop)
The Define String dialog is displayed.

String name Enter the name of the resultant string

Zero height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have zero elevation.
Fixed height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have a fixed elevation value.
Interpolate on surface Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have an elevation interpolated from a DTM
surface. Choose which surface is to be used from the
dropdown list.
Search distance Greyed out unless the 'Interpolate on surface' option is
selected. Choose a value at least double the average
distance between points on the selected surface.
Constant to add Type in a value if you want the interpolated elevation to
have a further constant added or subtracted.

17-10 Terrain Reference

Chainage interval for arcs Greyed out for all functions other than 'Convert Entities
to String'. With this function you can select an arc cad
entity and have the string coincide with the arc. For this
reason a chainage distance along the arc is needed.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

If the polyline was drawn on any CAD layer other than the current layer,
you get presented with the following message:
With this message you are being asked if you want the program to switch
of the visibility of that cad layer. Choose Yes or no.
The same prompt is displayed again:
Indicate next polyline to process (Esc to stop)
This allows multiple polylines to be converted into their own strings one
after the other. Continue in this way, or press Escape to stop.
Once completed, a new string exists in that project for each polyline you
clicked on. The heights of each vertex are as defined in the dialog above.
The string is made selected. The string will be visible where you defined
it, though the cad entities may obscure the string. You will probably want
to switch of the visibility of the cad layers on which they are drawn.
The appearance of the string is definable in the Strings Display Settings.

Strings Menu 17-11

String Long
Convert a sequence of joined DTM points to a string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StringsLongExtract
This function is one of the possible functions to create a string. It is
similar to the Terrain ► Long Section ► String Long function where if you
have a sequence of DTM points joined up with break lines, then using
this function you can create a string that coincides with this route.
Procedure
The following prompt is displayed:
String Long: Snap on line start point ...
You are then required to give the destination string a name. The Create
String Long dialog is displayed.

Enter a name to identify the string and click the OK button to continue.
The route is tracked and the string created. The vertices of the string will
be at the same position and height of the source DTM points.
The string is made selected. The string will be visible where you defined
it, though the existing DTM lines may obscure the string. For further
editting of the string, you will probably want to hide or switch off the line
display of the surface from which the string was created.
The appearance of the string is definable in the Strings Display Settings.

17-12 Terrain Reference

Copy String
Make a copy of a string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StringsCopy

You would want to copy a string if you needed to alienate a child string
from its parent. This is useful if you want to use a child string as a new
platform string.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to copy. Use the
Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
The Copy String dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant details and press OK to continue.

The resultant string is made selected. The original string is not affected
in anyway.

Strings Menu 17-13

Create Child
Generate a child string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsBanks

Given an existing string, you can have a second (child) string created at a
horizontal and vertical offset from the original. Alternatively, instead of
being at an offset to, the child string can extend down to a DTM surface
at a certain grade.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to use as the
parent string. Use the Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
The Create Child String dialog is displayed.

Perform operation from Choose from drop down list the string name from which

17-14 Terrain Reference

string name you are calculating the new child. The list gets initialized
with the currently selected string as the highlighted list
item.
Coordinate top string with Greyed-out unless the parent string is the topmost string
chainage in it's family, i.e. the platform string. Enter a chainage
distance.
Destination string name The name of the destination child string. A suggestion is
given in the platform string name prepended with T_.
You don't have to accept this but can retype it. Only plain
alphanumeric characters are allowed.
Grade, Hor offset Select if you want to specify a horizontal offset and grade
combination. The resultant string will be known as an
offset string.
Grade, Ver offset Select if you want to specify a vertical offset and grade
combination. The resultant string will be known as an
offset string.
Grade to Surface Select if you want to specify a gradient down to a certain
surface. The resultant string will be known as an toeline
string.
Grade 1: Only visible if you selected a grade and offset
combination.
Offset Only visible if you selected a grade and offset
combination.
Ground surface Only visible if you selected the 'Grade to surface' option.
The resultant string will be draped on this surface.
Cut slope 1: Only visible if you selected the 'Grade to surface' option.
Fill slope 1: Only visible if you selected the 'Grade to surface' option.
Search distance Only visible if you selected the 'Grade to surface' option.
Enter a value at least double the average distance
between points on that surface.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

The resultant string is calculated and displayed. It is also made selected.
If the original string had no parent itself, i.e. the topmost platform string,
and if a coordination value was entered above, then a byproduct is that of
the coordinated or chainage string. This is a copy of the platform string
but with long edges coordinated. This is important to the workings of
strings and is discussed in Coordinating strings in the online User's
Guide.

Strings Menu 17-15

String Editing
These are functions operable on an entire string and it’s children.
• Query string: Inspect certain parameters and properties of a given
string;
• Delete string: Remove a string and it's children from the project
allowing you to start over;
• Reheight string: Change the elevation of a string to a fixed elevation
or heighted with respect to a DTM surface. Children get updated
accordingly;
• Drag string: Dynamically drag a string and have all children update
accordingly;
• String to DTM: Convert a string and each child to DTM points linked
together with DTM lines forming a valid surface;
• Crossfall: Slope over the surface of a stringed area;
• Longsection: View a string in longsection with the added ability of
certain editing operations.

17-16 Terrain Reference

Query String
Query a string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings stringsQuery

Querying a string gives you information about the string. It also is the
only means to change the status of a string from open to closed or vice-
versa.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to query. Use
the Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
If you press No and you choose a string directly on top of another string,
then you get asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

The Query String Dialog is displayed.

Strings Menu 17-17

String name Read-only display of the string name.
Child string 1 Read-only display of the first child string name.
Child string 2 Read-only display of the second child string name.
(Presently unused)
Number of vertices Read-only display of the number of vertices in this string.
String code Read-only display of the road code in this string.
(Presently unused)
String ID Read-only display of the road ID in this string. (Presently
unused)
Closed Checked if the string formas a closed polygon.

Press Close when finished.

You are then prompted:
Select a string to query (Right click to stop)
This allows you to query many strings until right-clicking to stop.

17-18 Terrain Reference

Delete String
Delete a string and all child strings.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsDelete

Use this function to remove a string and its children from a project.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to delete. Use
the Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
If you press No and you choose a string directly on top of another string,
then you get asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

The Delete String dialog is displayed.

Strings Menu 17-19

Select the string to be deleted and press Delete. After clicking Yes to the
subsequent confirmation message, the string and all it's children are
deleted from the family.
Press Close to end the function.

17-20 Terrain Reference

Reheight String
Give a string a fixed height or interpolate on surface.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StringsReheight

This function allows you to change the elevation of a string and

consequently have all the child strings recalculated accordingly.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to delete. Use
the Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
If you press No and you choose a string directly on top of another string,
then you get asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

The Define String dialog is presented.

Strings Menu 17-21

String name Enter the name of the resultant string
Zero height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have zero elevation.
Fixed height Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have a fixed elevation value.
Interpolate on surface Select this option if you want the vertices of the resultant
string to have an elevation interpolated from a DTM
surface. Choose which surface is to be used from the
dropdown list.
Search distance Greyed out unless the 'Interpolate on surface' option is
selected. Choose a value at least double the average
distance between points on the selected surface.
Constant to add Type in a value if you want the interpolated elevation to
have a further constant added or subtracted.
Chainage interval for arcs Greyed out for all functions other than 'Convert Entities
to String'. With this function you can select an arc cad
entity and have the string coincide with the arc. For this
reason a chainage distance along the arc is needed.

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.

Once completed, the display is refreshed for the changes to take place.
The chosen string is amended as indicated and any child strings are
recalculated with respect to the changed string.
The appearance of the string remains the same. Any possible selected
string remains selected.

17-22 Terrain Reference

Drag String
Drag a string and have all children recalculated.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsDrag

This function allows you to change the position of a platform string and
consequently have all the child strings recalculated accordingly.
You cannot drag a child string, only a platform string. Otherwise you
would corrupt the string family. If you want a child string elsewhere
without affecting the parent, then first make a copy of that string, then
move the copy.

Procedure
You get the following prompt:
Indicate near vertex of master string to drag (Escape to
cancel)
Click on the desired string.
If there are two or more vertices on top of each other then you will be
asked to specify which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings
dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

No matter at what string you click, or which string in the Multiple Strings
dialog you choose, it is the top most string in that family, i.e. the platform
string that will be used in this function.
You get prompted:
Indicate placement for the string.
Once completed, the display is refreshed for the changes to take place.
The chosen string is amended as indicated and any child strings are
recalculated with respect to the changed string.

Strings Menu 17-23

The appearance of the string remains the same. Any possible selected
string remains selected.

17-24 Terrain Reference

String to DTM
Create DTM surface out of string vertices.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsDtm

This function will create DTM points on the surface of your choosing
coinciding with each vertex of the chosen string. The points are joined
with either break lines or feature lines. If you choose for children to be
recursed then the same conversion takes place for each child. Then DTM
lines link the strings as well creating a valid surface.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to query. Use
the Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
If you press No and you choose a string directly on top of another string,
then you get asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

The String to DTM dialog is displayed:

Strings Menu 17-25

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue.
If there is already data on the destination surface, you are given the
option to first clear the surface, or alternatively to have the points added
to the surface. As always, adding points with lines into an existing
surface could lead to crossing lines and an invalid model.

Unless you know exactly where the new points will fit into the existing
surface, you should press Yes.
Once completed, the display is refreshed for the points to be visible. You
may need to change the display settings for that surface before you see
the points and/or lines.

17-26 Terrain Reference

Crossfall
Slope over the surface of a stringed area.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsCrossfall

The intention of this function is that you can indicate two vertices, A and
B of a string. This forms a baseline. Thereafter, you indicate two further
vertices, C and D of the same string or any other string. Then, the
program will recalculate the elevation of all vertices between C and D
inclusive such that the gradient from each point to the perpendicular
projection onto the baseline is the gradient you specify.
If C and D are the same as A and B then you are essentially grading the
entire surface area of the string. You will typically but not necessarily,
want A and B to have the same elevation for the crossfall to make sense.

Procedure
You get prompted:
Clear near first vertex for top range...
Clear near second vertex for top range...
You are being asked to indicate points A and B, i.e. defining the baseline.
Then you get prompted:
Click near first vertex of the range to change...
Click near second vertex of the range to change...
Here you are being asked to indicate points C and D, which are the
points that will get changed with respect to the baseline.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Strings Menu 17-27

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to
continue.
You are then asked for the crossfall grade:

Enter the grade that will be applied from the baseline perpendicular to
each vertex between C and D. Upon pressing OK, the strings are
recalculated.

17-28 Terrain Reference

Longsection
Display a string Longsection.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsLongSection

Use this function to view and edit a string in longsection. In addition you
can view (not edit) other strings of that same family and DTM surfaces
along the string route.

Procedure

Optional: Begin by selecting which string you are going to query. Use
the Select String function for this.

If a string is selected, then you get asked whether it is this selected string
you want the current operation to be performed on.

Pressing No will allow you to choose the string you want by clicking.
Otherwise press Yes to continue.
If you press No and you choose a string directly on top of another string,
then you get asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

The Long Section dialog is displayed. This may take a significant amount
of time for complicated strings as it needs to perform many calculations
in the background.

Strings Menu 17-29

If you perform any editing within the window, then upon closing the
window, you will be asked to save the changes.

Press Yes for the changes to be stored and the strings recalculated. This
might take a refresh of the screen. Otherwise press No to lose the
changes.

17-30 Terrain Reference

Vertex Editing
These are functions operable on a single vertex of a string.
• Insert Vertex: Insert one or more string vertices;
• Delete Vertex: Delete a string vertex;
• Edit Vertex: View and edit a vertex parameters;
• Move Vertex: Move a vertex and have all children recalculated.

Strings Menu 17-31

Insert Vertex
Insert one or more string vertices.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsVertexInsert

Insert one or more vertices into a string by specifying along which edge
the insertion is to take place. Any child strings have a similar vertex
inserted.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Click near string...
Click near a vertex of the string.
If there are two or more vertices on top of each other then you will be
asked to specify which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings
dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK.

The edge after that vertex is highlighted in the Terrain Options
Perimeter colour. You are then asked to confirm this with the following
message box:

If the incorrect edge is highlighted, press No, and reselect the string by
clicking on the vertex prior to the correct edge. Otherwise press Yes.
You are then prompted:

17-32 Terrain Reference

 Indicate position for new vertex. (Esc to cancel)
Click where you want the new vertex. This continues until you press
escape or right-click allowing you to insert more than one new vertex.
Upon finishing the string and its children are recalculated showing the
new effect. The recalculation of strings is such that vertices might be
automatically removed if the route is impossibly tight and sharp angled.

Strings Menu 17-33

Delete Vertex
Delete a string vertex.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsVertexInactivate

Indicate a vertex to be deleted upon the subsequent screen refresh. Any

child vertices are also deleted.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Click near vertex to delete (Esc to cancel)
Click at the vertex. If there are two or more vertices on top of each other
then you will be asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK.

Continuous clicking will find the closest vertex and remove it. The
change is only apparent after canceling the function by pressing escape
or right-clicking. The string family is then recalculated.

17-34 Terrain Reference

Edit Vertex
View and edit the parameters of a vertex.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsVertexEdit

The dynamic nature of strings where moving one string has an effect on
all strings lower in the hierarchy is by virtue of each vertex being
calculated from it's parent. The difference from the parent can be
changed.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Click near vertex to edit (Esc to cancel)
Click at the vertex. If there are two or more vertices on top of each other
then you will be asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK.

The Edit Vertex dialog is displayed.

Strings Menu 17-35

Belongs to string Read-only display of the string name.
Index Read-only display of the position of this vertex along the
length of the string. It is not the same as the concept of a
road chainage value.
Elevation The elevation of the vertex.
Horizontal offset from Read-only for platform and coordinated strings. The
parent string horizontal distance from the parent vertex to this one.
Vertical offset from parent Read-only for platform and coordinated strings. The
string vertical distance from the parent vertex to this one.
Slope from parent string Read-only for platform and coordinated strings. The
slope from the parent vertex to this one.
Angle from parent string Read-only for platform and coordinated strings. The
angle from the normal of the parent vertex to this one.
Apply buttons Pressing any of the ‘Apply’ buttons will use the
associated value to recalculate the contents of the other
two boxes which have ‘Apply’ buttons

Fill in the relevant details and click the OK button to continue. The
vertex at which you clicked and every vertex affected by the change
lower in the hierarchy is then recalculated.

17-36 Terrain Reference

Move Vertex
Move a vertex and have all children recalculated.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsVertexMove

Dynamically indicate a new position for a vertex, and have all child
strings updated as well.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Click near vertex to move…
Click at the vertex. If there are two or more vertices on top of each other
then you will be asked to specify which string you meant by means of the
Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK.

You get prompted:
Indicate position for the vertex.
You can then graphically move the vertex to the position you want. Left
click to commit the vertex to the new position.
The string family is then recalculated reflecting the new route.

Strings Menu 17-37

Range Editing
These are functions operable on a range of vertices of a string.
• Variable Slopes: Change the slope of this string from that of the
parent;
• Horizontal Taper: Taper a range of vertices in the horizontal plane;
• Horizontal Grade: Grade a range of vertices in the horizontal plane;
• Horizontal Curve: Curve a range of vertices in the horizontal plane;
• Vertical Taper: Taper a range of vertices in the vertical plane;
• Vertical Grade: Grade a range of vertices in the vertical plane.

17-38 Terrain Reference

Range Edit
Edit a range of vertices with respect to their relationship with the parent string.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsRangeEdit

This function allows the user to alter a range of vertices with respect to
their relationship to the parent string.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near first vertex of the range to change (Escape to
cancel)
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near second vertex in the range to change (Escape
to cancel)
Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Strings Menu 17-39

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to
continue.
The Range Edit dialog is displayed.

String Read-only display of the string name.

Type Read-only display of the type of string to be edited.
(Toeline String or Offset String)
Operation type Specify the type of operation you would like to perform.
(Grade Hor Offset; Grade Ver Offset or Hor Offset Ver
Offset)
Start Specify the values to apply to the start vertex of the
selected range (According to the selected Operation
type)
End Specify the values to apply to the last vertex of the
selected range (According to the selected Operation
type)

Enter the values that will define the updated relationship of the selected
vertices and press OK to perform the recalculation of the selected string
and its children.

17-40 Terrain Reference

Multiple Insert
Insert a set of equidistance vertices along a specified vertex range.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

StringsMultipleInsert

This function allows the user to insert a set of vertices at an equal

distance from each other within a specified vertex range.

Note: This function is only applicable for master strings

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near first vertex of the range to change (Escape to
cancel)
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near second vertex in the range to change (Escape
to cancel)
Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Strings Menu 17-41

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to
continue.
The program will now prompt you for the Chainage Interval between
vertices to be inserted. Specify a chainage interval and press OK to insert
multiple vertices

17-42 Terrain Reference

Horizontal Taper
Taper a range of vertices in the horizontal plane.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsRangeTaper

Horizontal range editing is only applicable for offset strings and not for
toeline strings. This is because toeline strings are recalculated to sit on a
DTM surface and at a specific slope from the parent. Attempting to do so
yields the following error message.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near first vertex of the range to change (Escape to
cancel)
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near second vertex of the range to change (Escape
to cancel)
Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Strings Menu 17-43

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to
continue.
You are then prompted.
Indicate position for the vertex.
Moving the mouse gives you a graphical indication of what the result will
be. You can only taper up to the string's parent and not over it. Click
when you're done. The display is refreshed for the changes to this string
and all child strings to take place.

17-44 Terrain Reference

Horizontal Grade
Grade a range of vertices in the horizontal plane.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsRangeGrade

Horizontal range editing is only applicable for offset strings and not for
toeline strings. This is because toeline strings are recalculated to sit on a
DTM surface and at a specific slope from the parent. Attempting to do so
yields the following error message.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near first vertex of the range to change (Escape to
cancel)
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near second vertex of the range to change (Escape
to cancel)
Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Strings Menu 17-45

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to
continue.
The Grade String dialog is presented:

Enter the percentage grade that will be applied to all points within the
range starting with the first vertex indicated.
A graphical indication is given of what the result will be and you're asked
to confirm this.

Click Yes to accept, No to return to the Grade String dialog stage or

Cancel to end the function.
If you press Yes then the display is refreshed for the changes to this
string and all child strings to take place.

17-46 Terrain Reference

Horizontal Curve
Curve a range of vertices in the horizontal plane.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left + Strings StringsRangeCurve +
Right StringsRange3PntFit

A vertex range can be curved by means of the Tangential Curve or 3

Point Fit functions. Horizontal range editing is only applicable for offset
strings and not for toeline strings. This is because toeline strings are
recalculated to sit on a DTM surface and at a specific slope from the
parent. Attempting to do so yields the following error message.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near vertex for start of the arc (Escape to cancel)
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near vertex for end of the arc (Escape to cancel)
Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Strings Menu 17-47

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to
continue.
When running the 3 Point Fit function, the program will prompt:
Indicate point on arc (Escape to cancel)
While the rubberband arc is displayed, indicate a point on the arc you
want the selected vertex range to follow.
A graphical indication is given of what the result will be and you're asked
to confirm this.

Click Yes to accept, or No to end the function.

If you press Yes then the display is refreshed for the changes to this
string and all child strings to take place.

17-48 Terrain Reference

Vertical Taper
Taper a range of vertices in the vertical plane.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Strings StringsVerticalTaper

This is the equivalent function to that occuring in the String Longsection

where a range is tapered by moving one end. It differs from that one
though by allowing the change to take place in plan view. This function is
also more intuitive when the string is closed and the range crosses the
start/end point.

Horizontal range editing is only applicable for offset strings and not for
toeline strings. This is because toeline strings are recalculated to sit on a
DTM surface and at a specific slope from the parent. Attempting to do so
yields the following error message.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near first vertex of the range to change (Escape to
cancel)
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near second vertex of the range to change (Escape
to cancel)
Strings Menu 17-49
Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to

continue.
You are then described what the change will be and asked to confirm the
change.

Click Yes to accept, or No to end the function.

If you press Yes then the display is refreshed for the changes to this
string and all child strings to take place.

17-50 Terrain Reference

Vertical Grade
Grade a range of vertices in the vertical plane.

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Right Strings StringsVerticalGrade

This is the equivalent function to that occurring in the String

Longsection where a range can also be graded. It differs from that one
though by allowing the change to take place in plan view. This function is
also more intuitive when the string is closed and the range crosses the
start/end point.
Horizontal range editing is only applicable for offset strings and not for
toeline strings. This is because toeline strings are recalculated to sit on a
DTM surface and at a specific slope from the parent. Attempting to do so
yields the following error message.

Procedure
You are prompted:
Indicate near first vertex of the range to change (Escape to
cancel).
Choose the starting vertex of the desired range change. If there are two
or more vertices on top of each other then you will be asked to specify
which string you meant by means of the Multiple Strings dialog.

Select which of the strings you meant and press OK to continue.

Indicate near second vertex of the range to change (Escape
to cancel)

Strings Menu 17-51

Choose the ending vertex of the desired range change.
If the string is closed, then the normal procedure of indicating which of
the two possible ranges is applicable by means of the Ambiguous Range
dialog.

Select which of the two possible ranges is applicable and press OK to

continue.
The Grade String dialog is presented:

Enter the percentage grade that will be applied to all points within the
range starting with the first vertex indicated.
You are then described what the change will be and asked to confirm the
change.

Click Yes to accept, or No to end the function.

If you press Yes then the display is refreshed for the changes to this
string and all child strings to take place.

17-52 Terrain Reference

Tools Menu
These functions allow you to clean up or recover an
entire database.
In addition, the Statistics option displays information
pertaining to the terrain database that is invaluable in
maintaining a fast access time to the data contained in
it.

Tools Menu 18-1

Rescale Survey
Rescale the current Terrain database and reset the data structure

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainRescale

This function rescales the current Terrain database and resets the data
structure. You will be prompted with the calculated centre point
coordinates and site diameter, which may be changed. A constant may
also be added or multiplied to the points at the same time.
If the block structure of the database becomes unbalanced (typically as a
result of adding large amounts of data outside the original site limits)
efficiency can degrade. This routine actually resets the block structure
by performing an automatic ASCII export and re-import.

Procedure
The Database Dimensions dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Y Coord and X Coord Enter the coordinates you wish to use for the site centre.
Site diameter Enter a diameter that encompasses all the main points
on the site.
Apply constants Check this option to have constants applied to all point
coordinates during the rescale.
Constants - Y Coord, X Enter the constants to be applied to the coordinates.
Coord and Z Coord
Constants - Add or Select the method by which the constants should be
Multiply applied.

18-2 Terrain Reference

Rebuild DBase
Recover data from a damaged .DTM file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainRebuild

This function will interrogate a damaged .dtm file and scavenge as much
data as it possibly can. This is written in a comma-delimited ASCII
format to another file for subsequent re-importing.
There are only two data entry boxes, one to select the Civil Designer .dtm
file to recover, and one to select the name of the ASCII file to which it is
to be written.
It is recommended that all forms of output be switched off for this
operation, as a screen listing will substantially slow down the procedure.

Procedure
Windows’ standard open dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to rebuild. The drive and path automatically default to the last used
drive and directory for this type of file.
If the ".dtm" file being processed was not created or upgraded by a
version from 6.00 F onwards, then the Projection Details dialog will be
displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Windows’ standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a
file to which to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last
used drive and directory for this type of file.

Tools Menu 18-3

DBase Statistics
Prints statistics on the block structure of the current job

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainStats

This function prints the statistics on the block structure of the terrain
database of the current job.
If you are dealing with large amounts of data that are being progressively
accumulated, it is a good idea to use this routine to monitor the situation
from time to time. If the structure looks as though it is becoming
inefficient, rescale the survey. This has the effect of creating the
reference system from scratch.
Refer to the Terrain Data Structure section for a full discussion on the
terrain data structure.

Procedure
The Output Manager dialog is displayed in order for you to set output
options.

18-4 Terrain Reference

Validate Line Data
Check all the lines in the database for possible errors

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainValidateLines

This function will check all the lines in the database for possible errors. If
an error is found, the offending line is removed and a report of the fault
is printed.
Those points with a faulty line structure are modified by adding the
following prefixes (depending on the fault encountered) to the point
names:
• ! – shadow line mismatch
• * - duplicate line entry
• $ - duplicate shadow entry
• @ - line entry duplicated as shadow entry

Procedure
There is no input required for this function. For each point that has an
error in the line data a message detailing the error is displayed.

Tools Menu 18-5

Export DXF View
Exports the current view as a 3D DXF file

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

TerrainExportDXF

This function exports the current view of the database as a 3D DXF file.
All elements of the view with the exception of symbols are exported. The
DXF file created is compatible with version 12 or later of AutoCAD.
Note that elements are written out as 3D elements where possible, and
that slope shading is written as 3D Faces.

Procedure
The DXF Layers dialog is displayed.

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Layer name - Add Button Type in the name of a layer to be created.
Add Button Add the name to the layer list.
Delete Button Click on a name in the layer list and then click this button
to remove the highlighted name from the list.

18-6 Terrain Reference

The DXF Export dialog is displayed.

Combo boxes Only comboboxes for the available elements in the view
will be enabled. For each of these elements select the
layer in the DXF file to which the element should be
written.
Adjust sign Negate X and Y ordinates to accomodate southern
hemisphere

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue. Windows’
standard save dialog is displayed in order for you to select a file to which
to write. The drive and path automatically default to the last used drive
and directory for this type of file.

Tools Menu 18-7

Notes:

18-8 Terrain Reference

Settings Menu
These functions allow you quick access to some of the
display options as well as the setting of options when
working in graphical mode.

Settings Menu 19-1

Names
Toggles name display

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre TerrainViewNames

Toggles on or off the display of point names in the graphical display. You
must refresh the screen to see the changed view.

Heights
Toggles height display

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre TerrainViewHeights

Toggles on or off the display of point heights in the graphical display.

You must refresh the screen to see the changed view.

Lines
Toggles break line display

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre TerrainViewLines

Toggles on or off the display of break and feature lines in the graphical
display. You must refresh the screen to see the changed view.

Contours
Toggles contour display

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre TerrainViewContours

Toggles on or off the display of contours in the graphical display. You

must refresh the screen to see the changed view.

19-2 Terrain Reference

Name Filter
Toggles display name filtering

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

Left Design Centre TerrainViewFilter

Toggles on or off a filter of the points to be displayed in the graphical

display. If you are toggling on the name filter then you must specify the
names to pass, the names to avoid and the surface to use in the filter. You
must refresh the screen to see the changed view.
See the Name Filters section for details on setting up a name filter.

Snap Mode
Toggles snap mode

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

F3 TerrainSnapMode

Toggles snap mode on or off. When snap mode is on and you are busy
with one of the graphical functions, clicking at a position on the site in
response to a request to indicate a position will automatically retrieve the
coordinates of the nearest point to the indicated position.
The nearest point to the cursor is taken as being within a radius of one-
twelfth of the current screen size around the cursor. If no point is found
within this radius there will be a beep sound and the coordinates of the
indicated position will be used instead.
Certain functions such as Edit Point and Delete Point will automatically
turn on Snap Mode.

Settings Menu 19-3

Auto Interpolate
Toggles height interpolation

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

F4 TerrainAutoInterp

Toggles auto interpolation on or off. When auto interpolation is toggled

on you will be asked to select an interpolation surface (which must have
a line structure) and a search radius. Then, when a point is indicated in a
function such as Insert Point, the Z ordinate of the point’s coordinates
will be interpolated from the line structure of the selected surface.

Procedure
The Auto-Interpolation Settings dialog is displayed:

Fill in the relevant data and click the OK button to continue.

Interpolation surface Select the surface from whose line model the
interpolation should be calculated.
Search distance Enter the distance around the point being interpolated to
search for interpolation lines.

19-4 Terrain Reference

Option Settings
Set INI file defaults that are not set by the program

Icon Button Toolbar Shortcut Command

OptionSettings

The settings for various items in Civil Designer are stored in the file
CivDes6.ini which is located in your User directory. While most settings
in this file are manipulated from within the program itself, some settings
have no menu option or dialog associated with them.
In order to facilitate the changing of these settings, we have implemented
a dialog specifically for adjusting these settings. This saves you from
having to edit the INI file and making the changes by hand.
The left side of the dialog displays a tree list of available items. Click on
the top-level item to display the relevant page. Some of the top-level
items have further pages implemented as sub-items. Click on the + sign
to the left of any top-level item to display the sub-items. Click on a sub-
item to display the relevant page.

Certain settings are only read at program startup. These items are
marked with an asterisk (*). Changes to these settings will only be
implemented once the program has been exited and restarted. All other
settings are read at the start of relevant functions and changes to these
settings will therefore be available the next time the relevant function is
activated.

The possible top-level items and their respective sub-items are as

follows:
• General
Southern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
• Survey
• Terrain
Spreadsheets
Pens
View 3D
• Roads
Spreadsheets
Pens
• Plot
• Output Window

Option Settings 20-1

General

Percentage RAM Enter the percentage of physical RAM (from 25 to 75

allocated to DTM percent) that must be allocated for DTM point caching.
The default value is 25. The more RAM allocated to
cache, the faster DTM point processing can be done but
the less RAM will be available for general operations in
Windows.
Permanent Road window Check this option to have the Road window permanently
displayed. If this option is not checked then the window
will be created and destroyed as needed. This can save
some screen space in tight situations.
Delimiter Enter the ASCII code of the delimiter to be used during
some DTM export functions. The default value (44) is a
comma and it is not recommended that this be changed.
You might however require tabs as delimiters. In this
case enter ASCII code 9 as the delimiter value.
Default pen Click this button to set the CAD pen colour for drawing
all design items that do not have an associated pen. This
setting is made available in order to compensate for the
fact that you can change the background colour of the
current drawing.

20-2 Terrain Reference

Southern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Southern Hemisphere
projects.

Option Settings 20-3

Northern Hemisphere

Short Axis labels Enter single character values to be used to label the
relevant axes in dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern
Hemisphere projects.
Long Axis labels Enter labels to be used to label the relevant axes in
dialogs, print-outs, etc. for Northern Hemisphere
projects.

20-4 Terrain Reference

Survey

Screening radius for Enter the radius (in metres) within which successive
ASCII Serial import coordinates in a Serial file import will be screened out.
Number of data columns Select the number of data columns to generated during
for MOSS export a MOSS file export. Your options here are 3 or 6.
Number of entries in Enter the limit of point names to be stored in the Names
names list list. The Names list keeps track of all the point names
currently visible on the screen. This allows for easy entry
of point names in all the filter dialogs.
Include numerical names Select whether you want numerical names to be
included in the Names list.

Option Settings 20-5

Terrain

Separator between Enter the single character to be displayed between the

degrees, minutes and degree, minute and second portions of bearings when
seconds for printing printing. The default separator is a space.
Default point name suffix Enter the single character default to be added as a suffix
for Tache Reduction to point names during Tache Reduction.
Additional file extension Enter an extension to be used in addition to the standard
for Tache files DAT file extension when selecting Tache field books to
load.
4 decimal places in Level Check this option to have levels displayed to 4 decimal
Reduction places rather than the standard 3 decimal places in
Level Reduction.
Field number of Enter the number of the field that contains the orientation
orientation station name in station name in Booker tache files. This is normally 1 but
Booker files files with the name in the eighth field have been found.
Each field in a Booker file is separated by a tab with the
first field being number 1.
Percentage of screen size Enter the percentage of the current screen size to be
for polygon auto-close used as the separation between starting and current
snap indicated points in order to automatically close an
indicated polygon.
Rotation angle about eye Enter the angle (in degrees) by which to increment
position for Line of Sight rotation about the eye point when generating the visible
sweep boundary in Line of Sight calculations.
Display lines for terrace Check this option to display the lines of the selected
surface only during terrace surface only when selecting a terrace. Line
terrace selection display for all other surfaces will automatically be
switched off.
Display autosuffix Check this option to have any defined autosuffix appear
20-6 Terrain Reference
together with point name as part of the point name in the screen display. It will not
appear on a plot generation.

Prompt for confirmation Feature lines have a higher priority or importance in a

for breaklines over feature DTM. If you define a breakline crossing a feature line,
lines. then the checked behaviour is to ask for confirmation
that this really is what you want to do.

Spreadsheet

Minimum number of Enter the default number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.

Option Settings 20-7

Pens

Intelli-Lines Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
four Intelli-Lines processing passes.
Graphical Error Figure Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in a Graphical Error Figure.
Banks Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in banks during Terrace Banks
generation.
DTM Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements in DTM Grid generation.
Perimeter indication Click this button to set the indicator colour of the
perimeter polygon when selecting items such as
terraces.

20-8 Terrain Reference

View 3D

Depth buffer bits Select the number of bits available for depth buffering.
Your options here are 16, 24 and 32. Your setting will
depend on your video card and some experimentation
might be required.
Colour depth bits Select the number of colour bits available. Your options
here are 16,24 and 32. Your setting here should match
the colour depth of your Windows Desktop for optimal
results.
Field of view Enter the vertical field of view in degrees to generate the
correct perspective view. In order to calculate the
required field of view for your particular setting, measure
the distance from your normal seated eye position to the
screen and measure the height of the view area from top
to bottom. Divide the second measurement by the first
measurement, take the arc sin of the result, and round
that result to the nearest degree.
Contour separation Enter the value (in metres) to be added to contour
heights in order to prevent contours dissappearing
underneath the 3D View.
Enable mouse dragging Uncheck this option to prevent mouse dragging within
the 3D View from changing the view parameters. This
should normally be left checked, but some video cards
have problems with the rapid updates required.
Ignore video driver Check this option to have the OpenGL acceleration
acceleration capabilities of your graphics card ignored. This should
normally be left unchecked, but some video cards have
problems with the accelerated drivers.

Option Settings 20-9

Roads

Maximum number of road Specify the maximum numbers of roads per project. The
files value must be between 100 and 250.
Use Interactive Roads Check this button to enable the Interactive Roads
Expert Expert. Before every roads operation the program will
check if there are any operations that still needs to be
done before the specified operation can commence. If
there are then the Roads Expert will appear with the
relative operations checked. Simply press OK to perform
all the necessary operations and display the dialog for
the specified operation.
Use TRH format when Check this option to use TRH format when slaving Edge
slaving Edge Control Control. If this option is checked then the distance given
for the development length of the superelevation will be
applied from the stage where the grade is 0 (flat) until it
is fully developed. The initial portion where the normal
crossfall is picked up (or reduced) to 0, is automatically
calculated and added to the specified development
length.
Use element entry for Check this option to enter horizontal alignments by
horizontal alignment element (straights and curves) rather than by PI (with
instead of PIs and radii associated curve radius).
Use element entry for Check this option to enter vertical alignments by element
vertical alignment instead (grades) rather than by VPI (with associated curve
of VPIs length).
Display VPI names when Check this option to have VPI names displayed during
editing a vertical graphical editing of vertical alignments.
alignment
Text size for Horizontal PI When Editing the Horizontal alignment, the PI names

20-10 Terrain Reference

Names and Warnings and Design Criteria warnings will be displayed using this
text size (points). A text size of 0 will cause the PI names
and warnings not to be displayed.
Box out Check this option to box the Horizontal PI names and
warnings. The text will be drawn within a rectangular
frame, filled with the background colour.
Extension to use when Enter the default extension to be used when selecting
importing CARDS cross data files for CARDS cross section import.
section files

Spreadsheet

Maximum number of Enter the maximum number of spreadsheet rows to be

spreadsheet rows created when a blank spreadsheet is created during the
relevant function.

Option Settings 20-11

Pens

Horizontal alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Vertical alignment Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Pipeline Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Intersection Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Template Editor Click the relevant buttons to set indicator colours for the
various elements.
Layerworks Note: The Layerworks pen will be used to draw the
layerwors in Graphical Edit mode as well.

20-12 Terrain Reference

Plot

Number of lines Enter the maximum number of lines that can be

plotted/labelled in a long generated when plotting a long- or cross section. The
section and cross section default is 20.
Interpolate long section If this option is set then, when plotting longsections and
level for 0 values a zero level is encountered for a chainage, the level at
that chainage will be interpolated from the nearest
chainages on either side that do have levels.
Ignore 0 values when If this option is checked then all zero values will be
plotting Long Sections ignored when plotting road long sections. Long Section
lines will be drawn between non-zero points and zero
points will not be annotated.
Split height labels into two If this option is set, then when generating a plot with
at the decimal point heights displayed, the height for a point will be shown as
two distinct text entities separated at the decimal point.
This is useful for where the height is obscured by say a
symbol inserted at the point and you wish to move the
values apart for clarity.

Option Settings 20-13

Output Window

Number of lines retained Enter the number of lines of output that should be
in memory retained at any time for the various output windows. This
will be the last x number of lines that have been sent to
the Output Window for display, enabling you to scroll
back to see lines that have disappeared off the top of the
window.
Display/Print Font Enter the display/print font size (in points) and the
position at which a right margin marker should be
displayed in the Output Window.

Security
When you first install your copy of AllyCAD, it will allocate a 30 day trial
license, allowing you to run the full program for 30 days. During this time
you must contact Knowledge Base for a permanent authorization code.
Your program can be protected in the following ways:
1) Hardware Lock (Dongles)
Two types of hardware lock are supported.
a) Hasp key (white)
b) Net Hasp key (red)
2) Crypkey software protection
Includes 30 day trial licence issued automatically at install time.

21-14 Terrain Reference

Terminology
Driver A software component required to communicate between the
program and the dongle
Server A central computer with a Net Hasp dongle attached. The server
is attached to the client’s by a network.
Client A computer that does not need a dongle itself, but must be
networked to a server.
Crypkey driver A software component needed to communicate between the
Crypkey security system and AllyCAD.

How do I tell what type of protection I have

If your dealer supplied you with a dongle (hardware lock about the size
of a box of matches), then you can identify the type from its colour and
the writing on it. The dongles all have a 5-letter code in the bottom left
corner of their label. Hasp dongles will have one of the codes
OYEEX
AQXWY
OZCCZ
WQEGC
While Net Hasp dongles will have one of these codes
GATWT
AREMB
CYOOO
EMOEC
MGXAD
If your dongle does not have one of these codes then it is NOT a Civil
Designer dongle.

Single user and Network licensing

Knowledge Base can supply you with either single user licenses (one per
machine) or floating licenses (issued from a central network server).
Normal Hasp keys (white) are for single user licensing, Net Hasp keys
(red) are for floating licenses.
By default our security system does not check for Network dongles (as
this can take time when the program first starts up). Thus if you are
using a network dongle you need to tell the program to check it by
selecting File
Security
Check Network Dongles, and then giving “1” as
the answer to the question
Enable Network Security?

21-2 Terrain Reference

 Do I need to do anything to enable security
We try to automate as much as possible during installation. However, if
you are running on NT, or running a network license (Net HASP), then
you might need to install the network dongle on a machine on the
network, and/or run a network security server program.

Obtaining Permanent Authorization

You must obtain permanent authorization from Knowledge Base. Select
File
Security
Authorize and a dialog box will be displayed with a site
key. Phone, fax or email us with the site key, and we will reply with an
authorization code that will permanently enable the program.
If you phone us you must keep the dialog box open till we respond with
your site key, as the codes change every time you pop up the authorize
dialog box.
Alternatively you can press the Save Button on the authorize dialog box
which will save a file called AUTHORIZE.TXT into your \$KBSEC$
directory. Email or fax this file to us and we will then reply with your site
key. Pressing Save allows you to close the dialog box, and will ensure
that authorize keeps the same codes the next time (and only the next
time) it is opened.

Security 21-3
Our contact numbers are:
Tel + 27 (21) 701-1850
(between 8h00 and 17h00 CAT GMT + 2h00)
Fax + 27 (21) 701-1822
email [email protected]

Files and Registry settings used by Security

All Knowledge Base products keep encrypted information about security
in a directory called \$KBSEC$, which is usually on your root drive, or
the same drive that you installed Civil Designer on, or on your windows
drive. Do not delete or move these files as this will destroy your security,
and disable all Knowledge Base products.
Civil Designer uses the following registry settings for security.
Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Knowledge Base\Security
Values
CheckNetworkDongles 0 or 1 depending on whether to check the network
dongles or not
SecurityHome c:\$kbsec$ (location of security files)
Program7 110 (last type of security found)

Hasp Dongle Overview

A dongle is a device approximately the size of a box of matches, and
plugs into your parallel (or printer) port at the back of your computer.
The dongle must be plugged in whenever you run Civil Designer.
Without it, the program will refuse to operate. It is suggested that you
plug the dongle into your machine before beginning the installation
process.
As well as the physical hardware dongle, a software driver is required to
communicate with the dongle. The driver is installed automatically
during the installation process.
There are two types of Hasp dongles:
• MemoHasp
Single-user dongle. The colour is white.
• NetHasp
Network dongle enabling multiple users on one dongle. The colour is
red.

21-4 Terrain Reference

 NetHasp
The NetHasp dongle need only be plugged into your server when you
run Civil Designer. The server will be licensed to allow a limited number
of copies or modules of Civil Designer to run on different client
computers simultaneously. The server can be a computer running
Windows 9x/ME/NT/XP, or Novell NetWare.

Hasp Driver
As well as the physical hardware dongle, a software driver is required to
communicate with the dongle. The driver should be installed
automatically during the installation process.
During installation, you may get the error:
HASP Hardware lock Installation failed.
This indicates that there was a problem installing the driver. You must
then install it manually.

Installing the Hasp Driver Manually

Click on the Windows Start button.
In the group where you installed Civil Designer (by default Civil
Designer 6.4), there is a “Security Tools” section. Click on “Hasp Install”
A message should appear indicating that the HASP driver installation
has succeeded. If it reports that the installation failed, then you should
contact your dealer or technical support number. If you are running
Windows 9x, then you will need to restart your computer. If you are
running Windows XP, then a restart is not necessary.

Client Installation
From your workstation use Windows Explorer to access the network
server. Find the directory where Civil Designer is installed (by default
CivDes64) and the program NETSET.EXE. Run NetSet.exe. This will
adjust the “program home” setting for Civil Designer in the registry on
your client machine to point to the location of Civil Designer on the
server, and will add a new group to your Start menu called AllyCADNet.

Server Installation
Civil Designer must first be fully installed on the server. Before any
clients can run Civil Designer, the Hasp Security Server must be run on
the server. Go to Start
Civil Designer 64
Security Tools. The Hasp
Security Server contains online help.

Security 21-5
21-6 Terrain Reference
 Index
3D ............................................................................................................................68
Export DXF View...............................................................................................6
Plot 3D line model............................................................................................78
3D View ..................................................................................................................68
Alternative Data Sources .....................................................................................2
ArcInfo ...................................................................................................................24
Areas................................................................................16, 20, 34, 3, 5, 11, 18, 56
ASCII ................................................................................................... 30, 35, 55, 57
ASCII file ............................................................................................ 30, 35, 11, 55
export..................................................................................................................29
import .................................................................................................................10
Authorize ...............................................................................................................37
Auto Interpolate .....................................................................................................4
AutoCAD..................................................................................................................6
Autosuffix
define ..................................................................................................................11
display...................................................................................................................6
Bank Intersections...............................................................................................24
Batters................................................................................................................5, 35
Bend Point Types ................................................................................................11
Booker ......................................................................................................................2
Bowditch................................................................................................................14
Break Line.............................................................................. 27, 34, 3, 5, 20, 57, 2
add.......................................................................................................................27
convert to Feature Line ..................................................................................29
delete...................................................................................................................28
import from aerial survey...............................................................................18
remove all...........................................................................................................28
Brown .......................................................................................................................2
CAD.........................................................................................................................35
Calculation menu ...................................................................................................1
Chainage ..................................................................................................... 5, 11, 68
Chainages ....................................................................................................... 23, 11
CivDes6.ini ............................................................................................................66
Civil Designer .......................................................................................................20
Comma-delimited ..................................................................................................3
Contours ................................................................................................. 3, 56, 57, 2
Conversions menu .................................................................................................1
Convert
break lines ................................... See Break Line, convert to Feature Line
coordinate units................................................................................................19
geodetic ..................................................................................................... 7, 9, 11
Goldfields system ...............................................................................................4
 Helmert group .................................................................................................... 4
Helmert individual ............................................................................................ 2
units.................................................................................................................... 17
Coordinate Geometry ........................................................................................... 1
Corrections
datum ..................................................... See Corrections Sea level and scale
Sea level and scale........................................................................................... 15
t-T........................................................................................................................ 13
Data traverse ............................................................................ See Flat Traverse
Datum .............................................................................................................. 20, 57
Datum Contour .................................................................................................... 57
Decimal degrees ............................................................See Import Geo Coords
Define Fence .................................................................................................. 20, 21
Define Fly Path .................................................................................................... 68
Delauney ............................................................................................................... 37
Delete Ground...................................................................................................... 40
Delete Point .......................................................................................................... 16
Dongle.................................................................................................................... 37
DTM .................................................................................................3, 20, 37, 55, 56
corrupt .......................................................................... 39, See Rebuild DBase
statistics ............................................................................................................... 4
DTM file................................................................................................................... 3
DTM Grid........................................................................................................ 37, 56
DXF file
export DTM to .................................................................................................... 6
extract DTM from.............................................................................................. 5
Edges.................................................................................................................. 5, 56
Editing menu.......................................................................................................... 1
Elevation Tracking.............................................................................................. 12
Error Figure ......................................................................................................... 30
Error indicator ............................................................................................... 39, 30
Exclusion polygon .........................................................................See PolyFence
Export ASCII data various formats ................................................................. 29
Export DXF View .................................................................................................. 6
Fast Cross................................................................................................................ 5
Fast Long .............................................................................................................. 11
Feature Line
add ...................................................................................................................... 30
delete .................................................................................................................. 30
remove all .......................................................................................................... 31
Feature Lines ................................................................................................... 34, 2
Fence................................................................................................................ 19, 21
Fence Clip ............................................................................................................. 19
Field Book................................................................................................... 2, 30, 35
File Menu
 Survey mode .......................................................................................................1
Terrain mode ......................................................................................................1
Fly Path..................................................................................................................68
Geodos......................................................................................................................2
Geographical coordinates ..............................................................................20, 2
convert from Transverse Mercator ..............................................................11
Gradient .............................................................................................................64, 2
Graphical menu......................................................................................................1
Gridding.................................................................................................................56
Height Differences...............................................................................................12
Height Interpolation..............................................................................................4
Heighted traverse ................................................................See Traverse, Slope
Heighting menu......................................................................................................1
Heighting traverse .................................................................................................6
Heights .................................................................................................. 11, 56, 68, 2
ID Point....................................................................................................................9
Import ASCII data various formats .................................................................10
Intelli-Lines...........................................................................................................34
Interpolate ........................................................................................ 2, 5, 11, 33, 68
Interpolate Point ....................................................................................................7
automatic .............................................................................................................4
Intersection ................................................................................................ 66, 7, 10
Isograde Line ........................................................................................................64
Isopachyte contours ..................................................................................... 56, 57
Join..................................................................................................... 3, 5, 11, 18, 20
field and plan.......................................................................................................2
graphical ..............................................................................................................2
Least Squares .......................................................................................................30
Level Traverse......................................................................................................23
Levelling ................................................................................................................23
Line Intersection..................................................................................................10
Lines ....................................................................................11, 35, 40, 55, 66, 68, 2
Listing menu ...........................................................................................................1
Locate Point ..........................................................................................................10
Logger ......................................................................................................................2
Longsection...........................................................................................................11
Mid Point .................................................................................................................9
Model ....................................................................................................... 3, 5, 55, 66
Model menu ............................................................................................................1
ModelMaker ............................................................................................. 17, 26, 28
Moss Genio ..................................................................................................... 22, 32
Name Filter ............................................................................................ 11, 5, 11, 3
Names.......................................................................................................................2
Network ...................................................................................................... 14, 35, 3
Network Menu......................................................................................................35
Optimisation ......................................................................................................... 24
Option Settings ................................................................................................ 37, 1
Output Manager .................................................................................................. 34
Output Window.................................................................................................... 34
Parallel Line ........................................................................................................... 7
Perimeter ........................................................................... 16, 20, 3, 18, 20, 33, 40
Pipe ........................................................................................................................ 11
PI's .......................................................................................................................... 68
Platform........................................................................................ 2-2, See Terrace
Plotting
terrace ...............................................................................................................2-6
Point
batch delete......................................................................................................... 5
delete graphically .............................................................................................. 5
delete manually.................................................................................................. 3
edit graphically................................................................................................... 4
edit manually ...................................................................................................... 4
enter manually ................................................................................................... 2
insert graphically ............................................................................................... 2
move ..................................................................................................................... 6
PolyFence ............................................................................................................. 23
Polygon Clip ......................................................................................................... 16
Quantities.............................................................................................................. 37
Rebuild DBase ....................................................................................................... 3
Reductions menu................................................................................................... 1
Reference manual ................................................................................................. 4
Remove Fence...................................................................................................... 21
Rescale Survey....................................................................................................... 2
Road ............................................................................................................. 5, 11, 68
Road Alignment..................................................................................................... 5
Road Layer ............................................................................................................. 5
Road width................................................................................. See Parallel Line
Sections ................................................................................................................... 5
Security ................................................................................................................. 37
Settings menu
Terrain mode...................................................................................................... 1
Show Tache Rays ............................................................................................ 2, 14
Snap Mode .............................................................................................................. 3
Spirit levelled Cross-sections............................................................................ 23
Spreadsheet.................................................................................................... 30, 35
Stardust ................................................................................................................... 2
Stardust Tache....................................................................................................... 2
Strings ....................................................................................................... 2, 3, 4, 12
Surface....................................................2, 9, 16, 34, 3, 5, 20, 24, 33, 40, 56, 68, 3
Surface change
 by filter ...............................................................................................................15
by polygon..........................................................................................................18
SurvPro..................................................................................................................25
Tache ..................................................................................................................2, 14
Tache Reduction ....................................................................................................2
Terrace ........................................................................................................... 2-2, 37
generate banks with fixed slopes .......................................................... 2-3, 27
generate banks with variable slopes ............................................................30
merge with original ground ......................................................................... 2-7
volumes ............................................................................................................ 2-5
Terrace Banks ......................................................................................................24
Terrace Merge ......................................................................................................35
Terrace Top...........................................................................................................33
Terrace Volume....................................................................................................37
Terrain Database .................................................................................. 35, 10, 2, 4
Terrain menu..........................................................................................................1
Terrain model ...................................................................................................5, 35
Tools menu
Survey mode .......................................................................................................1
Terrain mode ......................................................................................................1
Track
dynamic ....................................................................... See Elevation Tracking
Transformation menu...........................................................................................1
Traverse .................................................................................................................14
adjustment of ....................................................................................................18
corrections, e.g. sea level, temperature etc....................See Traverse, Full
Data .........................................................................................See Flat Traverse
fieldbook codes .................................................................................................14
fieldbook format ...............................................................................................15
Flat ......................................................................................................................17
Full ......................................................................................................................22
Heighted.............................................................................See Traverse, Slope
network adjustment of redundancy .............................................................18
Slope ...................................................................................................................22
Triangulate..................................................................................................... 37, 55
Units ......................................................................................... See Convert, units
Validate Line Data .................................................................................................5
Validate Model......................................................................................................39
Vertical .............................................................................................. 2, 35, 16, 19, 3
Volumes ................................................................................................ 5, 18, 20, 37
Wild ASCII ............................................................................................................33
WILD Data Format................................................................................................2
Young .......................................................................................................................2
YXZ...........................................................................................................................5
SYMBOLS

Copyright 2004
KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (hereafter referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a non-
exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the software, Civil Designer,
subject to the following conditions:
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each computer upon which the
Licensee wishes to have simultaneous use of the software.
3. It is the Licensee’s responsibility to insure the program for the full
current replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the program,
security disk or security module, or damage to any of the foregoing, the
license must be re-purchased in full.
4. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the Licensee’s
employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
5. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself – nor through any subsidiary,
agent or third party – sell, lease, license, sub-license or otherwise deal in
the software.
6. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual property
rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and all other rights
used or embodied in or associated with the software remain the sole
property of the Licensor and its principals.
7. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any such
rights at any time.
8. No warranty of any kind is expressed or implied with regard to the use
or application of the software or its fitness for any particular purpose.
The verification of all results and output is entirely the responsibility of
the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil Designer
program and its manual, Knowledge Base cc, its employees and agents
shall not be liable for any loss or damage (including in particular,
consequential losses, loss of profits and penalties) suffered by the
Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil
Designer program or the use thereof whether such loss or damage
results from breach of contract (including a fundamental breach),
negligence or any other cause and whether or not this contract is at any
time cancelled by the Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in
connection with the Civil Designer program or the use thereof, whether
or not this contract is at any time cancelled.
Table of Contents

GENERAL 1
Crowd 2
People 3
People 1 4
People 2 5
Hospital 6
Vehicle Elevations 7
Vehicle Plan 8
Transport 9
Cars 10
Lorries 11
Aircraft 12
Container Trucks 13
Furniture 15
Office 16
Tolerances 17
Mechanical Welds 18
Hilti Fasteners 19
Pavement Section 20
Survey 21
Trees 23
Handrailing 25
Warehouse Equipment 26
Brownbuilt Sheeting 27
Access Safety Ladder 28
ABE Waterproofing 29
Various Character Symbols 30
Road Signs - Warnings 31
Road Signs – Warnings 2 32

DOORS 33
General Doors 34
Transformer Doors 35
Miscellaneous Doors 36
Internal Doors – 110mm 37
Internal Doors – 115mm 38
Glass/ Wood Panel Doors 39
External Doors – 220mm Error! Bookmark not defined.
External Doors – 230mm 41
Sliding Doors – 230mm 43
French Doors 44
External Doors – 230mm 48
 External Doors – 270mm 52
Sliding Doors – 270mm 56
External Double Doors – 280mm 57
External Doors – 280mm 58
Sliding Doors – 280mm 62
External Doors – 300mm 63
French Doors – 300mm 65
External Doors – 300mm 69
Frames 71

WINDOWS 73
DH Type – 220mm 74
C Type Cottage Pane – 220mm 75
SD Type – 220mm 76
Sliding Doors – 220mm 77
NG Windows – 220mm 78
Aluminium Windows – 220mm 79
NC Windows – 230mm 80
CH Type – 230mm 81
C Type Cottage Pane – 230mm 82
ND Type – 230mm 83
DH Type – 230mm 84
D Type Cottage Pane – 230mm 85
Sliding – 230mm 86
SD Type – 230mm 87
NG Type – 230mm 88
TD Type – 270mm 89
DH Type - 270mm 92
GH Type - 270mm 93
E Type – 270mm 94
NE/NC Type – 270mm 96
NE/NES Type 270mm 98
E/ES Type – 270mm 99
E/ES Type Cottage Pane – 270mm 100
NG Type – 270mm 101
GD Type – 270mm 102
TD Type – 270mm 103
Semi Circular – 270mm 105
SSF Type – 270mm 106
SS Type – 270mm 108
DH Type – 270mm 110
SPE Type – 270mm 111
SD Type – 270mm 112
NG Type – 270mm 113
SE/SF/SG/SH Type – 270mm 114
Aluminium Windows – 270mm 115
 NC Type – 280mm 116
CH Type – 280mm 117
CF Type – 280mm 118
ND Type – 280mm 119
DH Type – 280mm 120
D/DF Type – 280mm 121
DH Type – 280mm 122
C Type – 280mm 123
SD Type – 280mm 124
NG Type – 280mm 125

BATHROOMS 127
Armitage Sanitaryware 128
Baths 129
Underbasin Cabinets 130
Betta Sanitaryware 131
Wash Hand Basin 132
WC Details 133
Vaal Sanitaryware 134
Jacuzzi 135
Falkirk Baths 136
Gulley Detail 137
Drain Schematic 138
Cobra Sanitaryware 139
Baja Spa 140

KITCHENS 141
Univa Stoves 142
What? Stainless Steel 143
Troughs 144
Modulus Sinks 145
Stainless Steel Sinks 146
Cupboards 148
Defy Appliances 149
Barlows Appliances 151

ELECTRICAL 153
General Symbols 154
Diagrams Symbols 155
Electric 157

ROOFS 173
Tiles 174
Sheeting 175
Flashing 177
PIPING 187
Water Pipe Joins and Bends 188
Pipe CL 192
General
The following symbols are of a general nature and include the following:
• People
• Hospital equipment
• Vehicles
• Aircraft
• Furniture
• Mechanical tolerances and welds
• Hilti fasteners
• Pavement section hatching
• Survey symbols
• Trees
• Handrailing
• Warehouse equipment
• Brownbuilt sheeting
• Access ladders
• Waterproofing
• General symbols
• Road signs

General 1
Crowd
GENERAL
150

WC_LADY WC_MAN
1812,1

CROWD

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/CROWD

2 Symbols
People
GENERAL

MANSIT MANWALK

PERSTAND WOMSIT

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/PEOPLE

General 3
People 1
GENERAL

1808,5

1758,2
1687

MAN MAN1 MAN2

1799,8

1782

MAN3 MAN4
1770

1657

1651

LADY LADY1 LADY2

1716,7
1681
1663

LADY4 LADY5 LADY6

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/people 1

4 Symbols
People 2
GENERAL

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/people2

General 5
Hospital
GENERAL

CUPBRD

CUPBRDE

TROLLEYE

TROLLEY

WCHAIR WCHAIRE
BEDE

BED

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/HOSPITAL

6 Symbols
Vehicle Elevations
GENERAL

CAR1 CAR2

CAR3 CAR4

CAR6 CAR6

CAR7 CAR8

CAR9 CAR10

CAR11 CAR12

TRUCK1 TRUCK2

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/VEH_ELEV

General 7
Vehicle Plan
GENERAL

CARP1 CARP2

CARP3 CARP4

CARP5 CARP6

CARP7 CARP8

CARP9 CARP10

CARP11 CARP12

TRUCKP1 TRUCKP2

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/VEH_PLAN

8 Symbols
Transport
GENERAL

LAND LAND
ROVER ROVER

CAR

JEEP

SPORTSCAR

STATIONWAGON

LAND LAND
RO VER ROVER

OPENJEEP TRUCK

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/TRANSPORT

General 9
Cars
GENERAL

FIAT UNO

BMW 3-SERIES

OPEL KADETT

LEXUS SC
400 COUPE

VW JETTA 3

AUDI S4
QUATTRO

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/CARS

10 Symbols
Lorries
GENERAL

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/LORRIES

General 11
Aircraft
GENERAL

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/VEHICLESYMBOLS

12 Symbols
Container Trucks

GENERAL

10200
6950

3991
CONTAINER FLOOR LEVEL

1600

1400
1220

2400

6m SKELETAL SEMI - TRAILER

16200
12304

3991
CONTAINER FLOOR LEVEL
1600

1400
1220

4000

12m SKELETAL SEMI - TRAILER

1193 2900
4100

17000 (max)
2900
4100

1200

50% WB 9000

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/CONTAINERS

General 13
 GENERAL

3060
4100
1040

17000
2700
4100

1400

17000
2438

12m CONTAINER
4100
1600

16200
1600 2438

6m CONTAINER
4100

10200

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/CONTAINERS

14 Symbols
Furniture
GENERAL

FUR-DSK1 FUR-DSK2 FUR-DSK3

FUR-CH1 FUR-CH2 FUR-CH3 FUR-CH4

FUR-BD FUR-BS FUR-BSx2

FUR-DT4C
FUR-DT6G FUR-DT6C
FUR-DT8 FUR-DT8C

FUR-ST3 FUR-TV
FUR-ST1 FUR-ST2

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/FURNITURE

General 15
Office

GENERAL

COMPUTER

SAFE

TYPEWRIT

S/BOARD

M/FRAME

PRINTER

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/OFFICE

16 Symbols
Tolerances

GENERAL

Geometric Tolerance Symbols:

Surface Finish Symbols

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/MECHTOLERANCES

General 17
Mechanical Welds

GENERAL

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/MECHWELDS

18 Symbols
General

Hilti Fasteners
HSL M8/20

HSL M24/60

HSL M8/40

HSL M10/20
C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/HILTI HSL

HSL M10/40
HSL M24/30

GENERAL
HSL M12/25

HSL M12/50

HSL M20/60

HSL M16/25

HSL M20/30
HSL M16/50
19
Pavement Section

GENERAL

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/PAVEMENT SYMBOLS

20 Symbols
Survey

GENERAL

ARCHIT TREE1
ARCHIT HEDGE

ARCHIT NORTH1
ARCHIT TREE2

ARCHIT NORTH2

ARCHIT TREE3

ARCHIT NORTH3

ARCHIT TREE4

ARCHIT STONEWALL

C:AllyCAD/symbols/SURVSYMB

General 21
 GENERAL

ARCHIT VTREE1

Graphic Scale
200' 0 100' 200' 400'

1" = 200'

ARCHIT ScaleBar1_200

Graphic Scale
100' 0 50' 100' 200'

1" = 100'

ARCHIT VTREE2 ARCHIT ScaleBar1_100

Graphic Scale
50' 0 25' 50' 100'

1" = 50'

ARCHIT ScaleBar1_50

ARCHIT VTREE3 SURV _IronPinSet

SURV _IronPinFound

SURV _AnglePoint

SURV _CornerPoint

SURV _SquarePeg

C:AllyCAD/symbols/SURVSYMB

22 Symbols
Trees

GENERAL

TREE 1 TREE 2 TREE 3

TREE 4 TREE 5 TREE 6

TREE 7 TREE 8 TREE 9

TREE 25

TREE 24
TREE 23

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/TREES

General 23
 GENERAL

TREE 11 TREE 12
TREE 10

TREE 15
TREE 14
TREE 13

TREE 17
TREE 16 TREE 18

TREE 20 TREE 21
TREE 19

TREE 22

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/TREES

24 Symbols
Handrailing

GENERAL

MT90 MS90 MO90 MP90 MTA(45°) MSR 45 MSL 45 MSR 40 MSL 40

ITEM 5 ITEM 1

ITEM 9
ITEM 4

ITEM 6

MST 45 (R) MST 45 (L) MST 40 (R) MST 40 (L)

ITEM 2M

MLT MLS 90
ITEM 3 ITEM 2B
MST90 MSS90

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/WE-CRO-LOK HANDRAILING

General 25
Warehouse Equipment

GENERAL

PALLETS 1450x1200
PALLETS 950x1200

FC1500

FC1000

BISON FC

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/WAREHOUSE EQUIPMENT

26 Symbols
Brownbuilt Sheeting

GENERAL

BROWNBUILT METAL SECTIONS

BOND-DEK

BOND-LOK (50mm HIGH)

BOND-LOK (75mm HIGH)

BROWNBUILT PROFILE 406mm

BROWNBUILT THERMACLAD "25"

KLIP-LOK

MULTICLAD 690

MULTICLAD 1000

SUPA-CLAD

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/BROWNBLT

General 27
Access Safety Ladder

GENERAL

200

40
1000
100x50x11kg/m CHANNEL WELDED TO
STRINGER AND BOLTED TO
STRUCTURE
40
1000
40
1000

40x8mm FLAT
STRIPS
5660

RADIUS
=380mm 45°
45°
760

40

45° RUNG
45°
40x8mm THICK
PLATE

388 330
STRINGER

1:20 - PLAN Ø20mm RUNGS

2500

@300mm crs.

100x50x11kg/m
TAPERED FLANGE
CHANNEL
STRINGER

POSITION OF
FIRST RUNG
300

FLOOR LEVEL

1:20 - ELEVATION

INDUSTRIAL VERTICAL LADDER DETAILS

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/ACCESS SAFETY LADDER

28 Symbols
ABE Waterproofing

GENERAL

O PT IONAL:
a.b .e MALT HOID DPC EXPOSED a .b.e INDEX FID IA P
PAINTED WITH a.b.e SIL VAKOTE
FINISHING FASCIA TURND OWN SEAL ED TO
O R a .b.e ABECOT E WD 219
a.b .e SU PER LAYC RYL OR GALV. EDG E ST RIP
EXTENDIN G INTO GUTT ER
SU PER LAYKOL D F LASHIN G a.b.e . MALTH OID DPC
SYST EM a .b.e INDEX FID IA MS OR P
F ULLY BONDED TO SAND/ a.b.e INDEX FID IA MS OR P
C EMEN T SCREED T O F ALL a.b.e SUPER LAYCRYL OR APPL IED AS PER SPECIFICATIO N
SUPER LAYKOLD FLASHING a.b .e INDEX FID IA MS OR P
a.b .e. MALTHO ID DPC
SYSTEM APPL IED AS PER SPECIFIC ATIO N
a .b.e INDEX FID IA MS OR P
30mm ASPHALT PREMIX OR
OTHER SU ITABLE WEARIN G
75 mm CO VED FILLET
SU RFACES a .b.e SUPER L AYC RYL
a.b.e BRIXEAL
F LASHING SYSTEM a.b.e IN DEX FIDIA MS O R P a.b .e INDEX ROLL BASE
a.b.e INDEX ROLL BASE
FUL LY B0 NDED T O PRIMED MECHANICAL LY F ASTENED
a.b.e SUPER L AYCRYL O R MEC HANICALL Y F ASTENED
SCREED TO FALLS AS SLIP SHEET
SU PER LAYKOL D F LASHIN G BO TTOM EDGE OR TU RNDOW N AS SLIP SHEET
SYSTEM LO WER TH AN H ORIZ ONTAL
BEARERS O R BOAR DING ENDS
a.b .e INDEX TESTUDO 20/4 a.b .e. MALTHO ID DPC
FULL Y BOND ED TO
SC REED TO FALL WEEP H OLE BOT TOM ED GE OF SEC ONDAR Y
FASCIA L OWER T HAN HORIZONT AL
75mm COVED CORN ER BEAR ERS
a.b.e . MALTH OID DPC
a.b .e IND EX FIDIA MS OR P
FUL LY BO NDED T O
SC REED TO FALL
75m m CO VED CO RNER

PARKING DECK - WITH ASPHALT

scale 1:10 FLAT ROOF - NO TRAFFIC FLASHING / PARAPET DETAIL BOARDED ROOF - SLOPING EDGE BOARDED ROOF - GUTTER EDGE
FLAT ROOF - NO TRAFFIC scale 1:10 scale 1:10 scale 1:10
HIGH PARAPET LOW PARAPET OR KERB
scale 1:10 scale 1:10

a.b.e SUPER LAYC RYL

FLASHING SYST EM

75mm COVED FIL LET

a.b.e INDEX FID IA P FUL LY PR OTECTION BOARD

a.b.e . JO INT SEALANT
BON DED TO FU LLY PRIMED
SUR FACE
a.b.e . D URAF LEX T O
a.b.e . SUPER LAYC RYL OR
WAL LS AN D ON SCREED
SUPER LAYKOLD FLASHING
TO FAL L
SYSTEM
PRO TECTIVE BRICK SKIN

a.b.e . F LEXOTH ANE 1 PROT ECT IVE BOARD

SEALAN T AR OUND
OUT LET
STO NE GARDEN SOIL

DR AINAGE SYSTEM
SANDWICH SL AB

a .b.e D EF EN D H FUL LY
BON DED TO BRIC KWO RK
75mm COVED CORN ER AND SCR EED TO FALL
F ILTER MEMBRANE

a.b.e INDEX FID IA P FUL LY

SHOWER DETAIL
BOND ED TO PLASTER
scale 1:10
SU ITABLE DRAINAGE

PLANTER
BOX GUTTER scale 1:10
scale 1:10 TANKING DETAIL
scale 1:10

a .b.e INDEX FID IA MS OR P

a.b.e MALT HOID DPC
INFILL OF RIV ERSA ND/CEMENT
a .b.e INDEX ARGO TWO THIN POLYTHENE SLIP SHEETS
a.b.e SUPER LAYC RYL OR - CAN INCLUDE MINERA L SURFACED
F ULLY BONDED TO SUPER LAYKOL D FL ASHIN G TOP SHEET
HOT POUR CA ULKING COMPOUND
O NE SIDE O NLY A SPHA LT SURFACE
a .b.e D URAKOL SEALANT
10 TO SUIT 10 4mm a.b.e. INDEX TES TUDO 20/4
PROTECTION SHEET
SAND / CEMENT MIX

PRO TECTION BOARD / LAYER

GRA DING TO FA LLS

INTERL OCKING BLOCKS
4mm a.b.e. INDEX TES TUDO 20/4
10 x 10 ROUNDED CORNERS
a .b.e D URAKOL G POLY ETHY LENE FOA M
CLEAN UNCON TAMINAT ED a.b. e. DURA KOL SEA LA NT
250mm GIRTH 4mm a. b. e. INDEX
RIVER SAND HELA STA P
a .b.e BAC KING CORD 120 WIDE x 8 DEEP RECESS ED
GRA DING IF REQUIRED

U NPRIMED SU RFAC E

PRO TECTION L AYER OF

a .b.e BITUPRIME

EXPANSION JOINT DETAIL

GEO TEXTILE MEMBRAN E

a.b.e INDEX TESTUDO 20/4

FULL Y BOND ED TO
SCR EED TO FALL
scale 1:2
NO TE:
75mm COVED CORN ER
MO VEMENT JO INTS
(MINOR) PR EF ER ABLY
T O RU N PARALLEL

PARKING DECK - WITH PAVERS

T O FALLS

scale 1:10
CONSTRUCTION JOINT DETAIL
scale 1:5

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/ABE

General 29
Various Character Symbols

GENERAL

 $


 %

 &
 ☺
 '
 
 (
 
 )
 
 *
 

 
# 


 !

 "

C:AllyCAD/symbols/general/SYMCHARS

30 Symbols
Road Signs - Warnings

SYMBOLS

W101 W102 W103 W104 W105 W106

W107 W108 W109 W110 W111 W112

W113 W114 W115 W116 W117 W118

W119

STOP

W301 W302 W303 W307 W308 W309

4.42

W314 W315 W316 W317 W319 W320

W322 W324 W325 W326 W331 W339

STOP

W363 W311 W312 W310 W304 W305

15m

W306 W313 W321 W323 W334

W318

C:AllyCAD/symbols/RDSGNWARN1

General 31
Road Signs – Warnings 2
SYMBOLS

W201 W202 W203 W204 W205 W206

W207 W208 W209 W210 W211 W212

W213 W214 W215 W216 W217 W218

W327 W330 W331 W332

W328 W329

STOP

W335 W333 W337 W343

W336 W338

W344 W345 W340

W341 W342 W346

W347 W349 W348 W350 W351 W352

W353 W354 W355 W356 W357 W358

W359 W362 W360 W361

W403 W404 W405 W406

W401 W402

W407 W408 W409 W410

W412 W413 W414 W415

W411

C:AllyCAD/symbols/RDSGNWARN2

32 Symbols
Doors

Doors 33
General Doors

DOORS

INTERNAL

OUT IN OUT

IN
EXTERNAL 1.

STANDARD
STANDARD PROFILE
OUT PROFILE WITH
FANLIGHT

IN

EXTERNAL 2.

INTERNAL

OUT

IN
EXTERNAL 1.

OUT

IN

EXTERNAL 2.

C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DOORS

34 Symbols
Transformer Doors
DOORS

1910
893 994 1299

2498
2194

2194
2092

A.V. B.V. C.V. D.V.

1299 994 1604

1604
2498

2498

2498
2194

F H.V. M.V. Y.V.

950
795

ALU

C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/TRA_DOOR

Doors 35
Miscellaneous Doors
DOORS

INTER ST_EXT ST_INT

INTER ST_EXT ST_INT

C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/MISC_DRS

36 Symbols
Internal Doors – 110mm
Internal Doors - 110mm

813
2032

D8 D3 D25-SP D25 D2 D1 D5S

D7S D7 D5 D4 D6 DOOR-01F D9

813
2032

D8 D3 D25-SP D25 D2 D1 D5S

D7S D7 D5 D4 D6 DOOR-01F D9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS110

Doors 37
Internal Doors – 115mm
Internal Doors -115mm

813

2032

D8 D3 D25-SP D25 D2 D1 D5S

D7S D7 D5 D4 D6 DOOR-01F D9

813
2032

D8 D3 D25-SP D25 D2 D1 D5S

D7S D7 D5 D4 D6 DOOR-01F D9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS115

38 Symbols
External Doors – 220mm
External Doors - 220mm

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 SLATTED 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032
GATE

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD220R ]

Doors 39
 External Doors - 220mm

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 SLATTED 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032
GATE

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD220L ]

40 Symbols
External Doors – 230mm
External Doors - 230mm

CT1070 FW3120
CA0820 CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CF1590 CA1220

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 CT0220 CFF1030

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS230L ]

Doors 41
 External Doors - 230mm

CA0820 CT1070 FW3120

CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CF1590 CA1220

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 CT0220 CFF1030

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS230R ]

42 Symbols
Sliding Doors – 230mm

WINDOWS - 230

3600 4200 3048

2134

DBL SLIDER DBL SLIDER EG10

3658 1830 2438

2134

EG12 EG6 EG8

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230NORMSLIDE

Doors 43
French Doors – 230mm
External Doors - 230mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD1 FD2 FD3 FD4 FD5

FD6 FD7 FD8 FD9

FD10

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRCO230L ]

44 Symbols
 External Doors - 230mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD1 FD2 FD3 FD4 FD5

FD6 FD7 FD8 FD9 FD10

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRCO230R ]

Doors 45
 External Doors - 230mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD20 FD21 FD22 FD23 FD24

FD25 FD26 FD27 FD28 FD29

FD30 FD31 FD32 FD33 FD34

FD35 FD36 FD37 FD38 FD39

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRDR230L ]

46 Symbols
 External Doors - 230mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD20 FD21 FD22 FD23 FD24

FD25 FD26 FD27 FD28 FD29

FD30 FD31 FD32 FD33 FD34

FD35 FD36 FD37 FD38 FD39

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRDR230R ]

Doors 47
External Doors – 230mm
External Doors - 230mm

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 RP 4 SLATTED FLB NO 9

FC 6 FLB NO 3
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 GATE 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032 762 x 2032

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD230R ]

48 Symbols
 External Doors - 230mm

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 SLATTED 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032
GATE

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD230L ]

Doors 49
 External Doors - 230mm

ED1 ED2 ED3 ED4 ED5 ED6 ED7

ED8 ED9 ED10 ED11 ED12 ED13 ED14

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/LOT_230R ]

50 Symbols
 External Doors - 230mm

ED1 ED2 ED3 ED4 ED5 ED6 ED7

ED8 ED9 ED10 ED11 ED12 ED13 ED14

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/LOT_230L ]

Doors 51
External Doors – 270mm
External Doors - 270mm

CA0820 CT1070 CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CA1220 FW3120

CF1590

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 CT0220 CFF1030

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS270L ]

52 Symbols
 External Doors - 270mm

CA0820 CT1070 CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CF1590 CA1220 FW3120

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 CT0220 CFF1030

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS270R ]

Doors 53
 External Doors - 270mm

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6 SLATTED
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032 GATE

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD270R ]

54 Symbols
 External Doors - 270mm

BD-ST NO 7 FLB-GT 19
BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6 SLATTED
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032 GATE

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD270L ]

Doors 55
Sliding Doors – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270

3600 4200 3048

2134

DBL SLIDER DBL SLIDER EG10

3658 1830 2438

2134

EG12 EG6 EG8

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270NORMSLIDE

56 Symbols
External Double Doors – 280mm
External Doors - 280mm

FC 10 FC 11 FC 13 FC 15 FC 16 FC 14
1219 x 2032 1613 x 2032 1613 x 2032 1219 x 2032 1613 x 2032 1219 x 2032

D3-1614 D5-1614 D6-1614 D6-1210 D3-1210 D5-1210 DOOR-02F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DDOORS280

Doors 57
External Doors – 280mm
External Doors - 280mm

CA0820 CT1070 CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CF1590 CA1220 FW3120

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 CT0220 CFF1030

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS280L ]

58 Symbols
 External Doors - 280mm

CA0820 CT1070 CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CF1590 CA1220 FW3120

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ22 BJ30 CFF1030

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 CT0220

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS280R]

Doors 59
 External Doors - 280mm

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 SLATTED 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032
GATE

RIGHT[ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD280R ]

60 Symbols
 External Doors - 280mm

BD NO 6 BD-SD NO 8 BD-ST NO 7 CP 2 FC 12 FC 4 FC 9 FLB-GT 19

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FLB-HG FLB NO 4 FLB-ST FP 1 FP 1 SP FP 1 SP ST FP 1 STABLE FP 2

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 6 FP 6 P FP 8 P GR 18 G RP 10 RP 6 RP 8 SC 5 P
813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

FP 2 STABLE FLB-GT SR 2 PHG SR 4 P VC 2 PHG FP 3 SC 6 P SC 5 P STABLE

813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032 813 x 2032

BD No5 FC 3 FLB NO 3 RP 4 FLB NO 9

FC 6 SLATTED
762 x 2032 813 x 2032 762 x 2032 813 x 2032 1219 x 2032
813 x 2032 GATE

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/SD280L ]

Doors 61
Sliding Doors – 280mm

WINDOWS - 280

3600 4200 3048

2134

DBL SLIDER DBL SLIDER EG10

3658 1830 2438

2134

EG12 EG6 EG8

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280NORMSLIDE

62 Symbols
External Doors – 300mm
External Doors - 300mm

CA0820 CT1070 CT1420 CT1370 CT1120 CF1590 CA1220

BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7 CFF1030

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 CT0220 FW3120

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS300L]

Doors 63
 External Doors - 300mm

CFF1030
BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 BJ6 BJ7

BJ8 BJ9 BJ10 BJ12 BJ14 BJ17 BJ18

BJ19 BJ20 BJ21 BJ22 BJ30 FW3120

CT0220

CA0820 CT1070 CT1120 CT1370 CT1420 CF1590 CA1220

CO0230 CO0330 CO0470 CA0670 CB0680 CA0770 CF0930

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/DRS300R]

64 Symbols
French Doors – 300mm
External Doors - 300mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD20 FD21 FD22 FD23 FD24

FD25 FD26 FD27 FD28 FD29

FD30 FD31 FD32 FD33 FD34

FD35 FD36 FD37 FD38 FD39

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRDR300R ]

Doors 65
 External Doors - 300mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD20 FD21 FD22 FD23 FD24

FD25 FD26 FD27 FD28 FD29

FD30 FD31 FD32 FD33 FD34

FD35 FD36 FD37 FD38 FD39

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRDR300R ]

66 Symbols
 External Doors - 300mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD1 FD2 FD3 FD4 FD5

FD6 FD7 FD8 FD9

FD10

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRCO300R ]

Doors 67
 External Doors - 300mm

FRENCH DOORS

FD1 FD2 FD3 FD4 FD5

FD6 FD7 FD8 FD9

FD10

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRCO300L ]

68 Symbols
External Doors – 300mm
External Doors - 300mm

ED1 ED2 ED3 ED4 ED5 ED6 ED7

ED8 ED9 ED10 ED11 ED12 ED13 ED14

Right [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/LOT_300R ]

Doors 69
 External Doors - 300mm

ED1 ED2 ED3 ED4 ED5 ED6 ED7

ED8 ED9 ED10 ED11 ED12 ED13 ED14

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/LOT_300L ]

70 Symbols
Frames
FRAMES

1575mm
673mm 825mm 1270mm
2045mm

2045mm
* * * *
CAS/LH CAL/RH CBS CBL
2553mm

2553mm
* * * *
CAFS/LH CAFL/FH CBFS CBFL
2045mm

* * * * 2045mm
CCS/LH CCL/RH CDS CDL
2553mm

2553mm

* * * *
1943mm 2400mm 2539mm 3149mm

CCFS/LH CCFL/RH CDFS CDFL

Left [ C:AllyCAD/symbols/doors/FRAMESM1 ]

Doors 71
Notes:

72 Symbols
Windows

Windows 73
DH Type – 220mm

WINDOWS - 220mm

700 700 700 800 800 800

1150

1300
DH1SPW DH1VBW DH1W DH2SPW DH2VBW DH2W

1025 1025 1025 1100 1100 1100

1800
1650

DH3SPW DH3VBW DH3W DH4SPW DH4VBW DH4W

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/220SLIDEWIN

74 Symbols
C Type Cottage Pane – 220mm

WINDOWS - 220mm

597 1194 1791 2255

990
C1FSPE C2FSPE C3FSPE C4FSPE

1274
B1FSPE B2FSPE B3FSPE B4FSPE

1557

A1FSPE A2FSPE A3FSPE A4FSPE

1840

A1SPSE A2SPSE A3SPSE A5SPSE

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/220COTFANFIX

Windows 75
SD Type – 220mm

WINDOWS - 220mm

600 545 900 1045 1035 1045 1045 1755

614

SD1 SD1SP SD1X SD2 SD22 SD22P SD2SP-LR SD2X

1545 1545 2205 2045 2045

600

SD3 SD3SP SD3X SD4 SD4SP

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/220SD

76 Symbols
Sliding Doors – 220mm

WINDOWS - 220

3600 4200 3048

2134

DBL SLIDER DBL SLIDER EG10

3658 1830 2438

2134

EG12 EG6 EG8

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/220NORMSLIDE

Windows 77
NG Windows – 220mm

WINDOWS - 220mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

569

NG5 NG2 NG7 NG10 NG11 NG12

569

NG1 NG9NC9 NG8 NG4

1409

NG1NC1 NG7NC7 NG2NC2 NG4NC4 NG10NC10 NG11NC11 NG12NC12

1685

NG1ND1 NG7ND7 NG2ND2 NG4ND4 NG10ND10 NG11ND11 NG12ND12

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/220NG

78 Symbols
Aluminium Windows – 220mm

WINDOWS - 220mm

T1E 900 NG12E N2G24E N2G18E T5E 900 T3E 900 NG15E R1E
900 x 900 1200 x 900 2400 x 900 1800 x 900 2400 x 900 1800 x 900 1500 x 900 600 x 900

T2E 1200 T3E 1200 T4E 1200 T5E 1200 T6E 1200 T1E 1200 OG12E OG15E
900 x 1200 1800 x 1200 1800 x 1200 2400 x 1200 2400 x 1200 900 x 1200 1200 x 1200 1500 x 1200

V5E V5/V8E V8E600 V8E900 V2E V2/V8E MDH4W

2400 x 1800 3300 x 1800 600 x 1800900 x 1800 1800 x 1800 2700 x 1800 1100 x 1800

P2G24E P2G6E P2H9E PG15E PH18E K2FE K2THE

2400 x 1500 600 x 1500 900 x 1500 1500 x 1500 1500 x 1800 990 x 1950 1200 x 1950

W8E600 W8E900 S1E D1E C1THE MDH1W MDH2W J2THE MDH3W

600 x 2130 900 x 2130 900 x 614 600 x 614 1200 x 990 700 x 1150 800 x 1300 990 x 1600 1025 x 1650

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/220NORMHOO

Windows 79
NC Windows – 230mm
Windows - 230mm

HEIGHT : 1074mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

305

NC6 NC5 NC8 NC3 NC9 NC88

NCS6 NC1 NC2 NC7 NC4 NC10 NC22 NC11 NC12

NC6F NC5F NC2F NC4F NC10F NC22F NC11F NC12F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230C_TYPE1

80 Symbols
CH Type – 230mm
Windows - 230mm

HEIGHT : 1074mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

305

CS6H C1H C2H C7H C4H C10H C22H C11H C12H

C6FH C5FH C2FH C4FH C10FH C22FH C11FH C12FH

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230C_TYPE2

Windows 81
C Type Cottage Pane – 230mm
Windows - 230mm

HEIGHT : 1074mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000

305

C6 C5 C8 C3 C9 C88

CS6 C1 C2 C7 C4 C22

C6F C5F C2F C4F C22F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230C_TYPE3

82 Symbols
ND Type – 230mm
Windows - 230mm

HEIGHT : 1370mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

305

ND6 ND5 ND8 ND3 ND9 ND88

NDS6 ND1 ND2 ND7 ND4 ND10 ND22 ND11 ND12

ND6F ND5F ND2F ND4F ND10F ND22F ND11F ND12F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230D_TYPE1

Windows 83
DH Type – 230mm
Windows - 230mm

HEIGHT : 1370mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

305

D6H D5H D8H D3H D9H D88H

DS6H D1H D2H D7H D4H D10H D22H D11H D12H

D6FH D5FH D2FH D4FH D10FH D22FH D11FH D12FH

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230D_TYPE2

84 Symbols
D Type Cottage Pane – 230mm
Windows - 230mm

HEIGHT : 1370mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000

305

D6 D5 D8 D3 D9 D88

DS6 D1 D2 D7 D4 D22

D6F D5F D2F D4F D22F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230D_TYPE3

Windows 85
Sliding – 230mm

WINDOWS - 230mm

700 700 700 800 800 800

1150

1300
DH1SPW DH1VBW DH1W DH2SPW DH2VBW DH2W

1025 1025 1025 1100 1100 1100

1800
1650

DH3SPW DH3VBW DH3W DH4SPW DH4VBW DH4W

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230SLIDEWIN

86 Symbols
SD Type – 230mm

WINDOWS - 230mm

600 545 900 1045 1035 1045 1045 1755

614

SD1 SD1SP SD1X SD2 SD22 SD22P SD2SP-LR SD2X

1545 1545 2205 2045 2045

600

SD3 SD3SP SD3X SD4 SD4SP

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230SD

Windows 87
NG Type – 230mm

WINDOWS - 230mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

569

NG5 NG2 NG7 NG10 NG11 NG12

569

NG1 NG9NC9 NG8 NG4

1409

NG1NC1 NG7NC7 NG2NC2 NG4NC4 NG10NC10 NG11NC11 NG12NC12

1685

NG1ND1 NG7ND7 NG2ND2 NG4ND4 NG10ND10 NG11ND11 NG12ND12

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/230NG

88 Symbols
TD Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000

1264

TD1 TD15 TD7 TD18 TD151 TD19 TD181

1873

TD61 TD615 TD67 TD618 TD6151 TD619 TD6181

949

NCT15S NCT2S NCTx7S NCTxS8 NCT1S51S NCT1S9 NCT1S81S

1559

TD51S TD51S5 TD57S TD51S8 TD51S518 TD51S9 TD51S815

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270AWN_TP2

Windows 89
 Windows - 270mm

2000 2489 2489 2978 2978

1264

TD78 TD191 TD79 TD1818 TD788

1873

TD678 TD6191 TD679 TD61818 TD6788

949

NCTx7S8 NCT1S91S NCTx7S9 NCT1S81S8 NCTx7S88

1559

TD57S8 TD51S915 TD57S9 TD51S81S8 TD57S88

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270AWN_TP2

90 Symbols
 Windows - 270mm

1022 1511 2000 2489 2489 2978 2978

949

NCTX7S NCTX7S5 NCTX7S8 NCTX7S9 NCTX7S57S NCTX7S88 NCTX7S87S

949

NCTX7S5S NCTX7S85 NCTX7S95 NCTX7S5S7S NCTX7S88S NCTX7S8S7S

1264

TD7 TD75 TD78 TD79 TD757 TD788 TD787

1559

TD57S TD57S5 TD57S8 TD57S9 TD57S57S TD57S88 TD57S87S

1559

TD57S5S TD57S8S TD57S9S TD57S5S7S TD57S88S TD57S8S7S

1873

TD67 TD675 TD678 TD679 TD6757 TD6788 TD6787

1873

TD675S TD678S TD679S TD675S7 TD6788S TD678S7

1873

TD67S TD67S5 TD67S8 TD67S9 TD67S57S TD67S88 TD67S87S

1873

TD67S5S TD67S8S TD67S9S TD67S5S7S TD67S88S TD67S8S7S

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270AWN_TPE

Windows 91
DH Type - 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1540mm

305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489
1540

D56H D55H D58H D53H D59H D588H

D5S6HD51H D52H D57H D54H D510H D522H D511H D512H

D56FHD55FH D52FH D54FH D510FH D522FH D511FH D512FH

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270D50_T2

92 Symbols
GH Type - 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1559mm
533 533 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489
1559

G1H/D1H G5H/D1H G2H/D2H G3H/D3H G4H/D3H G22HD22H

G1H/D5H G5H/D5H G7H/D7H G3H/D4H G4H/D4H G88HD88H

G8H/D8H G9H/D9H G10HD10H G11HD11H G12HD12H

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270G-D_TYP1

Windows 93
E Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1559mm
533 533 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

E1H/C1H E5H/C1H E2H/C2H E3H/C3H E4H/C3H E22HC22H

E1H/C5H E5H/C5H E7H/C7H E3H/C4H E4H/C4H E88HC88H

E8H/C8H E9H/C9H E10HC10H E11HC11H E12HC12H

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-C_TYP1

94 Symbols
 Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1559mm
533 533 1022 1511 1511 2000

E1/C1 E5/C1 E2/C2 E3/C3 E4/C3 E22/C22

E1/C5 E5/C5 E7/C7 E3/C4 E4/C4 E88/C88

E8/C8 E9/C9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-C_TYP2

Windows 95
NE/NC Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1559mm
533 533 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

NE1/NC1 NE5/NC1 NE2/NC2 NE3/NC3 NE4/NC3 NE22NC22

NE1/NC5 NE5/NC5 NE7/NC7 NE3/NC4 NE4/NC4 NE88NC88

NE8/NC8 NE9/NC9 NE10NC10 NE11NC11 NE12NC12

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-C_TYPE

96 Symbols
 Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1854mm
533 533 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

NE1/ND1 NE5/ND1 NE2/ND2 NE3/ND3 NE4/ND3 NE22ND22

NE1/ND5 NE5/ND5 NE7/ND7 NE3/ND4 NE4/ND4 NE88ND88

NE8/ND8 NE9/ND9 NE10ND10 NE11ND11 NE12ND12

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-D_TYPE

Windows 97
NE/NES Type 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 654mm
305 533
1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

NET6 NE1 NE2 NE7 NE4 NE10 NE22 NE11 NE12

NES6 NES1 NES2 NES7 NES4 NES10 NES22 NES11 NES12

NE6 NE5 NE8 NEXM7 NE3 NE9 NE88

NE6F NE5F NEX7 NES3

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-ES_T1

98 Symbols
E/ES Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 654mm
305 533
1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

ET6H E1H E2H E7H E4H E10H E22H E11H E12H

ES6H ES1H ES2H ES7H ES4H ES10H ES22H ES11H ES12H

E6H E5H E8H EX7MH E3H E9H E88H

E6FH E5FH EX7H ES3H

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-ES_T2

Windows 99
E/ES Type Cottage Pane – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 654mm
305 533
1022 1022 1511 1511 2000

ET6 E1 E2 E7 E4 E22

ES6 ES1 ES2 ES7 ES4 ES22

E6 E5 E8 EXM7 E3 E88

E6F E5F ES3 E9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/E-ES_T3

100 Symbols
NG Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 359mm
305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

NG1 NG2 NG7 NG4 NG10 NG22 NG11 NG12

NG6 NG5 NG8 NGX7 NG3 NG9 NG88

G1 G2 G7 G4 G22

G6 G5 G8 GX7 G3 G9 G88

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/G_TYPE

Windows 101
GD Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

HEIGHT : 1559mm
533 533
1022 1511 1511 2000

G1/D1 G5/D1 G2/D2 G3/D3 G4/D3 G22/D22

G1/D5 G5/D5 G7/D7 G3/D4 G4/D4 G88/D88

G8/D8 G9/D9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/G-D_TYP2

102 Symbols
TD Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2000

1264

TD1 TD15 TD7 TD18 TD151 TD19 TD181 TD78

1873

TD61 TD615 TD67 TD618 TD6151 TD619 TD6181 TD678

949

NCT15S NCT2S NCTx7S NCTxS8 NCT1S51S NCT1S9 NCT1S81S NCTx7S8

1559

TD51S TD51S5 TD57S TD51S8 TD51S518 TD51S9 TD51S815 TD57S8

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/RES_TOPH

Windows 103
 Windows - 270mm

2489 2489 2978 2978

1264

TD191 TD79 TD1818 TD788

1873

TD6191 TD679 TD61818 TD6788

949

NCT1S91S NCTx7S9 NCT1S81S8 NCTx7S88

1559

TD51S915 TD57S9 TD51S81S8 TD57S88

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/RES_TOPH

104 Symbols
Semi Circular – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

533 533 533

311
NS1 S1H S1

1022 1022 1022

556

NS2 S2H S2

1511 1511 1511

800

NS3 S3H S3

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/SEMI-CIR

Windows 105
SSF Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

673 987 1303 1616

2845

SSF26 SSF46 SSF56

SSF36

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/SSFWIN1

106 Symbols
 Windows - 270mm

673 987 1303 1616

511

SSF21 SSF31 SSF41 SSF51

978

SSF22 SSF32 SSF42 SSF52

1445

SSF23 SSF33 SSF43 SSF53

1911

SSF24 SSF34 SSF44 SSF54

2376

SSF25 SSF35 SSF45 SSF55

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/SSFWIN

Windows 107
SS Type – 270mm
Windows - 270mm

673 987 1303 1616

511

SS21 SS31 SS41 SS51

978

SS22 SS32 SS42 SS52

1445

SS23 SS33 SS43 SS53

1911

SS24 SS34 SS44 SS54

2376

SS25 SS35 SS45 SS55

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/SSWIN1

108 Symbols
 Windows - 270mm

673 987 1303 1616

2845

SS46 SS56
SS26 SS36

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/SSWIN2

Windows 109
DH Type – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270mm

700 700 700 800 800 800

1150

1300
DH1SPW DH1VBW DH1W DH2SPW DH2VBW DH2W

1025 1025 1025 1100 1100 1100

1800
1650

DH3SPW DH3VBW DH3W DH4SPW DH4VBW DH4W

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270SLIDEWIN

110 Symbols
SPE Type – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270mm

597 1194 1791 2255

990
C1FSPE C2FSPE C3FSPE C4FSPE

1274
B1FSPE B2FSPE B3FSPE B4FSPE

1557

A1FSPE A2FSPE A3FSPE A4FSPE

1840

A1SPSE A2SPSE A3SPSE A5SPSE

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270COTFANFIX

Windows 111
SD Type – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270mm

600 545 900 1045 1035 1045 1045 1755

614

SD1 SD1SP SD1X SD2 SD22 SD22P SD2SP-LR SD2X

1545 1545 2205 2045 2045

600

SD3 SD3SP SD3X SD4 SD4SP

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270SD

112 Symbols
NG Type – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

569

NG5 NG2 NG7 NG10 NG11 NG12

569

NG1 NG9NC9 NG8 NG4

1409

NG1NC1 NG7NC7 NG2NC2 NG4NC4 NG10NC10 NG11NC11 NG12NC12

1685

NG1ND1 NG7ND7 NG2ND2 NG4ND4 NG10ND10 NG11ND11 NG12ND12

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270NG

Windows 113
SE/SF/SG/SH Type – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270mm

545 900 878 1045 1755 1545 2205 2045

900

SE1 SE1X SE2 SE2X SE3 SE3X SE4

1155

SF1 SF1X SF1XX SF2 SF2X SF3 SF3XX SF4

1155

SF2XX SF3X
1710

SG1XX SG2XX SG3XX

1500

SG1 SG2 SG3 SG4

2100

SH1 SH1XX SH2 SH2XX SH3 SH3XX SH4

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270SE_SF_SG_SH

114 Symbols
Aluminium Windows – 270mm

WINDOWS - 270mm

T1E 900 NG12E N2G24E N2G18E T5E 900 T3E 900 NG15E R1E
900 x 900 1200 x 900 2400 x 900 1800 x 900 2400 x 900 1800 x 900 1500 x 900 600 x 900

T2E 1200 T3E 1200 T4E 1200 T5E 1200 T6E 1200 T1E 1200 OG12E OG15E
900 x 1200 1800 x 1200 1800 x 1200 2400 x 1200 2400 x 1200 900 x 1200 1200 x 1200 1500 x 1200

V5E V5/V8E V8E600 V8E900 V2E V2/V8E MDH4W

2400 x 1800 3300 x 1800 600 x 1800900 x 1800 1800 x 1800 2700 x 1800 1100 x 1800

P2G24E P2G6E P2H9E PG15E PH18E K2FE K2THE

2400 x 1500 900 x 1500 1500 x 1500
600 x 1500 1500 x 1800 990 x 1950 1200 x 1950

W8E600 W8E900 S1E D1E C1THE MDH1W MDH2W J2THE MDH3W

600 x 2130900 x 2130 900 x 614600 x 614 1200 x 990 700 x 1150800 x 1300990 x 16001025 x 1650

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/270NORMHOO

Windows 115
NC Type – 280mm
Windows - 280mm

HEIGHT : 949mm

305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489
1074
949

NC6 NC5 NC8 NC3 NC9 NC88

1074

NCS6 NC1 NC2 NC7 NC4 NC10 NC22 NC11 NC12

1074

NC6F NC5F NC2F NC4F NC10F NC22F NC11F NC12F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280C_TYPE1

116 Symbols
CH Type – 280mm
Windows - 280mm

HEIGHT : 1074mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489

305
1074

CS6H C1H C2H C7H C4H C10H C22H C11H C12H

1074

C6FH C5FH C2FH C4FH C10FH C22FH C11FH C12FH

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280C_TYPE2

Windows 117
CF Type – 280mm
Windows - 280mm

HEIGHT : 1024mm
305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000
1074

C6 C5 C8 C3 C9 C88
1074

CS6 C1 C2 C7 C4 C22
1074

C6F C5F C2F C4F C22F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280C_TYPE3

118 Symbols
ND Type – 280mm
Windows - 280mm

HEIGHT : 1370mm

305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489
1370

ND6 ND5 ND8 ND3 ND9 ND88

1370

NDS6 ND1 ND2 ND7 ND4 ND10 ND22 ND11 ND12

1370

ND6F ND5F ND2F ND4F ND10F ND22F ND11F ND12F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280D_TYPE1

Windows 119
DH Type – 280mm
Windows - 280mm

HEIGHT : 1370mm
305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2000 2489
1370

D6H D5H D8H D3H D9H D88H

1370

DS6H D1H D2H D7H D4H D10H D22H D11H D12H

1370

D6FH D5FH D2FH D4FH D10FH D22FH D11FH D12FH

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280D_TYPE2

120 Symbols
D/DF Type – 280mm
Windows - 280mm

HEIGHT : 1320mm
305
533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000

1370
D6 D5 D8 D3 D9 D88

DS6 D1 D2 D7 D4 D22

D6F D5F D2F D4F D22F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280D_TYPE3

Windows 121
DH Type – 280mm

WINDOWS - 280mm

700 700 700 800 800 800

1150

1300
DH1SPW DH1VBW DH1W DH2SPW DH2VBW DH2W

1025 1025 1025 1100 1100 1100

1800
1650

DH3SPW DH3VBW DH3W DH4SPW DH4VBW DH4W

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280SLIDEWIN

122 Symbols
C Type – 280mm

WINDOWS - 280mm

597 1194 1791 2255

990
C1FSPE C2FSPE C3FSPE C4FSPE

1274
B1FSPE B2FSPE B3FSPE B4FSPE

1557

A1FSPE A2FSPE A3FSPE A4FSPE

1840

A1SPSE A2SPSE A3SPSE A5SPSE

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280COTFANFIX

Windows 123
SD Type – 280mm

WINDOWS - 280mm

600 545 900 1045 1035 1045 1045 1755

614

SD1 SD1SP SD1X SD2 SD22 SD22P SD2SP-LR SD2X

1545 1545 2205 2045 2045

600

SD3 SD3SP SD3X SD4 SD4SP

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280SD

124 Symbols
NG Type – 280mm

WINDOWS - 280mm

533 1022 1022 1511 1511 2000 2489

569

NG5 NG2 NG7 NG10 NG11 NG12

569

NG1 NG9NC9 NG8 NG4

1409

NG1NC1 NG7NC7 NG2NC2 NG4NC4 NG10NC10 NG11NC11 NG12NC12

1685

NG1ND1 NG7ND7 NG2ND2 NG4ND4 NG10ND10 NG11ND11 NG12ND12

C:AllyCAD/symbols/windows/280NG

Windows 125
Notes:

126 Symbols
Bathrooms

Bathrooms 127
Armitage Sanitaryware
BATHROOM

WASHBASINS

IRENE KELSO MARICO TABORA

560 x 405 455 x 300 457 x 300 580 x 460

IRE_WHB KELS_WHB MAR1_WHB TAB_WHB

SANDRINGHAM SANDRINGHAM COREX MARICO

560 x 430 650 x 550 460 x 420 457 x 300

SANM1_WHB SANM2_WHB COREX_WHB MAR2_WHB

VERMONT VERMONT ORBIT ORBITA

560 x 445 660 x 550 545 x 445 620 x 490

VER1_WHB VER2_WHB ORB_WHB ORBA_WHB

KNYSNA
500 x 335

KNY_WHB

BIDETS
SANDOWN ETOSHA STRAND SANDRINGHAM VERMONT
460 x 300 530 x 340 620 x 360 575 x 385 585 x 390

SANDN_BID ETO_BID STR_BID SANDM_BID VER_BID

WC PANS

WEMMER MAGNIA
700 x 500 760 x 500

WEM_WC MAG_WC

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathroom/ARMITAGE

128 Symbols
Baths
BATHROOM

750 791

BATH-06P
BATH_P1

BATH_P2
1630

1745

BATH_P5

BATH-05P
750 791
BATH_P4
BATH_P3
1776

1358

BATH-04P
BATH_P6

BATH-03P

BATH-02P BATH-01S

BATH-02E BATH-01E

BATH-02S
BATH-01P

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathroom/BATHS

Bathrooms 129
Underbasin Cabinets
BATHROOMS

300 600 900

450

SL1 DL1 DLCM1

580 900 1200

800

VC1 VC41 VC42

1535 1800
800

VC13 VC44

1985
800

VC14

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/YOUPI

130 Symbols
Betta Sanitaryware
BATHROOMS

WASH HAND BASINS

ANTARES ATLANTIC CORNER SUPREME

670 x 540 650 x 545 700 x 500 650 x 520

WBO WAO WX1 WSO

COURIER CLOAK ROOM BASIN FLAIR KARIBIK BUILT IN VANITY ELITE

560 x 500 470 x 300 620 x 520 580 x 475

WCO WFO WKO WEO

WC PANS

EMBASSY TORRENTE HORNBERG CONSUL NEW AMBASSADOR

570 x 360 470 x 360 560 x 360 685 x 420 670 x 420

TE6 TT2 TH1 TC4 TA5

BIDETS

CONSUL NEW AMBASSADOR

FLOOR MOUNTED WALL HUNG
580 x 360 600 x 360

CONSUL AMBASS

WALL HUNG URINAL

BEN WALL
420 x 360

UA1
BEN WALL -UA1

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/BETTA

Bathrooms 131
Wash Hand Basin
BATHROOMS

1450 2290
1135

1275
WB_1P
WB_2P

1440 924

668
1100

WB_4P

WB_3P
4575
1215

WB_5P

1580 1105

WB_1E WB_2E

1460 1085
1175

WB_3E WB_4E
WB_5E

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/WH_BASIN

132 Symbols
WC Details
BATHROOMS

WC-02P
WC-01P WC-01S

BID-01P BID-02P UR-01P

WC-03P WC-01F

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/WC'S

Bathrooms 133
Vaal Sanitaryware
BATHROOMS

LAVATORY BASINS
TULIP BANTAM CAMEO LOTUS
915 x 510 455 x 280 595 x 300 635 x 485

WBB0162 WBD610
WBD0606 WBA7026

KLIP MAGNOLIA MAGNOLIA MAGNOLIA

560 x 405 560 x 405 635 x 455 635 x 455

WBB0042 WBA7007 WBA7008 WBA7009

PRESIDENT COMPACTO MIMOSA MIMOSA

610 x 435 470 x 330 560 x 405 635 x 455

WBH7025
WBD0182 WBA7015 WBA7016

MILNER MILNER MILNER

590 x 440 530 x 415 590 x 440

WBB7027
WBB7029 WBB7028

DAHLIA PARAGON PARAGON

889 x 587 717 x 690 700 x 355

BIDETS
V7720 WCB4382 WCC4380
PROTEA KLIP PROTEA LOTUS
781 x 518 885 x 570 535 x 335 590 x 380

BDA7735
WCA7100 BDA7733
WCA7500
SHOWER TRAYS
URINALS
SPRINGBOK SPRINGBOK
LAVATERA KLIP 915 x 915 780 x 780
610 x 350 710 x 380

URF7041 URF1392
SHA2451
SHA2450

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/VAAL

134 Symbols
Jacuzzi
BATHROOMS

SIENNA QUANTA11 CAMBIO/P

SUN_RALLY CAMBIO/G
AQUARIUS

MALIBU/P STUDIO100 SIENNA11

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/JACUZZI

Bathrooms 135
Falkirk Baths
BATHROOMS

STYLINE STYLINE CALYPSO

1700 x 800 1700 x 730 1710 x 760

STYLINE1 STYLINE2 CALYPSO

SHEERLINE SHEERLINE SHEERLINE

1400 x 700 1500 x 700 1700 x 700

SHEER1
SHEER2
SHEER3

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/FALKIRK

136 Symbols
Gulley Detail
BATHROOMS

150

150

INVERT LEVEL = 600mm

GROUND LINE
350 min

GLAZED EARTHENWARE
285

DISHED GULLEY
800

CAST IN CONCRETE
65

150
300

150

DETAIL SECTION OF GULLEY SCALE 1:20

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/DRAINAGE

Bathrooms 137
Drain Schematic
BATHROOMS

WHB-F WHB-S

WC-F WC-S

BATH-F BATH-S

SINK-F SINK-S

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/DRAIN

138 Symbols
Cobra Sanitaryware
BATHROOMS

WC PANS
UNITAS VORTIC DIPLOMAT PARKTOWN EASTERN SQUAT PAN VISA
CLASSIC 770 x 700 800 x 580 551 x 370 580 x 340 560 x 480 780 x 480

WCA110 WCB120 WCA130 WCB140 WCA150 WCA160 WCA180

URINALS
BIDETS
CRESTA VISA CLAREMONT
MURAL 400 x 370 580 x 400 550 x 255

URB320 VRB610 BDA740 BDA720

WASH HAND BASINS

PARMIS HANDRINSE RHAPSODY COUNTER TOP BARBICAN HANDRINSE VISA
535 x 435 580 x 415 520 x 430 580 x 415

WBB610 WBB670 WBB620 BDA740

MINA SOLA VANITY COUNTER TOP VICTORIA COUNTER TOP
455 x 280 455 x 445 535 x 435 575 x 485

WBB520 WBB510 WBD650 WBD661

BATHS
MARINA 1400 VIRGO 1700/1800 MARINA 1500 MARINA 1700

BAD802 BAD810 BAD803 BAD804

VISA 1700 VISA 1800 SALOME 1800 ATLANTA OVAL

BAD820 BAD8205 BAD8105 BAD8106

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/COBRA

Bathrooms 139
Baja Spa
BATHROOMS

TWIN

NOMAD
LOUNGE

ALAMO
CONQU

C:AllyCAD/symbols/bathrooms/BAJA

140 Symbols
Kitchens

Kitchens 141
Univa Stoves
KITCHENS

STOVES - REGENCY RANGE

895 x 650 895 x 650

650 x 604 650 x 604

EO-2AR EO-5AR

HOBS
TOUGHENED GLASS COMPACT VITREOUS ENAMEL
610 x 510 765 x 505

BH24S BH14S

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/UNIVA

142 Symbols
What? Stainless Steel
KITCHENS

2500

BATH
2000
760x1140
S900
1500

BATH
750x1750 S1050 1000

500

BATH S1350
850x1850

WHB
S1575

WC
S1800DB

S2100DB

SH
S2400DB

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/units1

Kitchens 143
Troughs
KITCHENS

EVERITE

DWT SWT

VAAL

WTD2465 WTC2460

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/TROUGHS

144 Symbols
Modulus Sinks
KITCHEN

SINK UNITS

SINGLE END BOWL DOUBLE END BOWL

1000 x 457 1350 x 457

DS1000 DS1350

DOUBLE END BOWL DOUBLE CENTRE BOWL

1500 x 457 1800 x 457

DS1500 DS1800

SINGLE WASH TROUGH PREPARATION BOWL

535 x 535 450

PB450
WT500

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/MODULUS

Kitchens 145
Stainless Steel Sinks
KITCHENS

HEIGHT = 500
SINK_1
966 1325

SINK_2 SINK_5
1350 1350

SINK_3 SINK_6
1500 1540

SINK_4 SINK_7

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/K_SINKS

146 Symbols
 KITCHEN

SINK-01P
SINK-02P SINK-03P

SINK-04P SINK-05P SINK-06P

SINK-07P SINK-08P WT-01P WT-02P

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchen/SINKS

Kitchens 147
Cupboards
KITCHENS

FLR.300 FLR.450 FLR.500 FLR.600

FLR.750 FLR.900 FLR.1000 FLR.1200
POT DRAW

FLR.300 FLR.450 FLR.500 FLR.600

WINE 5/DRAW 5/DRAW 5/DRAW FLR.750 FLR.900
U.C.O. POT DRAW

FLR.300 FLR.450 FLR.500 FLR.600

TRAY VEG VEG VEG/TRAY FLR.900
CNR

FLR.300 FLR.600
SPICE POT DRAW EXTRACT
W.750 W.900 W.1000

W.900
FLR.300 FLR.600 GLASS DOORS
SHELF U.C.O.

FLR.300 FLR.500 FLR.600 FLR.750

PULLOUT GROCERY BROOM E.L.O. W.600 W.600
MICRO EXTRACT.

FLR.300 FLR.500 FLR.600

SHELF BROOM GROCERY
FLR.900 W.300 W.450 W.500 W.600
GROCERY

W.300 W.450 W.500 W.600

FLR.450 FLR.600 WINE SHELF SHELF WINE RACK
BROOM PULLOUT

W.300 W.600
SHELF SHELF

FLR.450 FLR.600
GROCERY E.L.O.
W.300
SHELF
W.600
CNR

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/K_CUPB

148 Symbols
Defy Appliances
KITCHENS

DISHWASHERS
DISHMAID DISHMAID DELUX
850 x 600 850 x 600
600 x 600 600 x 600

DMAID DMAIDLUX

TUMBLEDRYERS
AUTODRY 45 AUTODRY 36 VARIDRY
720 x 600 720 x 600 720 x 600
600 x 520 600 x 440
600 x 520

ADRY45 ADRY36 VARIDRY

FREE STANDING STOVES

DEFY 422 DEFY 425
DEFY 119 DEFY 419 1240 x 585 1240 x 755
1140 x 585 1140 x 585

620 x 585 620 x 585 620 x 585 755 x 640

119 419
422 425
BUILT IN OVENS
GEMINI CORDON BLEU GEMINI THERMOFAN DUAL GEMINI GOURMET DOUBLE
1085 x 700 1085 x 700 1085 x 800

700 x 600 700 x 600 800 x 700

C/BLEU THERMO GOURMET

COOKING HOBS
830 x 485 830 x 485 830 x 485

CERAN SPIRAL SOLID

COOKERHOODS
GEMINI DEFY 900 DEFY 600
900 x 430 900 x 430 600 x 430

GEMINI DEFY900 DEFY600

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/DEFY

Kitchens 149
 KITCHENS

SINGLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS

1803 x 600

1250 x 525
1085 x 525

600 x 525 600 x 525 600 x 600

DR200 DR240 DR350

DOUBLE DOOR REFRIGERATORS

1800 x 700
1525 x 600
1420 x 525

700 x 600 600 x 600 700 x 600

DD250 DD290 DD430

UPRIGHT FREEZERS
1803 x 600
1514 x 600
1290 x 525

600 x 600 600 x 600 600 x 525

DD320 DF260 DF200

WASHING MACHINES
AUTOMAID AUTOMAID DELUX KOMBOMAID SUPER 650
850 x 600 850 x 600 850 x 600 850 x 600

600 x 500 600 x 550 600 x 590

600 x 500

AMAID AMAIDEL KMAID S6500

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/DEFY

150 Symbols
Barlows Appliances
KITCHENS
REFRIGERATORS PARAFFIN COMBI SUPER TWINS
REFRIG/FREEZER 195 l REFRIG
2 STAR 20 l FREEZER 166 l FREEZER
162 litres 140 l REFRIG 361 l TOTAL

600 x 500 956 x 550 600 x 650 1300 x 600 600 x 600 1621 x 600
RA116 P117 QA136

3 STAR REFRIG/FREEZER
5 STAR 25 l FREEZER 114 l FREEZER
305 litres TOTAL 275 litres 341 l REFRIG

600 x 550 1421 x 550

600 x 600 1615 x 600 600 x 600 1815 x 600
RA128
FA236 DDA145

REFRIG/FREEZER HOTEL TYPE

93 l FREEZER 84 l TOTAL
305 l REFRIG

515 x 615 1455 x 600

600 x 600 1621 x 600 R708
DA132

CHEST FREEZERS

GROSS CAP 210 l GROSS CAP 270 l

GROSS CAP 130 l STORE CAP 264 l
STORE CAP 195 l
STORE CAP 130 l

770 x 655 770 x 855 965 x 655 965 x 855

605 x 560 605 x 860
CA210 CA270
CA130

GROSS CAP 331 l GROSS CAP 420 l

STORE CAP 320 l STORE CAP 410 l

1380 x 655 1380 x 855 1380 x 655 1380 x 855

CA320 CA420

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/BARLOWS

Kitchens 151
 KITCHENS
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES
CAPACITY 6Kg CAPACITY 5Kg
PROGRAMMES 19 PROGRAMMES 16

599 x 485 599 x 850 599 x 485 599 x 850

AA206 AA205
TWIN TUB WASHING MACHINE

774 x 447 774 x 861

TF600

DRYERS

565 x 540 565 x 800 565 x 540 565 x 800

NA130 NA140
STOVES SPEEDORAMA 24
SPEEDORAMA 30

610 x 640 601 x 910

760 x 640 760 x 910
SPEED24
SPEED30

CUB
COOKARETTE

610 x 640 601 x 910

610 x 640 601 x 910
CUB
COOK
CABLE STOVE
CONSUL PLUG IN STOVE

610 x 640 601 x 910

610 x 640 601 x 910
CABLE
CONSUL
DOUBLE OVEN

720 x 610 D/OVEN 720 x 970

C:AllyCAD/symbols/kitchens/BARLOWS

152 Symbols
Electrical

Electrical 153
General Symbols

ELECTRIC

40
3W 3 76x76
A

3PWSSO14 3WCC A0038 B

A A0008E A0009E BR

100x100

DW E EA EAGS
CF DLFF DSO3 DTFL

3 60A SF F

F FFIT FSSM FSSO14

FL IAC
PL

LS

LSS LVO MB MC P PB PILOTL

SC SCB SCO SK SL SLAVEC SLFF SLFT

SPSSM SS03 SSOF SSOPWC SSOSM3

SSOR14 SSOR3 SSOSM14

3 30A 3 30A 60A 60A 3 60A 3 60A 60A

TPCPD TPIFSCL TPIFSOL TPMCCB

TPCNO TPI(NLD) TPI

2W SW W
2W V W Whm

WMF WSSM WSSO14

TWSR TWSSM V W WHM

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/GENERAL

154 Symbols
Diagrams Symbols

ELECTRIC

A0001D A0005D A0006D A0007D A0009D

A0002D A0003D A0004D A0008D

A0020D A0023D A0027D

A0022D A0024D A0025D A0026D A0028D
A0021D

TP DP

C0002D C0003D C0004D

A0037D A0038D A0039D C0001D C0005D C0006D C0007D

aux 1 3 5

C
2 30A

2 4 6

C0019D C0020D C0021D C0023D CB0004D

RELAYCONDUCTOR

20A
3

GS

M E
L

MOTORISED E0001D E0002D E0003D E0004D IN0001D IN0002D IN0003D

A2 A1

A2 A1 A2 A1
A

A A

PB0003D R0001D R0002D R0003D R0004D R0005D R0006D

5A

S0001D S0002D S0003D S0004D S0005D S0006D S0007D S0008D S0009D S0010D

2 3
1 4

S0020D S0021D S0022D S0024D

S0023D

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/DIAGRAMS

Electrical 155
 ELECTRIC
MS
1
MS
1
M
M G
1
M
- - 3
M
-
A0010D A0011D A0012D A0013D A0015D A0016D A0017D A0018D
A0014D

A0029D A0030D A0031D A0032D A0033D A0034D A0035D A0036D

C0009D C0010D C0011D C0012D C0013D C0015D C0016D C0017D

3 2 1 0
10 10 10 10

3 30A
M

C0024D C0025D CB0001D CB0003D

C0026D C0027D CB0002D

IN0004D IN0005D IS0001D IS0003D PB0001D PB0002D R0007D

IS0002D

n
0

FR

R0009D R0010D R0011D R0013D R0014D R0015D S0011D

R0012D

3 60A
3 60A 3 60A

S0012D
S0013D S0014D S0015D S0016D S0017D S0018D S0019D

L1 L2

T0001D T0003D T0004D T0005D A0019D C0008D C0018D R0008D

S0025D T0002D

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/DIAGRAMS

156 Symbols
Electric

ELECTRIC

. .

020106
020101 020102 020103 020104 020105

50 Hz 100...600 kHz 3N 50Hz 400/230 V

020205 020206 020207 020209 020210 020211

I=0 5

020303 020304 020305 020306 020307 020308

020405 020406 020501 020502 020503 020504

=0 0

020603 020604 020605 020801 020802 020804 021210

021003 021004 021005 021006 021201 021202 021209

021211 021212 021213 021214

021221

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-1

Electrical 157
 ELECTRIC

. 2M 220/110 V

020201 020202 020203 020204 020213

020107

N M

020214 020215 020216 020301 020302 020309 020310 020401

020402 020403 020404 020505 020506 020507 020508

020601 020602 020805 020901 020980 020902 021001

021002 021204 021205 021206 021207

021203 021208

021215 021217 021218

021216 021219 021220

021304 021308 021309

021305 021306 021307

021222 021223 021301 021302 021303

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-1

158 Symbols
 ELETRIC

021310 021311 021312 021313 021314 021315

021322 021323 021324 021325 021326 021327

021502 021504 021701 021702 021703 021704

110 V
3
2
2 x120 mm Al

030102 030103 030104

030201 030202

030110 030111 030112 030113 3

n
10 n GS
L1

L3
030209 030210 030211 030212 030213 030214

030317 030319 030382 030320

030383

3 3

V -t O
3

040101 040103 040104 040180

030406 030384

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-2

Electrical 159
 ELETRIC

021316 021317 021318 021319 021320 021321

%H2O
11 12 13 14 15 16

021401 021402 021403 021404 021405

030203

021705 021706 021708 021709 030101

3N 50Hz 400 V

3 x120 1+ 50
x

030105 030106 030107 030108 030109

231232233234235236

030205 030281 030206 030207

030280

030301 030303 030305 030308 030315

030307

3 3

030403 030404 030405

030385

+t O +t O

040181 040105 040106 040107 040108

P1

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-2

160 Symbols
 ELECTRIC

040109 040110 040111 040112 040203 040205

040303 040304 040305 040306 040307 040308

050107 050109 050110 050111 050112 050113

050120 050121 050122 050123 050124 050201

O
t

050303 050304 050305 050306 050307 050308

050406 050407 050408 050409 050410 050411

050504 050505 050506 050507 050508 050509

050516 050517 050601 050602 050603 050604

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRSOO2-3

Electrical 161
 ELECTRIC

O
t V

040207 040209 040215 040216 040283 040301

050101 050102 050103 050104 050105 050106

050114 050115 050116 050117 050118 050119

050202 050203 050204 050205 050301 050302

050309 050401 050402 050403 050404 050405

050412 050413 050414 050501 050502 050503

050510 050511 050512 050513 050514 050515

6 3 m
m

060101 060102 060103 060104 060105 060106

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-3

162 Symbols
 ELECTRIC

060210 060211 060212 060213 060301 060302

M M G
G M G
M

060501 060502 060503 060504 060505

3
GS C M M
M M
3
3 1

060704 060801 060802 060804

060705
060803

060909 061002 061004 061006

061010

061018

061016 061084
061106
061086

061404 061405 061406 061491 061501 061503

070209 070301 070380 070302 070381 070303

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-4

Electrical 163
 ELECTRIC
M M
G

060303 060304 060401 060402 060403 060404

GS MS GS
M M 1
M 3
1 1
3

060601 060701
060602 060603 060702 060703

M
3

060903
060805 060902 060905 060907
060904

061082
061012

061081 061014

061083
061102 061104
061189

061401 061402 061403

061290
061202

070202 070203 070205 070206 070208

070204

070382 070401 070402 070403 070404 070502

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-4

164 Symbols
 ELECTRIC

070583 070584 070585 070504 070505 070586

070801
070690 070701 070702 070703 070704

tO

070992 071001 071002 071003

071107 071108 071109

1 2 3 4 5 6

071112 071113
071101

071402 071403 071404 071405 071406 071407

071507 071595 071508 071509 071510 071514

I I V=0 I I
N

071607 071608 071611 071701 071702 071796

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec-sym/NRS002-5

Electrical 165
 ELECTRIC

070601 070602 070687 070688 070603 070689

tO tO

070802 070803 070901 070902 070903 070991

1 2 3 4

071104 071105 071106

071110 071111
071103
A B B D
E
18 6
D A C
F

071201 E 071401
071202
C 071203

071102

071408 071501 071503 071505 071593 071594

V
rsd

V I I
d
071603

071521 071601 071602 Q 071604 071605

1 Mvar

U
I 2 (I ) 5A
P 50...80V I
5...10A 3A
5...10s 130%

071703 071704 071705 071706 071707 071708

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec-sym/NRS002-5

166 Symbols
 ELECTRIC
1

N m 3 n 0
Z
1 5x

071712 071801
071709 071710 071713 071714

Fe

072004 072103
072002 072003 072101 072102

072204 080102
072201 072202 072205 080101

V
Hz l Vd

080208 080211
080206 080207 080209 080210

Ah Wh
h Wh Wh

080402 080405
080303 080401 080403 080404

Wh

Wh Wh
varh
Pmax Pmax

080414 080502
080412 080413 080415 080501

080605 080702
080603 080604 080606 080701

081081 081008
081003 081004 081005 081006

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec-sym/NRS002-6

Electrical 167
 ELECTRIC

071802 071901 071902 071903 071904 072001

072104 072105 072106 072107 P1 072109

A W
V var cos
I sin Pmax

080103 080201 080202 080203 080204 080205

NaCl O W W var
t n

080212 080213 080214 080215 080301 080302

Wh
Wh Wh Wh Wh
Wh P

080406 080407 080408 080409 080410 080411

n 3 2 1 0
0 10 10 10 10 n

080503 080504 080505 080506 080601

080703 080801 080802 080803 081001 081002

081009 081010 081012

P1

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-6

168 Symbols
 ELECTRIC

021501 030205 030206 030207 030401

060208 060209 060901 060906 060908 060910

061080 061009 061011 061013 061015 061017

061105 061201 061301 061302 061303 061304

070104 070105 070106 070107 070108 071301

071308 071309 072203

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-7

Electrical 169
 ELECTRIC

030486 040201 060205 060206 060207

060911 061001 061003 061005

061007 061008

P1 061087 061088 061101 061103

061305 061306 061307 070101 070102 070103

071302 071303 071304 071305 071306 071307

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/NRS002-7

170 Symbols
 ELECTRIC

PT
METER *

A0001E A0002E A0003E A0004E A0005E A0006E

HT LT A M STOVE A/C

A0013E A0014E A0015E A0016E A0017E A0018E

CR

A0025E A0026E A0027E A0028E A0029E A0030E

A0047E A0038E A0039E A0040E A0041E

A0047E A0048E A0049E

* G G G

A0007E A0008E A0009E A0010E A0011E A0012E

A0019E A0020E A0021E A0022E A0023E A0024E

BATT UPS DOL

A0031E A0032E A0033E A0034E A0035E A0036E

M E DOL

A0042E A0043E A0044E A0045E A0046E

2
2 SHAVE

A0050E S0001E S0002E S0003E S0004E S0005E

C:AllyCAD/symbols/elec_sym/ELECGEN

Electrical 171
Roofs

Roofs 173
Tiles
ROOFS

332 420

LUDLOW LUDLOWE VERG

420
332

D_ROMAN D_ROMANE RIDGE

420
332

MONARCH MONARCHE VENT

420
332

MENDIP MENDIPE

MONO_P

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/M_TILES

174 Symbols
Sheeting

ROOFS

EVERITE

412 1110

BROWNBUILT CANADIAN

BBT CAN

736 1000

SYMOSEAL
CANALIT

SYM

SP6

920

CORRUGATED

COR

H.H. ROBERTSON
737 800

IBR NU-RIB

IBR TBR

770
770
SHOULDER RIB
SECRET FIX

SRB
FIX

678

BOLD LINE

BLN

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/R_SHEET1

Roofs 175
 ROOFS

345 323,8

B50 B75

602 771,5

Q21 RIB

318,5 325,5

QD MAC

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/R_SHEET

176 Symbols
Flashing

ROOFS

125x75x10m ANGLE RAIL WELDED TO 100x

100x10mm ANGLE CLEAT WITH PURPOSE
MADE GALVANISED FLASHING.

PATENT GLAZING TO MANUFACTUERS SPEC.

PURPOSE MADE FLASHING OVER GLAZING.

90x65x10mm MILD STEEL ANGLE PURLIN.

380x150x2mm GALVANISED GUTTER W ITH

40x10m GUTTER STRAPS AT 450mm C/C.

10mm THICK MILD STEEL GUSSET PLATE.

BOTTOM CHORD FROM 2 65x50x8mm ANGLES.

DETAIL : back gutter : south light

" " OR E.A. ROOFING SHEET

ON 76x50mm S.A.P. PURLINS AT 1100mm
CENTRES MAXIMUM.

230x15mm ASBESTOS CEMENT BARGE BOARD

FIXED TO 76x50mm S.A.P. PURLIN ENDS
W ITH COPPER NAILS.

GABLE END W ITH BEAM FILLING BUILT

HARD AGAINST UNDERSIDE OF ROOF SHEET.

DETAIL : barge overhang. scale 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

Roofs 177
 ROOFS

"MARLEY LUDLOW" OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM WITH ROOF UNDERLAY.

38x38mm S.A.P. BRANDERING W ITH 38mm

GLASS FIBRE INSULATION, 6,4m GYPSUM
CEILING AND 75mm CIVED GYPSUM CORNICE.

114x38mm S.A.P. W ALL PLATE FIXED TO THE

W ALLS W ITH 2 4mm O GALVANISED W IRE AT
1000mm MAXIMUM CENTRES.

125x100mm GALVANISED GUTTER W ITH 76mm

O DOWN PIPES AND 230x15mm ASBESTOS
CEMENT FASCIA.

13mm THICK, ONE COAT, CEMENT PLASTER

FINISHED W ITH A STEEL TROW EL.

DETAIL : eaves overhang with gutter

"MARLEY LUDLOW" OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM, W ITH 250 MICRON
ROOF UNDERLAY. MONO RIDGE TILES
FIXED WITH MORTAR BEDDING POINTED
AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ROOF PLANE AND
FIXED WITH NON-CORRODABLE SERRATED
FIXING NAILS.

CUT RAFTER APEX BACK AS INDICATED

AND PROVIDE 152x25 S.A.P. TIMBER
PACKING (WROT) AS INDICATED.

GABLE WALL BUILT TO UNDERSIDE OF TILE.

DETAIL : apex mono pitch scale : 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

178 Symbols
 ROOFS

"MARLEY LUDLOW " OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMMUM WITH ROOF UNDERLAY.

38x38mm S.A.P. BRANDERING W ITH 38mm

GLASS FIBRE INSULATION, 6,4mm GYPSUM
CEILING AND 75mm COVED GYPSUM CORNICE.

114x38mm S.A.P. W ALL PLATE FIXED TO THE

WALLS BY MEANS OF 2 STRINGS OF O 4mm
GALVANISED W IRE, 6 COURSES DEEP, AT
1000mm CENTRES MAXIMUM.

13mm THICK, ONE COAT, CEMENT PLASTER

FINISHED W ITH A STEEL TROW EL.

DETAIL : eaves overhang without gutter scale : 1:10

"MARLEY MENDIP" OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM WITH 250 MICRON ROOF
UNDERLAY, WITH PURPOSE MADE GALVANISED
VALLEY GUTTER OF 200x38mm.

CUT TILES ALONG LINE OF VALLEY AND

PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 600mm W IDE ROOF
UNDERLAY STRIP UNDER VALEY GUTTER.

DETAIL : open roof valley scale : 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

Roofs 179
 ROOFS

" " OR E.A. ROOFING SHEET

ON 76x50mm S.A.P. PURLINS AT 1100mm
CETRES MAXIMUM. PROVIDE 1,2mm THICK
GALVANISED RIDGE AND ROOF END CLOSERS.

DISTANCE FROM TOP PURLIN TO RAFTER

NOT TO EXCEED 25mm.

OPENING BETW EEN APEX OF ROOF SHEETS

NOT TO EXCEED 30mm MAXIMUM.

DETAIL : roof ridge. scale 1:10

600mm
" " OR E.A. ROOF SHEET
X,XmmTHICK ON 76x50mm S.A.P. PURLINS
AT 1100mm C/C MAXIMUM.

38x38mm S.A.P. BRANDERING W ITH 38mm

GLASS FIBRE INSULATION, 6,4mm GYPSUM
CEILING AND 75mm COVED GYPSUM CORNICE.

114x38mm S.A.P. W ALL PLATE FIXED TO THE

W ALLS BY MEANS OF 2 STRINGS OF O 4mm
GALVANISED W IRE, 6 COURSES DEEP, AT
1000mm CENTRES MAXIMUM.

125x100mm GALVANISED GUTTER W ITH 76mm

O DOW N PIPES AND 230x15mm ASBESTOS
CEMENT FASCIA.

13mm THICK, ONE COAT, CEMENT PLASTER

FINISHED W ITH A STEEL TROWEL.

DETAIL : eaves overhang with gutter. scale 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

180 Symbols
 ROOFS

" " OR E.A. ROOF SHEETING

X,Xmm THICK ON 76x50mm S.A.P. PURLINS
AT 1100mm CENTRES MAXIMUM AND PURPOSE
MADE GALVANISED VALLEY GUTTER 200x
38mm OF 1,2mm GALVANISED SHEET METAL.

PROVIDE A 600mm W IDE ROOF UNDERLAY

UNDER VALLEY.

DETAIL : roof valley. scale 1:10

" " OR E.A. ROOF SHEETING

X,Xmm THICK ON 76x50mm S.A.P. PURLINS
AT 1100mm CENTRES MAXIMUM, WITH COVER
FLSHING AND PURPOSE MADE GALVANISED
VALLEY GUTTER 200x75mm OF 1,2mm GAL-
VANISED SHEET METAL WITH ALL W OOD
PACKING AS REQUIRED

GUTTER SIZE TO BE IN PROPORTION TO

CALCULATED EXPECTED MAXIMUM TAINW ATER
FLOW .

DETAIL : back gutter. scale 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

Roofs 181
 ROOFS

"MARLEY MONARCH" OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM, W ITH ROOF UNDERLAY.
RAKE VERGE TILES FIXED TO BATTENS WITH
NON-CORRODABLE SCREW S.

EN BATTEN 50x38mm S.A.P. WITH FIRST

TILE 30mm MINIMUM FROM OUTSIDE EDGE.

GABLE W ALL END BEAM FILLING BUILT

HARD AGAINST UNDERSIDE OF ROOF TILES.

DETAIL : barge overhang

scale : 1:10

"MARLEY LUDLOW " OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM, W ITH 250 MICRON
ROOF UNDERLAY. TAPERED RIDGE TILES
FIXED W ITH EDGE BEDDING ONLY. MORTAR
POINTED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ROOF PLANE.

DISTANCE FROM TOP BATTEN TO RAFTER

APEX NOT TO EXCEED 25mm.

OPENING BETW EEN TOP COURSES OF TILES

NOT TO EXCEED 10mm MAXIMUM.

DETAIL : roof ridge junction scale : 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

182 Symbols
 ROOFS

"MARLEY LUDLOW " OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM W ITH 250 MICRON ROOF
UNDERLAY, WITH PURPOSE MADE GALVANISED
FLASHING DRESSED W ELL OVER FIRST TILE
CONTOUR.

DETAIL : side apron flashing scale : 1:10

80mm PREFERRED

"MARLEY LUDLOW" OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
40mm MIN 345mm C/C MAXIMUM W ITH 250 MICRON ROOF
UNDERLAY, W ITH PURPOSE MADE GALVANISED
FLASHING AND GUTTER 80x38mm W ITH W OOD
PACKING AS INDICATED.

DETAIL : concealed gutter scale : 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

Roofs 183
 ROOFS

" " OR E.A. ROOF SHEETING

X,Xmm THICK ON 75x50mm S.A.P. PURLINS
AT 1100mm CENTRES MAXIMUM W ITH GAL-
VANISED FLASHING AND COUNTER FLASHING
DRESSED WELL OVER FIRST SHEET RIDGE.

DETAIL : side apron flashing. scale 1:10

"EVERITE " BIG SIX RIDGE CAPPING

"EVERITE " BIG SIX OR E.A. ROOF SHEET

6mm THICK ON 90x65x10mm ANGLE PURLINS.

PURPOSE MADE FLASHING OVER GLAZING.

125x75x10mm AND 80x60x10mm ANGLE RAILS

W ELDED TOGETHER AND BOLTED TO 100x75x
10mm ANGLE BRACKET BOLTED TO GUSSET
PLATE AND RAFTER.

PATENT GLAZING TO MANUFACTURERS SPEC.

STEEL GUSSET PLATE TO ENGINEERS SPEC.

TW O 125x75x12mm TOP BOOM ANGLES FIXED

TO 225x75x10mm ANGLE CLEAT BOLTED TO
GUSSET PLATE.

DETAIL : apex : south light.

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

184 Symbols
 ROOFS

"MARLEY LUDLOW " OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM WITH 250 MICRON ROOF
UNDERLAY, WITH PURPOSE MADE GALVANISED
FLASHING AND GUTTER 80x38mm W ITH W OOD
PACKING AS INDICATED.

GUTTER SIZE TO BE IN PROPORTION TO

CALCULATED EXPECTED MAXIMUM TAINW ATER
FLOW .

DETAIL : back gutter scale : 1:10

250mm
100mm

75mm

FLASHING TO BE ANCHORED AT 750mm C/C

MAXIMUM WITH COPING FLASHING ANCHORED
AND SEALED WITH NEOPRENE WASHERS AT
900mm C/C MAXIMUM ON FORMED TIMBER
PACKING PIECES.

" " OR E.A. ROOF

SHEET X,Xmm THICK ON 76x50mm S.A.P.
PURLINS AT 1100mm CENTRES MAXIMUM.

200x100x100x6mm STEEL SHOES AGAINST

W ALL AND TRUSSES W ITH 12mm O RAW L OR
EQUAL APPROVED BOLTS.

PROVIDE "BRICKFORCE" OR EQUAL EVERY

THREE COURSES ABOVE CEILING HEIGHT.

DETAIL : juntion against wall scale 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

Roofs 185
 ROOFS

"MARLEY LUDLOW " OR E.A. CONCRETE ROOF

TILES ON 38x38mm S.A.P. BATTENS AT
345mm C/C MAXIMUM W ITH 250 MICRON ROOF
UNDERLAY, WITH PURPOSE MADE GALVANISED
FLASHING.

DETAIL : top apron flashing scale : 1:10

250mm
100mm

75mm

FLASHING TO BE ANCHORED AT 750mm C/C

MAXIMUM W ITH COPING FLASHING ANCHORED
AND SEALED W ITH NEOPRENE W ASHERS AT
900mm C/C MAXIMUM ON FORMED TIMBER
PACKING PIECES.

" " OR E.A. ROOF

SHEET X,Xmm THICK ON 76x50mm S.A.P.
PURLINS AT 1100mm CENTRES MAXIMUM.

200x100x100x6mm STEEL SHOES AGAINST

WALL AND TRUSSES W ITH 12mm O RAWL OR
EQUAL APPROVED BOLTS.

PROVIDE "BRICKFORCE" OR EQUAL EVERY

THREE COURSES ABOVE CEILING HEIGHT.

DETAIL : juntion against wall scale 1:10

C:AllyCAD/symbols/roofs/

186 Symbols
Piping

Piping 187
Water Pipe Joins and Bends

PIPING

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
100B90 100GT 150EL 150E90 150TEE 200EL9 200EST 200GT 200L30 200L45 20060 200LR9 200LST 200MR4

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
200MR9 200MST 200TEE 225EL9 250TP250E45 250EL9 250EST 250GT9 250L30 250L45 250L60 250LR9 250MR4

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
250MST 250RC2 250STL 250T90 300200 300250 300BEL 300EL9 300EST 300GT 300L30 300L45 300L60

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
300LR9 300LST 300M32 300MR9 300MST 300ST9 350EL9 350EST 350GT 350L30

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
350L45 350L60 350LR9 350LST 350MST 350ST9 350STL 400250 400EL9 400EST

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
400GT 400L30 400L45 400L60 400LR9 400LST 400MR9 400MST

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
400ST9 400STL 450EL9 450EST 450L30 450L45 450L60 450LR9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-WATER

188 Symbols
 PIPING

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
450LST 450MST 450RC4 450ST 450STL 500EL4 500EL9 550EST

MS MS MS MS MS MS
500GT 500L30 500L45 500L60 500LR9 500LST

MS MS MS MS MS MS MS MS
500MR2 500MR4 500MR9 500MST 500ST 550RL9 550EST 550GT

MS MS MS MS MS MS
550L30 550L45 550L60 550LR9 550LST 550MST

MS MS MS MS MS MS
550ST 600EL9 600EST 600GT 600L30 600L45

MS MS MS MS MS MS
600L60 600LR9 600LST 600MR2 600MR4 600MR9

MS MS MS MS MS
900MB2 900MR2 900MR4 900MST 900TEE

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-WATER

Piping 189
 PIPING

MS MS MS MS MS MS
600MST 600RC3 600ST 650EST 650GT 650L30

MS MS MS MS MS
650L45 650L60 650LR9 650LST 650MR2

MS MS MS MS MS MS
650MST 650ST 700CR 700EL9 700EST 700GT

MS MS MS MS MS
700L30 700L45 700L60 700LR9 700LST

MS MS MS MS MS MS
700MR2 700MST 700ST 750ST 750GT 750L30

MS MS MS MS MS
750L45 750L60 750LR9 750LST 750MR2

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-WATER

190 Symbols
 PIPING

MS MS MS MS MS MS
750MST 750TEE 800E90 800EST 800GT9 800L60

MS MS MS MS MS
800L30 800L45 800LR9 800LST 800MR2

MS MS MS MS MS
MS
800MR9 800ST 850EST 850GT 800MR4
800MST

MS MS MS MS MS
850L30 850L45 850L60 850LST 850TEE

MS MS MS MS MS
850MST 900EST 900GT9 900L30 900E90

MS MS MS MS
900L45 900L60 900LST 900MR9

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-WATER

Piping 191
Pipe CL

PIPING

CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI
150E90 150LR90 100_X 100DRT 100E_Y 100E11100E22 100E45 100E90 100ET 100L45 100LR2

150[

267

CI CI CI CI CI CI CI
100LR4 100LR9 100P_F 100RT9 150_GV 150DF9 150_X

CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CI
150BEL 150DRT 150E_Y 150E11 150E22 150E45 150E90 150L45 150LR2

CI CI CI CI CI CI
150LR4 150LR9 150P_F 150R_T 150TEE 200BEL

CI CI CI CI CI CI CI
200E11 200E22 200E45 200E90 200L45 200P_F 200RSV
318

200[

535
CI CI CI CI CI
200TEE 250BEC 250E_X 250E90 250P_F
CI
200SCV

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-CI

192 Symbols
 PIPING

CI CI CI CI CI CI
300BELL CI
300_X 300E45 300E90 300L45 300R_T
300LR9

CI CI CI CI CI
300P_F 300TEE 350E90 350LR9 350P_F

CI CI CI CI CI CI
400_X 400E_Y 400E45 400E90 400LR9 525BELL

CI CI
400TEE CI CI
400P_F
500P_F 525_X

CI CI CI CI
525DRT 525_Y 75B90 300END

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-CI

Piping 193
 PIPING

CI CI CI CI CI
525E45 525E90 525L45 525LR9 600BEL

CI CI CI CI
535P_F 525RT9 525TEE 600_X

CI CI CI CI
600DRT 600E_Y 600E45 600E90

CI CI CI CI
600L45 600P_F 600RT9 600TEE

C:AllyCAD/symbols/piping/PIPE-CI

194 Symbols
TURN V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2005
KNOWLEDGE BASE
 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (hereafter referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the software, Civil
Designer, subject to the following conditions:
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each computer upon which the
Licensee wishes to have simultaneous use of the software.
3. It is the Licensee’s responsibility to insure the program for the full
current replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the
program, security disk or security module, or damage to any of the
foregoing, the license must be re-purchased in full.
4. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
5. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself – nor through any
subsidiary, agent or third party – sell, lease, license, sub-license or
otherwise deal in the software.
6. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and all
other rights used or embodied in or associated with the software
remain the sole property of the Licensor and its principals.
7. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any
such rights at any time.
8. No warranty of any kind is expressed or implied with regard to the
use or application of the software or its fitness for any particular
purpose. The verification of all results and output is entirely the
responsibility of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and its manual, Knowledge Base cc, its employees
and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage (including in
particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and penalties)
suffered by the Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in
connection with the Civil Designer program or the use thereof
whether such loss or damage results from breach of contract
(including a fundamental breach), negligence or any other cause and
whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee
arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil
Designer program or the use thereof, whether or not this contract is
at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 1-1
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3
Online documentation 1-4
Conventions used in this manual 1-5
Menus and functions 1-5
Mouse 1-5
Cross references 1-5
Diagrams 1-5

REFERENCE 2-1
Defining a Tracking Path centre line 2-2
Auto Define 2-3
Manual Define 2-3
Turn Setup 2-4
Active Vehicle 2-6
Simulation Settings 2-6
Envelope Drawing Settings 2-8
Creating a new Vehicle File 2-8
Add a Vehicle to a Vehicle File 2-9
Running a Simulation 2-10
Forward Movement 2-10
Reverse Movement 2-11
Add a Vehicle Profile 2-12
Delete Simulation 2-12
Vehicle Dimension Dialog 2-13
Single Unit Vehicles 2-14
Articulated Vehicles 2-15
Vehicles with full trailers 2-16
Vehicles with Semi-Trailers 2-17
Aircraft 2-18
Cargo Point Tracking 2-21
Simulation Results 2-23
Minimum Turning Circle Envelope 2-25
Dynamic Simulation 2-29

TUTORIAL 1 – CREATE A NEW VEHICLE FILE 3-1

Set up a project 3-2
Create a new Vehicle File 3-3
Add a user defined vehicle 3-5
TUTORIAL 2 – RUN A FORWARD SIMULATION 4-1
Edit the Turn Setup 4-2
Define the track path 4-3
Run the Simulation 4-4
Add a Vehicle Profile 4-6

TUTORIAL 3 – RUN A REVERSE SIMULATION 5-1

Edit the Turn Setup 5-2
Define the track path 5-3
Run the Simulation 5-4

TUTORIAL 4 – CARGO TRACKING 6-1

Edit the Setup dialog 6-2
Specify the cargo limits 6-3
Track the cargo limits 6-4

TUTORIAL 5 – MINIMUM TURNING CIRCLE 7-1

Edit the Minimum Turning Circle Setup. 7-2
Create a Minimum turning circle Envelope 7-4
Introduction
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by
civil engineers for civil engineers, to save you time, effort
and money. Now you can work faster, smarter and
accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets
you up and running without delay. It shows you how to
accomplish the most common tasks and provides tips on
the exciting and innovative new features to be found in
Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on
experience with the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start a track simulation
• How to view and output the results of the simulation

Introduction 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears
onscreen such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to
introduce new terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a
command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”

Menu commands appear with the path separated by an

arrow. The instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to
the path you follow by opening the Draw menu, the
Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the Ellipse option.

1-2 Civil Designer Turn

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00
Mondays to Fridays excluding public holidays at the
Knowledge Base Support Centre at 086

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use
and more comprehensive than those typically found in
other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this
manual and provides complete answers to virtually any
question you may have about features or how to use Civil
Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any
time, or by pressing F1 during the display of any of the
dialogs in the program. The help items can be printed
using the File ►
Print option of the Help window or the Print button on the
toolbar.

Introduction 1-3
 Online documentation
The User Guide and the Reference Manual are supplied
on the CD-ROM in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You have
the option to install the Acrobat Reader when installing
Civil Designer. This allows you to browse through the
manual, to search for specific subjects, and to print out
all or any selection of pages.

1-4 Civil Designer Turn

Conventions used in this manual

Menus and functions

All the functions in Civil Designer are described in detail
in the online Reference Manual.

Mouse
In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left
mouse button unless otherwise specified. When a click
with your right mouse button is required, the terms right
click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button

quickly.

Cross references
When a function is mentioned, it is mentioned together
with the menu in which it can be found. For example, see
Line (Chained) in the Reference Manual means that the
Line (Chained) function is described in the Reference
Manual.
See Accurate Drawing means that you should refer to the
chapter on Accurate Drawing in your Civil Designer User
Guide.

Diagrams
All diagrams are shown with the cursor in Freehand mode
except where Civil Designer automatically uses another
mode. However, other modes may be used (see Snap
Modes in the Reference Manual).

Introduction 1-5
1-6 Civil Designer Turn
Reference
The Civil Designer Turn program is an integrated module
of Civil Designer which simulates low speed turning
maneuvers of user defined vehicles along a specified
tracking path.
This chapter describes each function in detail.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-1

Defining a Tracking Path centre line
A tracking path is the path that will be used in simulating
vehicle movement. This path can be defined by drawing
lines and arcs in CAD. There are however a couple of
guidelines to be followed in doing this:

• The tracking path must start and end with a

straight line.
• When reverse simulation around a curve has to be
done, a straight line must follow each curve.
• The path can be drawn in any CAD layer, but it
makes sense to draw it in a separate layer.

It is a good idea to use the Draw ► Line arc line function in

CAD for this purpose.
The tracking path that has been drawn must now be
coordinated before a simulation can be done. This is
done using the Turn ► Define Path menu option.

2-2 Civil Designer Turn

 Auto Define
Select the Turn ► Define Path ► Auto Tracking option from
the main menu, or Right click on the Define path icon on
the Turn toolbar.
Use the Auto Define function if the path has been drawn
in the same sequence as the desired vehicle movement.
You will be prompted to indicate the start of the path and
the program will automatically track the path and
coordinate it.

Manual Define
Select the Turn ► Define Path ► Manual Tracking option from
the main menu, or Left click on the Define path icon on
the Turn toolbar.
Use this option if Auto Define did not give the desired
result. This function will prompt you to indicate each line
or arc in sequence of vehicle movement.
Right click to indicate the end of the path.
As you define the path using either one of these options,
the elements will be highlighted to enable you to verify the
result. The coordination will be done according to the
Coordination Interval value specified in the Setup dialog.

Remember that it will be impossible for a driver to

exactly follow a pre defined tracking path along a real
roadway. Therefore, the results must be used rather
conservatively and extra allowance beyond the generated
envelopes must be made for driver variation according to
sound engineering discretion.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-3

Turn Setup
Press the Setup icon on the Turn toolbar, or select the
Turn ► Setup option from the main menu to display the
Setup dialog.

Group File Name Specify the Vehicle Library (*.vcl) file to use. Use
the “…” button to Browse.
Vehicle Select the active vehicle from the list.
Add Vehicle Press this button to add a vehicle to the library
Delete Vehicle Press this button to remove a vehicle from the
vehicle library
Tractor Starting Enter the angle at which the steering wheels
Angle must be before simulation
Trailer 1 Starting Enter the angle at which tractor - trailer1 must be
Angle before simulation
Trailer 2 Starting Enter the angle at which tractor1 - trailer2 must
Angle be before simulation
Coordination Enter the coordination interval
Interval
Simulation Type Specify whether the program must generate a
Swept path, or track path.

2-4 Civil Designer Turn

 Simulation Specify whether the movement will be forward or
Direction reverse.
Draw Vehicle at Check this option to draw the vehicle at control
control points points after simulation
Enforce Steering Check this option to terminate the simulation if
Angle Limits the maximum steer angles have been exceeded
Show Results Check this option to display the Results dialog
dialog after after simulation
simulation
Vehicle Drawing Enter the Layer name for vehicle that may be
(Layer Name) drawn on control points
Vehicle Drawing Select the Pen colour for the vehicle drawing
(Pen)
Vehicle Drawing Select the Line Type for the vehicle drawing
(Line Type)
Track Path(Layer Enter the Layer name in which the Track Path will
Name) be drawn
Track Path (Tractor Select a Pen colour for the Tractor's Track path
Pen)
Track Path (Tractor Select a line Type for the Tractor's Track path
LT)
Track Path (Trailer Select a Pen colour for the Trailer1's Track path
1 Pen)
Track Path (Trailer Select a line Type for the Trailer1's Track path
1 LT)
Track Path (Trailer Select a Pen colour for the Trailer2's Track path
2 Pen)
Track Path (Trailer Select a line Type for the Trailer2's Track path
2 LT)
Swept Path (Layer Enter the Layer name in which the Swept Path
Name) will be drawn
Swept Path (Pen) Select a Pen colour for the Swept path
Swept Path (LT) Select a line Type for the Swept path
Apply Cargo Point Click this button to display the Cargo point
Tracking Tracking Designer
Cargo Line Pen Select a Pen colour for the Cargo point tracking
line
Cargo Line LT Select a line Type for the Cargo point tracking
line

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-5

 Active Vehicle
Specify the Vehicle Group File Name to be used, using the
File Open dialog when clicking the File […] button.
When a Vehicle group file is specified an Active vehicle,
can be selected from the Vehicle combo box. Click on the
Add Vehicle option to add a new vehicle to the current
Vehicle Group file. A vehicle can also be deleted from the
group file by clicking the Delete Vehicle button.
The Angle (decimal) at which the vehicle and trailers must
start the simulation can be specified in the Tractor
Starting Angle, Trailer1 Starting Angle and Trailer2
Starting Angle edit boxes. These options only apply when
forward vehicle movement is simulated.

Simulation Settings
The interval, at which the defined track path must be
coordinated, can be specified in the Coordination Interval
(m) edit box. If you make this value small (0.3 to 0.1m)
the simulation will be accurate but slow. The program will
also add more line entities to the drawing structure.
Care must be taken when simulating an articulated
vehicle movement in the reverse direction, especially if the
kingpin location is in front of the rear axle, not to make
the coordination interval to small (at least equal to the
distance between the rear axle and king-pin). A good
average Coordination interval is in the vicinity of 0.2 to
1.5 m.
Use the Simulation Type combo box to specify the type of
simulation needed. This option can be set to:
• None
Nothing will be drawn.
• Track Path
The position of the wheels of the vehicle and
trailers along its path will be drawn.

2-6 Civil Designer Turn

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• Swept Path
The amount of space the vehicle and trailers will
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The Simulation Direction can be set to either Forward, or

Reverse. This direction refers to the vehicle itself and not
the direction in which the vehicle travels on the track
path.
If the Draw Vehicles on Control Points checkbox is
checked, a vehicle diagram will be drawn at the start and
end of each curve and transition curve.
If the Enforce Steering Angle limits checkbox is checked,
the program will stop the simulation and warn the user
when the maximum steering angles are exceeded. If this

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-7

 option is unchecked, simulation will continue regardless
of the steering angles along the tracking path.
Select the Show Result dialog after Simulation to display
the Result dialog after each simulation.

Envelope Drawing Settings

The drawing layer, line type and pen colour can be
specified for each of the simulation types specified in the
Simulation Type combo box, as well as the Vehicle
diagram.
When the Apply Cargo Point Tracking check box is
checked the program will track a point specified in the
Cargo point Tracking dialog along the specified tracking
path. This tracking line will be drawn in the specified line
type and pen colour.
Select Run Simulation to do point tracking in the forward,
or reverse direction. Point tracking can be done on its
own, or in conjunction with either the swept, or track
path. Press the Designer button to display the Cargo Point
Tracking Designer dialog box where the position of the
cargo point relative to the active vehicle can be specified.
The Vehicle Dimension dialog can be displayed directly
from this dialog by pressing the Edit Vehicle Dimensions
button.

Creating a new Vehicle File

A Vehicle file is an ASCII file, which can be edited in any
text editor. It can contain a number of user-defined
vehicles, which will be used when simulating vehicle
movement along a pre-defined tracking path. These files
have a *.vcl file extension. A standard vehicle file
containing some TRH 17 vehicles is supplied with the
program.
To create a new Vehicle file, select the Turn ► Setup from
the main menu to display the setup dialog. Click on the
File button next to the file name edit box to display a
Windows File Open dialog. In this dialog you can either
select an existing file, or specify a new file name, which
will be created automatically.
Once the file has been created you will be returned to the
Setup dialog. If you created a new file, it will be totally
empty and there will be no vehicles listed in the Vehicle
combo box.

2-8 Civil Designer Turn

 Add a Vehicle to a Vehicle File
The Turn vehicle group file (*.VCL) is totally user
configurable. You can add, edit or delete vehicles at any
time.
Press the Add Vehicle button on the Setup dialog.

Vehicle Name Enter the vehicle name

Type of Select a vehicle configuration from the list
Vehicle
OK Click this button to Add the vehicle
Cancel Click this button to cancel the function

Enter a name for the new vehicle in the Vehicle Name edit
box. This name (32 characters long) will be listed in the
Vehicle combo box in the Setup dialog. In the Type of
Vehicle combo box, specify the type of vehicle that has to
be added.
There are 13 standard vehicle types, which will determine
the bitmap in the Vehicle Dimensions dialog as well as
the profile symbol that will be used when running Add
Profile. This setting will also be used in doing a realistic
simulation. You may have more than one vehicle in a
Vehicle File of the same type, as long as they have
different Vehicle Names.
Press OK to enter dimensions for the newly added vehicle
using the Vehicle Dimension dialog.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-9

Running a Simulation
Select the Turn ► Run Simulation option from the main
menu or press the Run Simulation icon from the Turn
toolbar to simulate a vehicle movement.
The Vehicle movement of the Active Vehicle will be
simulated along a pre-defined track path in the direction
specified in the Setup dialog.
The direction in the Setup dialog can be set to either
forward, or reverse. This direction refers to the vehicle
itself and not the direction in which the vehicle travels on
the track path.
While the simulation is taking place the program will
constantly check whether the vehicle exceeds its
maximum steering angle as well as the maximum angles
between the tractor and trailers.
When these maximum angles are exceeded, the program
will stop the simulation and prompt a reason why it has
stopped. This action can however be override by
disabling the Enforce Steering Angle limits check box in
the Setup dialog.

Forward Movement
When the vehicle is moving in a forward direction, the
center point of its front axle will always be on the
specified track path. The angle of its front wheels will
always be parallel to the tangent line on a circle or
parallel to a straight line.
The rear wheels of the vehicle will always follow a straight
line between its current position and the previous
position of the front wheels. The same rule applies when
there are trailers connected to the vehicle.
The assumption is made that the vehicle is moving at
vary low speed (parking speed). When a vehicle then
enters a curve, the driver will be able to turn the wheels
in the new direction within a negligibly short distance
therefore no transition curves have to be used for forward
motion.

2-10 Civil Designer Turn

 Reverse Movement
In the reverse direction the center point of the rear axle of
the vehicle, or last trailer will follow the track path. This
rear axle will always be perpendicular to the tangent line
on a circle, or straight line. This also determines the
angle at which the vehicle is traveling and the angle of the
steering wheels will then be calculated accordingly.
When there are trailers connected to the vehicle, it is no
longer safe to assume that no transition curve is needed
although the vehicle is moving at vary low speed. The
driver of the vehicle must maneuver the vehicle in such a
way that it pushes the trailer into the curve.
In order to perform such a maneuver, there must be a
transition period before the trailer enters, or exits the
circular curve. This also means that the center of the
trailer’s rear axle will no longer follow the defined path
exactly around the circular curve.
This discrepancy depends on the length of the transition
curves, which the program will calculate according to the
maximum steering angle of the vehicle. This will ensure
that the transition curves and therefore the discrepancy
be kept as short as possible.

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The direction of movement, active vehicle and the

coordination interval can be changed without re-defining
the track path. The program will automatically re-
coordinate the track path and insert transition curves
when needed.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-11

 Because a driver can successfully negotiate the same
turn in different ways, additional allowance must be
made for driver variability, according to sound
engineering judgment over and above what might have
been made during forward maneuvers.

When simulating trailer or semi trailer reverse

maneuvers, extra clearance of +- ¾ of the vehicle width
should be applied on each side of the envelope.

Add a Vehicle Profile

A vehicle profile is a symbol of the active vehicle, similar
to the drawing in the Vehicle Dimension dialog that can
be placed onto the main drawing.
These symbols exist in a symbol drawing which is
supplied with the program called VehicleSymbols.drg and
will be stored in the Symbols sub-directory of the
installation directory.
Select the Turn ► Add Profile option from the main menu,
or press the Add Simulation icon on the Turn toolbar to
add a vehicle profile.
You will be prompted to indicate the position where you
want the profile to be placed as well as the desired
rotation.

Delete Simulation
Select the Turn ► Delete Run option, or press the Delete
Simulation button on the Turn toolbar to delete the last
simulation. The CAD layers for the Track Path, Swept
Path and Vehicle Drawing as specified in the Setup dialog
will be deleted.

2-12 Civil Designer Turn

Vehicle Dimension Dialog
Select the Turn ► Vehicle Dimension option from the main
menu or press the Vehicle Dimension icon on the Turn
toolbar to display the vehicle dimensions of the active
vehicle.
There are 13 standard vehicle types, which can be used to
define most standard vehicles. You can have more than
one vehicle in the group file from the same vehicle type,
as long as each vehicle name is unique. These vehicle
types, dictates the format of the Vehicle dimension dialog
as well as the simulation process.
All the dimensions on these dialogs as well as the Vehicle
Name can be edited and will be stored in the Vehicle
Group File when OK is pressed. When changing the
Vehicle name, you can either change the name of the
current vehicle, or create a new vehicle with the changed
name.
The 13 vehicle types can be sub-divided into 5 main
groups namely, Single Unit Vehicles, Articulated Vehicles,
Vehicles with full trailers, Vehicles with semi-trailers and
Aircraft. These vehicle groups will be discussed
subsequently.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-13

 Single Unit Vehicles
The following vehicles are single unit vehicles:
• Passenger Car
• Single Unit Truck
• Single Unit Bus
• Forklift
• Tractor vehicles for the other vehicle groups

1 2 3

Dimension 1 Front Overhang. The distance from the center

of the front wheel to the front bumper
Dimension 2 Wheelbase. The distance between the center
of the front wheels and the center of the rear
axle group.
Dimension 3 Rear Overhang. The distance from the center
of the rear wheel to the rear bumper
Max. Steer Angle The maximum angle (in degrees) that the
steering wheels can be turned to either side.
Track Width The distance from the outer-most point of the
right wheel to the outer-most point of the left
wheel.
Total Width The greatest width of the vehicle’s body.

The Forklift Vehicle type steers with its rear wheels.

2-14 Civil Designer Turn

 Articulated Vehicles
The following vehicles are articulated vehicles:
• Articulated Truck, with or without trailers.
• Articulated Bus

2 4
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Dimension 1 The distance rear bumper of the tractor to the

center point of the kingpin.
Dimension 2 The distance from the center of the kingpin to
the front of the trailer.
Dimension 3 The distance from the center of the kingpin to
the center of the trailer’s rear axle group.
Dimension 4 The distance the center of the trailer’s rear
axle group to the trailer’s rear bumper.
Max. Tractor/Trailer The maximum allowable angle (in degrees)
Angle between the tractor and trailer.
Track Width The distance from the outer-most point of the
right wheel to the outer-most point of the left
wheel.
Total Width The greatest width of the trailer’s body.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-15

 Vehicles with full trailers
The following vehicles are vehicles with trailers:
• Single Unit Truck \ Trailer.
• Articulated Truck \ Trailer.

2 3 4

Dimension 1 The Distance from the tractor’s tow bar to the

trailer’s front axle.
Dimension 2 The distance from the trailer’s front axle to the
front of the trailer’s body..
Dimension 3 The distance between the trailer’s front axle
and the trailer’s rear axle group.
Dimension 4 The distance from the trailer’s rear axle group
to the trailer’s bumper.
Max. Tractor/Trailer The maximum allowable angle (in degrees)
Angle between the tractor and trailer.
Track Width The distance from the outer-most point of the
right wheel to the outer-most point of the left
wheel.
Total Width The greatest width of the trailer’s body.

2-16 Civil Designer Turn

 Vehicles with Semi-Trailers
The following vehicles are vehicles with semi-trailers:
• Passenger Car\Semi-Trailer.
• Single Unit Bus \ Semi-Trailer.

1
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Dimension 1 The Distance from the tractor’s tow bar to the

front of the trailer’s body.
Dimension 2 The distance from the front of the trailer’s body
to the center of the trailer’s axle group.
Dimension 3 The distance from the trailer’s rear axle group
to the trailer’s rear bumper.
Max. Tractor/Trailer The maximum allowable angle (in degrees)
Angle between the tractor and trailer.
Track Width The distance from the outer-most point of the
right wheel to the outer-most point of the left
wheel.
Total Width The greatest width of the trailer’s body.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-17

 Aircraft
The following vehicles are aircraft:
• Aircraft (Nose Steer).
• Aircraft (Tail Steer).
Two aircraft vehicle types have been added to the list. The
first for aircraft with the normal tricycle undercarriage,
that steers with the nose wheel. The second aircraft type
is for aircraft where the main landing wheels are situated
at the front and steers with the tail wheel (i.e. tail
draggers).

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2-18 Civil Designer Turn

 Plan View
The dimensions at the bottom of the drawing indicate
positions where the wings and tail are attached to the
aircraft’s body.
Dimension 1 Distance from the nose to the base of the
wing.
Dimension 2 Width of the wing against the aircraft’s body.
Dimension 3 Distance between the back of the wing and the
base of the tail.
Dimension 4 Width of the tail against the aircraft’s body.
Dimension 5 Distance from the back of the tail to the tip of
the tail.

The sum of these dimensions is equal to the total length

of the aircraft.
The dimensions at the top of the drawing specify the
positions of the wing tips and tail tips relative to the base
of the wings and tail.
Dimension 6 The Distance from the base of the wing to the
front point of the wing tip.
Dimension 7 The width of the wing at the wing tips.
Dimension 8 The Distance from the base of the tail to the
front point of the tail tip.
Dimension 9 The width of the tail at the tail tips.

Side Elevation
Dimension 10 Front Overhang: Distance from the nose
to the center of the front wheel.
Dimension 11 Wheelbase: Distance between the center of
the front wheel/s and the center of the rear
wheel, or main wheel group.

Overall dimensions
Wing Span The distance from the left wing tip to the right
wing tip.
Tail Width The distance from the left tail tip to the right tail
tip.
Body Width The width of the widest part of the aircraft‘s
body.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-19

 Landing Gear Dimensions

Rear/Front Track width The distance between the outside edges of the
main wheels.
Front wheel diam The diameter of the front wheel/s.
Rear wheel diam The diameter of the rear wheel/s

For aircraft with compound main landing wheels, the

Front/ Rear wheel diameter should be equal to the total
length of the wheel group.

Note: If the position of the pilot has to be tracked, use

the Cargo Point Tracking function.

2-20 Civil Designer Turn

Cargo Point Tracking
Press the Designer button on the Setup dialog to display
the Cargo point-tracking dialog.

Cargo Location Select this option if the cargo is located on the

(Tractor) Tractor
Cargo Location Select this option if the cargo is located on Trailer 1
(Trailer 1)
Cargo Location Select this option if the cargo is located on Trailer 2
(Trailer 2)
Point Position (H- Enter the Horizontal coordinate of the cargo point
Coord)
Point Position (V- Enter the Vertical coordinate of the cargo point
Coord)
H-Coord Current Horizontal Cursor coordinate. Zero position
is in the centre of the front axle.
V-Coord Current Vertical Cursor coordinate. Zero position is
on the front axle.
OK Click this button to Add the vehicle
Cancel Click this button to cancel the function

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-21

 A plan view of the active vehicle will be drawn on the
display area when the dialog opens. You can alter the
view in the display area by magnifying (m key), de-
magnifying (d key), panning (p key), refreshing (s key) or
redrawing (r key).
The 0,0 coordinate is situated at the center of the
vehicle's front axle. You can specify the location of the
cargo by using the radio buttons in the [Cargo Location]
group. The active part location will be highlighted in a
cyan pen.
The cargo point can be specified by graphically indicating
the position on the display area, or entering the
coordinates in the [Point Position] group. You can also
snap to the nearest point on the drawing by pressing the
"J" key.
A blue circle represents the cargo point that will be
tracked when running the next simulation.
Press OK to accept the changes and to return to the Turn
Setup Dialog.

2-22 Civil Designer Turn

Simulation Results
Select the Turn ► Display Results option from the main
menu, or press the Results icon on the Turn toolbar.

Simulation Array Displays a list of steering angles for the vehicle and
trailers for every coordinated chainage
Simulation Graph Displays a graph of the array. Every column will be
plotted against the chainage.
Alignment Dsiplays a summary of the alignment that the
Sumary vehicle followed.
Don’t show this heck this option to not display this dialog after
dialog again simulation
Print Click this button to print the output data
Don’t print array Check this option to disable array printing.
Export Array Check this option to export the array to an ASCII
file.
Close Click this button to Add the vehicle

If the Show Result dialog after Simulation option was

selected in the Turn Setup Dialog, or the Display Results
menu item was selected and a simulation was done the
results dialog will be displayed.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-23

 Select the Don't show this dialog again option not to
display the dialog automatically after simulation.
The dialog will graph the turning angles of the various
trailers as well as the steering angle of the tractor against
the centerline chainage of the track path. The maximum
angles as specified in the vehicle dimensions option will
also be indicated. The graph and array, as well as an
alignment summary can be printed using the Print
button.
Press Close to close the Results dialog.

2-24 Civil Designer Turn

Minimum Turning Circle Envelope
Select the Turn ► Minimum Envelope ► Minimum Envelope
Setup option, or left click on the Minimum Envelope icon
on the Turn toolbar to display this dialog:

Method Select the envelope method to use

Kerb Radius Enter the kerb radius around which the vehicle
must move
Through lane Enter the lane width available
width
Coordination Enter the coordination interval for the run"
interval
Simulation type Select the simulation type
Turning Specify whether the vehicle must turn to the Left,
Direction or to the Right
Simulation Select the direction of movement
Direction
Turn Through Enter the angle through which the vehicle must
turn to complete the maneuver

The coordination interval and Simulation type can be set

in this dialog in the same way as in the main setup
dialog. When creating a Reverse envelope, the program
will automatically calculate the optimum coordination
interval for the curve.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-25

 The turning direction can be set to either left or right.
The [Turn through] option can be set to any angle
between 0 and 180 degrees.
When pressing OK you will be prompted to indicate the
start point of the envelope, as well as the initial direction
of movement before turning through the specified angle
and direction.
When selecting the Turn ► Minimum Envelope ► Create
Minimum Envelope option or right click on the Minimum
Envelope icon on the Turn toolbar, the setup dialog will
not be displayed and you will be prompted to indicate
start point and direction as before. The envelope will be
created using the previous settings.

2-26 Civil Designer Turn

 Absolute minimum envelope
The program will simulate a turn at low speeds with the
steering wheels at the maximum angle as specified in the
vehicle file. It is assumed that the distance in which the
steering wheels are turned is negligibly small, because of
the low speed at which the vehicle is traveling.
In a maneuver like this, it is possible (especially with long
trailers) that the maximum specified angle between
tractor and trailer might be reached. When this happens
the program will automatically calculate a new steering
angle in order to avoid reaching these maximum angles.

The turning angle graph will look like this:

TRH 17 Template
This method will create a minimum turning envelope in
such a way that the outer front wheel will travel exactly
on a circular curve, which means that the vehicle reaches
its maximum steering angle close to the crest of such a
circle.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-27

 The turning angle graph will look like this:

Around a Kerb
When running this method, the program will use a
specified kerb radius and lane width to calculate the
minimum turning envelope for a vehicle that has to turn
around the specified kerb.
The following formulas will be used:
RIR = RK + (W - w) / 2 + 0.6
2 2 2 0.5
ROF = [ (RIR + W) + L1 + L2 ]
Where:
L1 Wheelbase of the Tractor

L2 Wheelbase of semitrailer

w Track Width

W Trough lane width

RK Kerb Radius

RIR Inner rear track radius

ROF Outer front track radius

Note: Because the TRH formulas are used to calculate

ROF, it is possible that ROF > RK + W for small kerb
radii. The vehicle might therefore move outside the
specified lane width for small kerb radii.

2-28 Civil Designer Turn

Dynamic Simulation
Select the Turn ► Minimum Envelope ► Minimum Envelope
Setup option

No pre-defined track path is necessary to run a

simulation using this function.

Procedure
The program will prompt:
Indicate Vehicle start position.
Graphically indicate the position where the centre point of
the vehicle's front axle must be.
The program will prompt:
Indicate Vehicle direction of initial movement:
A rubber-band will be drawn from the start position to the
cursor position. Use the rubber-band to indicate the
vehicle's orientation before movement. A vehicle diagram
will now be drawn at the start of the simulation.
The Program will prompt:
Indicate Waypoint
Click on a point where the vehicle must move to.
The Program will prompt:
Do you want the vehicle to move around an
obstacle?
Click on "Yes" if you want to specify an obstacle (typically
a column, or lift shaft corner point in a parking garage)
around which the vehicle must move.
If you clicked "Yes" then the following prompts will
appear:
1. Indicate the position of the obstacle
Graphically indicate the position of the obstacle using
the available snap modes and jumps.
2. Do you want the vehicle to pass to the
LEFT of the obstacle? (else to the RIGHT)
Click on "Yes" if the vehicle should pass to the left of
the obstacle and "No" if the vehicle should pass to the
right of the obstacle.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 2-29

 3. Enter the desired clearance distance from
the obstacle:
Enter the minimum clearance distance by which the
vehicle should clear the obstacle.

The vehicle will immediately turn its steering wheels

toward the indicated waypoint and start moving in that
direction. When the steering wheels reach their maximum
steering angle, the vehicle will turn at its maximum
steering angle, therefore turning at its minimum turning
radius, until the wheels can be turned directly towards
the waypoint.
If an obstacle was indicated, then the vehicle will first
move around the obstacle and then head towards the
waypoint. The movement around the waypoint will be
done at the vehicle's maximum turning angle.
The program will repeatedly ask for waypoints and
obstacles, running the simulation from waypoint to
waypoint, until you press Esc.

2-30 Civil Designer Turn

 Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle
File
This tutorial will show you haw to create a user defined
vehicle group file. You will learn how to:
• Set up a project in Civil Designer / AllyCAD
• Create a new Vehicle Group file (*.vcl)
• Add a User defined vehicle to the file.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 3-1

Set up a project
A project containing a drawing must be created before the
Turn functions can be used.
Select the File ► New Project option in any mode. Check
the [Drawing] option and in the File open dialog, specify
the drawing to be C:\CivDes64\Drawings\TrackTutor.drg
and press Open to enter the drawing name into the New
Project dialog.

Press OK and create a new project file with the following

name:
C:\CivDes64\Examplas\TrackTutor.cdp

3-2 Civil Designer Turn

Create a new Vehicle File
Open the Turn Setup dialog by selecting [Turn][Setup]
from the Design Center menu, or press the Setup button
on the Turn toolbar.

Press the File Open […] button next to the “Group File
Name”. Scroll to the “C:\CivDes64\Examples” directory
and type the file name “Tutor Vehicles.vcl” into the [File
Name] edit box.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 3-3

 Press [Open] and create a new file. You will then be
returned to the Setup dialog.
You just created a new Vehicle group file. Note that the
Vehicle combo box in the Setup dialog is empty.

3-4 Civil Designer Turn

Add a user defined vehicle
We will now add a vehicle to the file. Press the [Add
Vehicle] button on the Setup dialog to display the Add
Vehicle dialog. Specify the new vehicle name and type as
follows:

Press OK to create the vehicle and open the Vehicle

dimension dialog.
Edit the Vehicle dimensions as follows:

Press OK to return to the Setup dialog. The new vehicle

will now be added to the Vehicle group file and therefore
be included in the [Vehicle] combo box. Make sure that
the “23 m Interlink” is selected. Press OK to close the
Setup dialog.
In this tutorial we created a Vehicle file called “Tutor
Vehicles.vcl” which includes a single vehicle called “23 m
Interlink”.

Tutorial 1 – Create a New Vehicle File 3-5

Tutorial 2 – Run a forward simulation
In this tutorial we will use the vehicle file created in
Tutorial 1 and run a forward simulation.
You will learn how to:
• Edit the Turn setup
• Define the track path
• Run the simulation
• Add a Vehicle profile

Tutorial 2 – Run a forward simulation 4-1

Edit the Turn Setup
Select the Turn ► Setup option or press the Setup button
on the Turn toolbar. Make sure the “TutorVehicles.vcl”
file is open and the active vehicle is the “23 m Interlink”.
Change the Coordination Interval and Simulation Type to
“0.5m” and “Track Path” respectively.
Check the Draw Vehicles at control points option to draw a
vehicle diagram at every control point on your track path.
Change the rest of the dialog as follows:

We are changing the Layer names because we will be

running a Reverse simulation in a later exercise.

4-2 Civil Designer Turn

Define the track path
The track path is already drawn on the TrackTutor.drg
drawing and is situated on the TURN_CL layer. There are
two track paths on the drawing, a forward path (indicated
by a green arrow) and a reverse path (indicated by a blue
arrow).
Select the Turn ► Define Path ► Manual Tracking option from
the Design Centre menu, or left click on the Define Path
button on the Turn toolbar.

You will be prompted:

Select the road centre line one element at a
time
Start at the green arrow and click on each track path
element. Right click to indicate the end of the path.
The program will now calculate coordinates at 0.5 m
increments along the specified path. These coordinates
will be kept in memory until you run Define Path again.

Tutorial 2 – Run a forward simulation 4-3

Run the Simulation
Select the Turn ► Run Simulation option from the Design
Centre window, or press the Run Simulation icon on the
Turn toolbar. The vehicle will move along the track path
and leave behind the tracks of the vehicle’s wheels.
The Simulation Results dialog will be displayed auto-
matically.

You can use the graph to see exactly at which point any
of the limiting angles (as specified in the Dimension
dialog) were exceeded. Press the Print button to print the
results.

4-4 Civil Designer Turn

 Your drawing should now look like this.

The tracks generated by the simulation are poly-lines.

You can therefore select and move them to fit within the
curb lines.

Tutorial 2 – Run a forward simulation 4-5

Add a Vehicle Profile
A Vehicle profile is a drawing similar to that of the Vehicle
dimension dialog.
Select the Turn ► Add Profile option or press the Add Profile
button on the Turn toolbar.
You will be prompted:
Indicate position for vehicle profile
Indicate a suitable position by left clicking on the
drawing. You will be prompted:
Convert Attributes to Text during load
Press YES. You will now be given the opportunity to move
and rotate the profile.
Your drawing should now look like this:

4-6 Civil Designer Turn

Tutorial 3 – Run a Reverse simulation
In this tutorial we will use the vehicle file created in
Tutorial 1 and run a forward simulation.
You will learn how to:
• Edit the Turn setup
• Define the track path
• Run the simulation

Tutorial 4 – Cargo Tracking 5-1

Edit the Turn Setup
Select the Turn ► Setup option or press the Setup button
on the Turn toolbar. Make sure the “TutorVehicles.vcl”
file is open and the active vehicle is the “23 m Interlink”.
Change the Coordination Interval and Simulation Type
settings to “0.5m” and “Swept Path” respectively.
Change the Simulation Direction to “Reverse.”
Check the Draw Vehicles at control points option to draw a
vehicle diagram at every control point on your track path.
Change the rest of the dialog as follows:

We are changing the Layer names because the program

automatically deletes the specified layers in the [Envelope
drawing settings] group, before running a new simulation.

5-2 Civil Designer Turn

Define the track path
The track path is already drawn on the TrackTutor.drg
drawing and is situated on the TURN_CL layer. There are
two track paths on the drawing, a forward path (indicated
by a green arrow) and a reverse path (indicated by a blue
arrow).
Select the Turn ► Define Path ► Manual Tracking option or left
click on the Define Path button on the Turn toolbar.

The program will prompt:

Select the road centre line one element at a
time
Start at the blue arrow and click on each track path
element and right click to indicate the end of the path.
The program will now calculate coordinates at 0.5 m
increments along the specified path. These coordinates
will be kept in memory until you run Define Path again.

Tutorial 4 – Cargo Tracking 5-3

Run the Simulation
Select the Turn ► Run Simulation option or press the Run
Simulation icon on the Turn toolbar. The vehicle will
move along the track path and leave behind the area that
the vehicle consumed.
The Simulation Results dialog will be displayed
automatically.

You can use the graph to see exactly at which point any
of the limiting angles (as specified in the Dimension
dialog) were exceeded. Press the Print button to print the
results.

5-4 Civil Designer Turn

 Your drawing should now look like this.

The envelope generated by the simulation consists of

poly-lines. You can therefore select and move the
envelope to fit within the building lines.

Tutorial 4 – Cargo Tracking 5-5

Tutorial 4 – Cargo Tracking
This routine enables you to simulate a vehicle with a
cargo that extends beyond the body of the vehicle. The
cargo’s limits can be specified and will be tracked when
running the next simulation.
In this tutorial you will learn how to:
• Edit the Setup dialog.
• Specify the cargo limits.
• Turn the cargo limits.

Tutorial 4 – Cargo Tracking 6-1

Edit the Setup dialog
Select the Turn ► Setup option or press the Setup button
on the Turn toolbar. Make sure the “TutorVehicles.vcl”
file is open and the active vehicle is the “23 m Interlink”.
Check the Apply Cargo point Tracking check box in the
Drawing Envelope Settings group.
Specify a pen colour for the Cargo Line.
Set the Simulation Type to “None” and the Simulation
Direction to “Forward”.

Cargo tracking can also be done in conjunction with any

Simulation type (i.e. Track Path, or Swept Path).

6-2 Civil Designer Turn

Specify the cargo limits
Press the Designer button on the Setup dialog to display
the Cargo point Tracking dialog.
A diagram of the active vehicle will be drawn in the view
area of the dialog. You can alter the view by magnifying
[M], de-magnifying [D], panning [P], redrawing [R] or
refreshing [S].
The cargo that we will simulate is situated on the first
trailer, and extends 1.5 m beyond the front axle of the
tractor.
Check the Trailer 1 radio button in the Cargo Location
group. The first trailer will be highlighted in a cyan pen.
Enter the H-Coord as “1.2”, which indicates that the
cargo is situated on the right hand side of the trailer.
Enter the V-Coord as “–1.5”, which means that the cargo
is situated 1.5 m in front of the tractor’s front axle.

You can also indicate the cargo position by using your

mouse as well as jumping to the nearest point using the
“J” key. A blue circle indicates the cargo position.
Press OK to return to the Setup dialog.

Tutorial 4 – Cargo Tracking 6-3

Track the cargo limits
Define the correct track path as in Tutorial 2.
Select the Turn ► Run Simulation option or press the Run
Simulation icon on the Turn toolbar.

The vehicle will move along the track path and leave
behind a line, which represents the position of the defined
cargo position along the path.

6-4 Civil Designer Turn

Tutorial 5 – Minimum Turning Circle
This function enables you to create a minimum turning
circle envelope. The vehicle will move in a specified
direction and then turn at its maximum steering angle.
In this tutorial you will learn:
• Edit the Minimum Turning Circle setup.
• Create a Minimum Turning Circle envelope.

Tutorial 5 – Minimum Turning Circle 7-1

Edit the Minimum Turning Circle Setup.
Select the Turn ► Minimum Envelope option or left click on
the Minimum Envelope icon on the Turn toolbar. The
Minimum Turning Envelope dialog will be displayed.

The Coordination Interval and Simulation Type options are

exactly the same as in the main Setup dialog.
The Simulation direction option can be set to either
“Forward” or “Single Unit Reverse”. This means that you
may create an envelope with the vehicle running forward,
but it may only reverse if there are no trailers connected
to it.
Refer to the following illustrations for the explanation of
the Turning Direction and Turn Through options.

Turn Through: 90 deg.

Turn Direction:
LEFT

Initial Direction of movement

7-2 Civil Designer Turn

 Turn Direction:
Turn Through: 180 deg.

T LEF
Initial Direction of movement

Press OK to close the Minimum Turning Envelope dialog.

Tutorial 5 – Minimum Turning Circle 7-3

Create a Minimum turning circle Envelope
The program will prompt:
Indicate Start point of minimum turning
circle envelope
Indicate the position where you want the vehicle to start
the movement.
The program will then prompt
Indicate direction of initial movement
A line will be drawn from the indicated starting point to
the current cursor position. Use this line to indicate the
direction at which the vehicle must start moving.
The active vehicle will then move in the indicated
direction and turn at its maximum steering angle in the
specified direction, through the specified angle.
You can select and move the envelope and use it as a
template.

7-4 Civil Designer Turn

 WATER V6.4
Reference Manual

Copyright 2006

KNOWLEDGE BASE / Kosta Tutunovic

 Conditions of Sale
The purchaser (hereafter referred to as the Licensee) hereby accepts a
non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software, Civil
Designer, subject to the following conditions:
1. The license fee shall be payable in advance and this agreement
commences on said date of purchase.
2. A separate license fee is payable for each computer upon which the
Licensee wishes to have simultaneous use of the software.
3. It is the Licensee’s responsibility to insure the program for the full
current replacement value. In the event of theft or loss of the
program, security disk or security module, or damage to any of the
foregoing, the license must be re-purchased in full.
4. The Licensee undertakes not to copy, except for backup purposes,
reproduce, translate, adapt, vary or modify the software, nor to
communicate the software to any third party other than the
Licensee’s employees, without the Licensor’s prior written consent.
5. The Licensee agrees that it shall not itself – nor through any
subsidiary, agent or third party – sell, lease, license, sub-license or
otherwise deal in the software.
6. The Licensee acknowledges that any and all of the intellectual
property rights including trademark, trade name, copyright and all
other rights used or embodied in or associated with the software
remain the sole property of the Licensor and its principals.
7. The Licensee shall not question or dispute the ownership of any such
rights at any time.
8. No warranty of any kind is expressed or implied with regard to the
use or application of the software or its fitness for any particular
purpose. The verification of all results and output is entirely the
responsibility of the purchaser.
9. While every care has been taken in the preparation of the Civil
Designer program and its manual, Knowledge Base cc, its employees
and agents shall not be liable for any loss or damage (including in
particular, consequential losses, loss of profits and penalties) suffered
by the Licensee arising from any cause whatsoever in connection with
the Civil Designer program or the use thereof whether such loss or
damage results from breach of contract (including a fundamental
breach), negligence or any other cause and whether or not this
contract is at any time cancelled by the Licensee arising from any
cause whatsoever in connection with the Civil Designer program or
the use thereof, whether or not this contract is at any time cancelled.
 Table of Contents
WELCOME 1-1
Where do I go from here? 1-1
Typefaces in this manual 1-2
Conventions used in this manual 1-2
How to get support 1-3
On-line help 1-3
Online documentation 1-4

DATA PREPARATION 2-1

Alpha-numerically 2-1
Graphically – schematic or trace over 2-1
ASCII 2-1
CAD 2-2
Other Packages 2-4
Units 2-5
Symbols 2-5
Sign convention 2-6

TUTORIAL 1 – WATER BASICS 3-1

Create a new project 3-2
Convert Drawing Entities 3-4
Default settings 3-5
Importing the CAD entities 3-7
Display settings 3-8
Modifying the model 3-10
Global editing of pipe properties 3-11
Editing node information 3-12
Editing the Reservoir Information 3-13
Inserting a pump station 3-15
Editing pump information 3-16
Analysing the model 3-17
Viewing the results 3-19
Colour scheme 3-19
Tabular 3-21
Graphs 3-22
Databases 3-23
View Table 3-23
Execute SQL 3-23
Plotting long sections 3-25

WORKING ENVIRONMENT 4-1

WATER Screen 4-1
 Title Bar 4-2
Menu Bar 4-2
Prompt Area and Control Bar 4-2
Vertical Toolbar 4-3
Work Area 4-5
Work Area Shortcuts 4-5
Information Area 4-7

FILE MENU 5-1

New Project 5-2
Drawing File 5-3
Terrain File 5-3
WATER File 5-4
Open Project 5-5
Edit Project 5-6
Save Project 5-6
Save Project As 5-6
Close Project 5-6
Merge WATER File 5-6
Set Auto Compact 5-7
Import 5-7
Aquanet for DOS File 5-8
Wadiso 3.0 File 5-9
Pipen 2 & 3 Files 5-9
Text File 5-10
Convert Drawing Entities 5-11
Export Wadiso 5-13
Output Manager 5-15
Security 5-16
Exit 5-16

DATA 6-1
Spin Buttons 6-1
Demand Patterns 6-2
Summary 6-4
Pipes 6-5
General 6-5
Check Valves 6-15
Longitudinal Sections 6-16
Nodes 6-17
Reservoirs 6-19
General 6-19
Connections 6-20
Shape 6-21
Pump Stations 6-22
 General 6-23
Layout 6-23
Pump tabs 6-23
Characteristics 6-23
Controls 6-25
Applying the Controls 6-26
Adding and removing pumps 6-27
Pump Catalogue 6-28
Valves 6-29
General 6-29
Operation and Settings 6-30
Characteristics 6-32
Pressure Release Chamber 6-33
Data Spreadsheet 6-34
Adjust Demands 6-35
Apply fixed factor 6-36
Distribute According to Pipe Lengths 6-36
Read from Consumption Database 6-36
Monitor Consumption 6-37
Update Elevations 6-38

GRAPHICAL MENU 7-1

Add Pipe 7-1
Add Reservoir 7-1
Add Pump 7-1
Add Valve 7-1
Add Pressure Release Chamber 7-2
Move 7-2
Insert 7-2
Join 7-2
Connect 7-3
Insert Bend 7-3
Delete Bend 7-3
Water Specific Snaps 7-3

GROUPS 8-1
Create New 8-2
Set Current 8-2
Delete 8-2
Settings 8-2
Move selected to 8-2

ANALYSIS 9-1
Error Checking 9-1
Single Step Analysis 9-2
 Specific Time 9-3
Average Demand 9-3
Maximum Demand 9-4
Minimum Demand 9-4
Time Simulation 9-4
Long Term Simulation 9-7
Quantities 9-8

WATER LOSSES 9-11

Terms related to water losses 9-11
Parameters influencing water losses 9-12
Importance of pressure 9-13
Ways to establish Unit Loss 9-13
Implementation in Water Module 9-14
Water Losses Settings 9-15
Water Losses Report 9-16
Water Losses Graph 9-17

RESULTS 10-1
Results Browser 10-2
Pipes 10-3
Nodes 10-4
Reservoirs 10-5
Pumps 10-6
Valves 10-7
Pressure Release Chambers 10-8
Pipe Report 10-9
Pressure Report 10-10
Reservoir Report 10-11
Pump Station Report 10-12

GRAPHS 11-1
Pipes 11-2
Nodes 11-2
Reservoirs 11-2
Pump Stations 11-2
Valves 11-3
Pressure Release Chambers 11-3
Retrieve Results 11-4
Pump Curves 11-5
Vertical Alignment 11-6

DATABASES 12-1
View Table 12-2
Execute SQL 12-3
 Pipe Catalogue 12-6
Pump Catalogue 12-7

PLOT 13-1
Generate 13-2
Plotting a long section 13-3
Plotting a Plan 13-4
Sheet File Editor 13-5
Plotting Regions 13-5
Preview Page 13-5

SETTINGS 14-1
Pipe Defaults 14-2
Node Defaults 14-3
Project Settings 14-4
Display Settings 14-5
Pipes 14-5
Nodes 14-6
Reservoirs 14-6
Pump Stations 14-7
Valves 14-7
Pressure Release Chambers 14-8
Selection Filters 14-9
Example: (Pipe selection). 14-11

APPENDIX A - SUMMARY OF EQUATIONS 15-1

Flow resistance in pipelines 15-1
The Hazen-Williams formula 15-1
The D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation 15-2
Calculation of head losses in WATER 15-3

APPENDIX B - SQL COMMAND LANGUAGE 16-1

SQL commands for Execute SQL 16-1
To create a database 16-2
To create tables 16-2
To insert values into tables 16-3
To update values in a table 16-3
To add a column to a table 16-4
To delete a table 16-4
To delete a column from a table 16-4
To delete rows from tables 16-4
To determine the number of rows in table 16-5
SQL Arithmetic statements 16-6
To determine the total of several values 16-6
To determine the difference 16-6
 To sum columns 16-6
To calculate the average value in a column 16-7
To determine the minimum value in a column 16-7
To determine the maximum value in a column 16-7
To determine integer of the value in a column 16-7
To trim the average consumption value calculated above 16-8
SQL Condition statements 16-9
Like 16-9
Between 16-10
SQL Boolean operators 16-11
AND 16-11
OR 16-12
NOT 16-12
SQL Boolean operators 16-13

APPENDIX C - TROUBLESHOOTING 17-1

ERRORS 17-1
WARNINGS 17-2
Welcome
Welcome to Civil Designer, the design system created by civil engineers
for civil engineers, to save you time, effort and money. Now you can
work faster, smarter and accomplish more.
This manual introduces you to Civil Designer and gets you up and
running without delay. It shows you how to accomplish the most
common tasks and provides tips on the exciting and innovative new
features to be found in Civil Designer.
The easy-to-follow tutorial will help you gain hands-on experience with
the program.

Where do I go from here?

After reading this manual you should know the following:
• How to get Civil Designer WATER up and running
• How to use the menus and the on-line help system
• How to input and edit data files
• How to start an analysis
• How to view and output the results of the calculations
For more detail simply refer to the on-line help file: it contains detailed
information on each function.

Introduction 1-1
Typefaces in this manual
The different typefaces in this manual are used as follows:
Monospace This typeface represents text as it appears onscreen
such as prompts.
Italics Italics are used for emphasis and to introduce new
terms.
[Enter] This indicates a key on your keyboard or a button on
the screen.
For example:
“Press [Enter] to complete the entry.”
or
“Click on the [[OK]] button.”
Command This typeface indicates a menu option or a command.
For example:
“Click on the Open icon to load a drawing.”
Menu commands appear with the path separated by an arrow. The
instruction Draw ► Ellipses ► Ellipse refers to the command you choose by
opening the Draw menu, the Ellipses sub-menu, and by choosing the
Ellipse option.

Conventions used in this manual

In this manual, clicking refers to clicking with your left mouse button
unless otherwise specified. When a click with your right mouse button is
required, the terms right click or right clicking are used.

Clicking means to press and release a mouse button quickly.

1-2 Civil Designer WATER

How to get support
Technical support is available from 08.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays
excluding public holidays from our Customer Support Centre at
[email protected].
You can also call our Customer Support Centre at:
South Africa 086 0101 999
International +27 21 7011850

On-line help
The Civil Designer on-line help system is far easier to use and more
comprehensive than those typically found in other software programs.
It contains about 10 times as much information as this manual and
provides complete answers to virtually any question you may have about
features or how to use Civil Designer.
Access on-line Help from the Help menu option at any time, or by
pressing F1 during the display of any of the dialogs in the program. The
help items can be printed using the Print icon on the toolbar.

Introduction 1-3
Online documentation
The Reference Manual is supplied on the CD-ROM in Adobe Acrobat
PDF format. You have the option to install the Acrobat Reader when
installing Civil Designer. This allows you to browse through the manual,
to search for specific subjects, and to print out all or any selection of
pages.

1-4 Civil Designer WATER

Data Preparation
WATER data is stored in MS Access format. Data can easily be acquired
from many sources including spreadsheets, databases, GIS systems, DXF
files, etc.
WATER will not analyse without a graphical representation of your
network.
If graphics are not available in CAD or GIS form, a schematic of some
sort must be created even if not to scale. The pipe length option “fix
length” can be checked to allow for the actual pipe lengths to override
the schematic lengths.
The advantage of using a standard database structure allows for pre- and
post-processing of data and also means that data can be entered in many
ways:

Alpha-numerically
Typing in of data, i.e. node, pipe, reservoir, etc in WATER (see Data
section).

Graphically – schematic or trace over

Using on screen graphics and internal database forms, all the data may
be entered interactively with WATER. The graphics may be exact or
schematic.
If cadastral or rural graphics are already available in CAD and can be
supplied in DXF, CAD or BMP format, it is possible to trace over the
backdrop to position pipes.

ASCII
Various types of ASCII data files may be imported using the Import ►Text
File menu option.

Data Preparation 2-1

CAD
You can create your network layout in CAD with different features on
different layers, and export the layers to DXF or use one of the CAD file
formats supported by Civil Designer such as DRG, DWG or CEX for
import into WATER using the Import menu.
The layers in CAD should be prepared as follows:

Pipe layer
Each pipe to be analysed must be drawn as a separate line or polyline. If
several pipe lengths should be considered as a single entity in design,
then these lines should be drawn as a single polyline. If using a DOS
package not supporting polylines, it will be necessary to combine the
lines into a single pipe element in WATER itself using the Graphical Editor
► Join pipe option.
It is essential to start and stop lines at nodes. If 2 lines cross each other, a
node at the crossing point will not automatically be inserted, unless lines
stop or start at that point. See Cases 1 and 2 in the figure below.

If a node was intended where the 2 pipes intersect in Case 1, the lines
must be divided at the intersection and 4 separate lines must be created
as shown in Case 2.
The horizontal pipe in Case 3 will not connect to the diagonal pipe since
there is no node at that point. Two diagonal pipes must be drawn, as in
Case 4 for connectivity to the horizontal pipe.
If the quality of the drawing is such that pipes do not meet at a node,
snap and clip functions in your CAD must be used to tidy the drawing so
that pipes connected to a node join at that point.

2-2 Civil Designer WATER

A search distance of 1m is set in the program by default. If pipes stop
more than 1m from nodes in the vicinity, a discontinuity will be assumed.
If the distance is less than 1m, they will be linked. Short pipes in this
search distance will be deleted.

No attention is paid either to line type or pen number, and pipe names
are not read from the CAD file.

House connections, smaller pipes, etc, which you do not wish to have
included in the analysis should be drawn in another layer.

Pipe Diameter Layer

If Pipe diameters are written near the middle of the pipe these will be
picked up and associated to the pipe. They may be written as numeric or
the following alphanumeric formats: 500, 500D or 500Ø.

Node Name Layer

Node Names to be written close to each node and may consist of letters
and/or numbers.

Node Elevation Layer

Elevations written near the node will also be located and associated to
the node.

Demand Layer
Demands written near the node will also be located and associated to the
node.

Reservoir Layer
The reservoirs must be drawn as circles centred on the node. The circle
centre will be picked up and the WATER symbol for a reservoir will be
substituted after import.

Valve Layer
Only control or regulating valves, such as pressure reducing, pressure
sustaining, level or flow control valves should be imported. It is therefore
essential that valves be drawn on 2 separate layers.
Isolating valves, air valves, scour valves, should be drawn on another
valve layer and should NOT be imported into the analysis. Non-return
valves should also not be included in the export layer as they are handled
under the Reservoir data input.

Data Preparation 2-3

Snip circles should NOT be drawn at nodes, as the pipes will stop short
of the nodes, and discontinuities will be imported.

Pumps and other fittings, must be defined in WATER itself.

On importing a CAD/DXF network, WATER cannot read blocks and as
such, blocks must be exploded in your CAD before exporting . When
exporting from the various systems, the following process must be
followed:
• AllyCAD - Objects explode
• CADDIE - Export lines and layers only
• AutoCAD - Explode page blocks
• MicroStation - Drop all objects and cells
• Each WATER item should be on a separate layer, i.e. pipes on one
layer, node elevations on another layer, etc.

Other Packages
Several importing options from other analysis packages are available
under the Import menu.

2-4 Civil Designer WATER

Units
The units used in WATER are:

UNITS
m Elevation
m Pipe length
m Head
mm Pipe diameter
l/sec Flow
l/sec Demand
m/sec Velocity
Bar Pressure
Kl Capacity (reservoir)

Symbols
The following symbols are used on the layout:

Reservoir

Pump station

Valve

Pressure release
chamber.

Node with preset

discharge

Node with preset head

Node with pressure

related discharge

Data Preparation 2-5

Sign convention
Flow from a node (demand or draw off) is entered as a positive value.
Inflow is entered as a negative value. Velocity is positive if flow is from
start to end node and negative if in the other direction. The definition of
positive flow direction in an element is very important where pumps and
non-return valves are concerned. This is because a pump or valve will
only allow flow in the positive direction of the element. Should the flow
attempt to reverse in pumps, these elements will act as one way valves
and completely prevent any flow in the link.

2-6 Civil Designer WATER

Tutorial 1 – WATER Basics
In order to familiarize yourself with WATER it is advisable to complete
the following tutorial which will teach you how to:
• Create a new project.
• Convert drawing entities to a WATER network.
• Change the WATER network display settings.
• Modify features in the WATER model.
• Analyse.
• View results in various formats.
• View databases and use SQL.
• Plot long sections.

Tutorial 1 3-1
Create a new project
The first step is to create a new project file and open a
new WATER file called Tutor2.mdb into which the
WATER data will be imported.
Create the new project using File ► New Project.
All the available items will remain grayed-out until a
check box next to one of the design modules is clicked.

For the purpose of this tutorial we will be using a WATER file so click on
the check box next to WATER. The browse button for WATER on the
right side of the dialog will now become active.
• Click on this button which will then display a standard Windows file
open dialog. Navigate to a suitable subdirectory for storing data, type
in the file name Tutor2.mdb and click on the [Open] button.
• If the file does not yet exist you will be asked if you want to create it. If
a file of that name already exists you will be asked if it is OK to
overwrite it. In either case select [Yes] and you will be returned to the
project dialog.

3-2 Civil Designer WATER

We will also be using a CAD drawing file, tutor2.drg, supplied with your
Civil Designer installation.
• Click on the check box next to Drawing. Navigate to the drawing file
in the sub-directory \Civdes6\samples\tutor\tutor2.drg and click on the
[Open] button.

• Click on the [[OK]] button and a standard Window file save dialog will
be diplayed so that the project can be given a name.
• Once again navigate to a suitable directory for storing the project
(which may or may not be in the same directory in which the data file
is to be created.)
• Type in a new file name of Tutor2 and click the [Save] button.
• Select [Yes] if a project file of this name already exists and you are
asked if you wish to overwrite it.
You have just created a new project file into which new data may be
imported or typed.

Tutorial 1 3-3
Convert Drawing Entities
Once the project file has been created, switch to WATER mode with the
Mode ► Water Mode option. (Alternately, click on the WATER icon).
Data may be input in a number of ways:
• Import Aquanet for Dos Files.
• Import Wadiso 3.0 Files.
• Import Pipen 2 Files.
• Import Pipen 3 Files.
• Import Text Files (Ascii files).
• Convert Drawing/CAD entities to a network.
• Use the WATER Graphical interface to generate your network.
The various import options are discussed in the File Import chapter in
this manual. In this example we will import the network data from the
drawing file, Tutor2.drg, which we have linked to the project.
In CAD mode, you will notice the drawing has been prepared in such a
manner that the WATER network features are each on a separate layer.
See the Data Preparation chapter for more detail on preparing a CAD
drawing for converting to a WATER network.
Your present screen should look similar to the one shown below:

3-4 Civil Designer WATER

Default settings
It is important to remember that should your CAD drawing not contain
information such as pipe diameters or demands, on converting your CAD
drawing to a WATER network, WATER will assign the default settings to
the network on importing.
Material of your pipe however, will always be given as “User Defined”,
since the diameters on your CAD drawing could be internal, external or
nominal diameters and it is not possible for WATER to determine this.
You will therefore need to edit the pipe material after importing your
network.
To change the various default settings before importing your CAD data,
in the WATER mode, select Settings ► Pipe Defaults and Settings ► Node
Defaults and edit each menu to suit.

Pipes

It is important to note that the default settings will only be assigned to

your network during importing your model if WATER cannot find a
value in the relevant CAD layer.

We need to change the following:

• Material will not get affected as “User Defined” will automatically be
assigned.
• Change Pressure Class to 9.
We have pipe diameters on our CAD drawing which means the value
displayed in the pipe defaults will not affect our values.
• Change the cover to 900mm.
• Change the Roughness to 0.100mm.
• Change the Minor Losses Coefficient to 2.

Tutorial 1 3-5
• Select the [[OK]] button.

Nodes
We have a demand at each node in our CAD drawing which means the
default will not overwrite our values. We do however need to assign a
demand pattern to the demand. The demand suitable for our network is a
small town, which is demand pattern number 4.
• Select the browse button to browse for the correct pattern or
alternately type a 4 in the input area as show below:

3-6 Civil Designer WATER

Importing the CAD entities
• In WATER mode, select File ► Import ► Convert Drawing Entities.
• The following menu will be displayed:

• Select the layers containing the WATER network features, using the
pull down arrows. The menu should look like the one below when
complete:

• Select the [OK] button to complete the conversion.

You can convert as many drawings to a WATER network as required.

You will be prompted each time if you wish to add the data to the
existing file. Duplicate nodes will be erased (search radius of 100mm is
pre-set.)

Tutorial 1 3-7
Display settings
Once your CAD network has been converted to a WATER network, you
may find your network features are not immediately visible. The display
features are affected by the scale setting in the CAD module as well as the
display settings in the WATER module.
• Activate the display of the WATER module by clicking on the Display
Settings icon or select the Settings ► Display Settings option. The Display
Settings dialog will be displayed.
• This dialog allows you to specify how the data must be displayed (and
plotted).
• Set up the display for each WATER network feature by selecting the
relevant tab and changing each default setting to suite. Typical pipe
settings are shown below:

• The line width has been set to 2 mm, the arrow length and width to 10
mm each, the text size to 10 points. The rest has been left as default
except for the top text item where the pipe diameter was selected.
Similarly, the nodes and reservoir settings can be edited to suit. See the
Tools chapter for detailed descriptions of the various settings.
• Once you have set up the required settings, click on [OK].
• The WATER network display will be updated with the new settings.

3-8 Civil Designer WATER

• Position your cursor near a pipe and zoom in using the Z key to
display the zoom menu or M or D to magnify or de-magnify to see the
new display settings. Your display will look similar to the picture
below:

The model shows the elevation at each node as well as the diameter of
each pipe.
We will change the display settings again after the analysis run to view
the various results.

Tutorial 1 3-9
Modifying the model
At this stage we will look at the existing model and modify the model
where necessary before we do an analysis.
• Select the Data ► Summary option. The following summary will be
displayed:

• From the summary we can see we have 86 pipes, 73 nodes and 1

reservoir in our network in total.
• The average demand of the network is 7.2 l/s. Since we have applied
various demand patterns to the nodal demands we have a Seasonal
Peak Demand of 9.72 l/s and an Instantaneous Peak Demand of 17.50
l/s.
• On selecting the Pipe Lengths tab, we can view the summary of the
material, class, diameter and total length pipes used. This summary
can be saved as a text file or printed out.
You will notice in the Pipe Lengths summary, all the pipes have a User
Defined material as discussed previously.

3-10 Civil Designer WATER

Global editing of pipe properties
To edit the pipe material of the pipes of the entire network, we will have
to select the pipes first.
• Click on the select button found on the vertical toolbar. Make sure the
entire network is visible by using the quick keys [Z] and [A] for Zoom
All.
• Position the cursor at the top left hand corner of the network, depress
the left mouse button and hold it down while you drag the cursor to
the bottom right hand corner of the network to define the box.
Release the mouse button once your box has been defined and the
entire network should be selected.
• Select the Settings ► Pipe Defaults option.
• Using the pull down arrow of the Material option, select the uPVC –
SABS 966 option.
• Click on the [Apply] button to apply the new material to your network.
On clicking on the apply button, a further selection menu will be
displayed to allow you to select Material only.
• Click on the [Apply] button to apply the new settings.

Tutorial 1 3-11
Editing node information
The Tutorial network is a portion of a larger network. It is not necessary
to model the entire system in WATER as we are able to model the inflow
from an adjoining system by defining the inflow at the relevant node. In
this case, node ID number 73 is feeding the network via a borehole, but
this could have been an incoming pipe from an adjoining network.
• To edit the node, select Data ► Nodes. Click on the [Find Record] button
(the button with the magnifying glass). Type in “73” in the Value
option and check the ID Number tab.

• Select the [Find] button. The program will display information for node
73.
• To look where node 73 is situated on the graphics, select the [Show]
button. WATER will highlight the node and move the node menu to
the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
• Once you are satisfied you have selected the correct node, select the
[Restore Position] button to once again display the full node menu.
• Change the Node Type to Preset Pressure and type in a value of “–2.5”
bar as the pressure. (The negative sign indicates the level of the
borehole is 25 m below ground level, i.e. below 1568.00m).
• Click on the [OK] button.
Editing any other feature in the network can be done in a similar manner
or alternately, you can use the floating toolbar to edit an item in the
following manner:
• Click on the [Select] button on the vertical toolbar.
• Click on the feature on the graphics you wish to edit. Once the
required item is highlighted, right-click the mouse to display the
floating toolbar.
• Click on the [Edit] option on the toolbar with the left mouse button.
The data menu for the item will be displayed to allow you to make the
required changes.

3-12 Civil Designer WATER

Editing the Reservoir Information
You can either use the Data ► Reservoir option to access the edit menu or
alternately, click on the Select button on the vertical toolbar and select the
reservoir by left clicking on the symbol on your graphics.
• Once the reservoir is highlighted, right-click the mouse to display the
floating toolbar. Click on the [Edit] option on the toolbar with the left
mouse button.
We will edit the General information in the edit menu as follows:
• The Capacity remains at 500 Kl.
• The Full Supply Level will change to 1592.50 m.
• The Floor Level will change to 1588.50 m, which is 19.69 m above
node 7 elevation on which the reservoir is positioned. (WATER
defaults the Floor Level of your reservoir to that of the elevation of
the node on which it is positioned.)
• The Inlet Level is 0.5 m above the Full Supply Level, which means we
change the value to 1593.00 m.
• The Water Depth is the physical depth in the reservoir. Change the
value to 4m which means the reservoir will be at full capacity at the
start of the simulation.

• Now change to the Connections by selecting the [Connections] tab.

The connection option will display the pipes which are connected to the
reservoir and allow you to define if the pipes are inlet and outlet pipes or
only inlet or only outlet. WATER will default to inlet and outlet for pipes
detected.

Tutorial 1 3-13
In out example, we will move pipe number 86 to the inlet only option.
• Click on pipe 86 to activate the “move” arrows and click on the arrow
to move the selected pipe to the inlet only box.
• WATER will allow flow in one direction only so it is not necessary to
define a non-return valve on the pipe, unless you wish to introduce a
control valve, i.e. modulating or on/off valve.

3-14 Civil Designer WATER

Inserting a pump station
On editing the reservoir data and node 73 data, you will notice the node
elevation is 25m below the reservoir pipe inlet level. The borehole water
level is a further 25m below this, which means a total height of 50m to the
reservoir inlet level. Inserting a suitable pump is determined by various
factors, eg the required flow, friction losses, required head, etc.
We will insert a pump on the pipe feeding the reservoir, since the water
will not reach the reservoir via gravity. The pump we will insert will have
an optimal head of about 50m. The pipe the pump will be situated on has
an internal diameter of 146.2 mm, which means the pump will also need
to have a similar diameter.
• Select Data ► Pipes.
• Click on the [Find Record] button (the button with the magnifying
glass).
• Type in “86” in the Value option and check the ID Number tab.
• Select the [Find] button. The program will display information for pipe
86.
• Make sure the direction of the pipe is from node 73 to 7. This is the
expected direction the water will flow. Should the direction be
incorrect, the pump which we will position on the pipe will act as a
non-return valve since flow can be in only on direction through a
pump.
• Close the pipe menu.
• Click on the [Insert Pump] button on the vertical tool bar.
• Right click the mouse to display the snap mode menu and select the
Snap to Pipe option.
• Move the cursor close to the pipe and left click to position the pump.
WATER will prompt you to place another pump but since we will only
be placing one pump, click on the [Select] button to exit the function or
press [Esc] on your keyboard.

Tutorial 1 3-15
Editing pump information
• Click on the pump you have placed to select it for editing. Once the
pump is highlighted, right-click the mouse to display the floating
toolbar.
• Click on the [Edit] option on the toolbar with the left mouse button.
The data menu for the pump/pump station will be displayed.
As discussed, the pump will need to handle an optimal head of
approx. 50 m with an internal diameter of about 140 mm.
• Click on the Pump Catalogue and browse for a suitable pump using
the arrow keys.
From the pumps available in the pump catalogue, the most suitable
pump is the WKLn 32/2 pump with a nominal speed of 2900 RMP.
• Click on [Copy] to copy the pump information to the clip board.
• Click on the [OK] button to close the pump catalogue.
• In the pumps menu, click on the [Paste] button to copy the information
from the clip board to the pump input area.
• Select the controls tab. Our pump will be pumping continually which
means we do not set up any controls but we check the Pump is
initially working option.
The various controls are discussed in the Pumps section in the Data
chapter.

3-16 Civil Designer WATER

Analysing the model
• Select Analysis ► Error Checking. The error check will look at the basics
of your model, i.e. are your nodes all connected to a pipe, have you
specified pipe diameters, do you have a draw off somewhere on your
network, is there at least one head in your network to allow for an
analysis, etc.
There should be no errors in your model, but should there be an error
message, the message will inform you where the problem lies in order
to allow you to fix it.
• Select Analysis ► Time Simulation option.
• Check the Pumps and Reservoirs options to view during the
simulation.
• Select a time for the start of the simulation.
• Select a time increment for the simulation. A time increment less than
15 minutes is not recommended since the demand pattern factors are
defined every 15 minutes and anything less would be senseless.

• Click on the [Start] button.

• Once the analysis is complete, click on the [Save As] button. This
allows for saving different scenarios under different names, for
example, analysis with a Seasonal Peak Factor and one without.
As a default, the analysis will be saved as <Latest Time Simulation>.

Tutorial 1 3-17
• Before closing the Time Simulation menu, click on the [Messages]
button. The messages menu lists any errors or warnings encountered
during the simulation. In our model, the reservoir overflows at the
start of the simulation.
We can fix this in a number of ways, for example, we can put a control
on the pump, etc. In our situation, we will ignore the message but in a
design model, we would use the messages to streamline our WATER
network.

• You have an option to print the errors, to view the problem item by
clicking on the [Show] button and edit the problem item by clicking on
the [Edit] button.
• Once you have browsed through the errors and warnings, click on the
[Close] button.

3-18 Civil Designer WATER

Viewing the results
We can view the results in many ways.

Colour scheme
• Switch on the display settings and select the pipes tab. Select Flow to
be displayed as the bottom text. Select Flows as the default colour
scheme.
• You can set up the desired settings for the nodes, reservoir and pump.
Click on the [OK] button to close.

• Select Results ► Results Browser to open the browser. You will notice in
the example below, two analysis were done, i.e. one with the peak
factor selected and saved as Peak factor and the second one, being the
latest time simulation without the peak factor.
• Leave the browser open.
• Click on different times in the Retrieve column, to see the change in
your pipe colours as the flows change over the 24 hour period.

Tutorial 1 3-19
• The colour schemes can indicate problem areas visually.
• The displayed text indicates the actual flows.

3-20 Civil Designer WATER

Tabular
• Leaving the Results Browser open, select Results ► Pipes to open the
pipe results table for the selected time.
• You can now click on the various critical times in the Results Browser
and the pipes results table will update accordingly.
• You can sort the information in the various columns by clicking on
the tabs at the top of the table. Click on the [Flow] tab to sort the flows
from highest to lowest. In this way you can pick up critical flows in the
system.
• You can view the pipes with the critical flows by highlighting the line
and clicking on the [Show] button.
• You can save the table by clicking on the [Save to File] button which
allows you to save a text file. You can print the table.
You can select the results for the other items, i.e. nodes, reservoir, etc.
and view the results in a similar manner.
• Click on the [Close] button to close the Pipe Results menu.
• Close the Results Browser menu.

Tutorial 1 3-21
Graphs
• Select Graphs ► Pipes to open the graph display of each pipe.
• Use the arrow buttons to browse between the various pipes. From the
pipe results table, we determined the critical pipes.
• In the graphical display, once at the critical pipe, we can select the
most critical period visually. It is not practical to view, print or save
results of the entire 24 hour simulation with every 15 minute interval.
One would normally require about 2 to three outputs, i.e. period of the
lowest and highest demands/flows/pressures and possibly an average
value.
• On the pipe graphical display, move the cross hair with the mouse to
the desired position and click with the right hand mouse button. The
retrieve results tab will appear.
• Move onto the tab with the mouse and click with the left mouse
button to accept the time of the simulation for results retrieval.

• You can now go back to the tabular results to print or save results for
the selected time. The colour scheme of your network also updates
itself.
• You can print the graphs by clicking on the [Print] button.
• You can click on the [Show] button to see the pipe on the layout.
• Click on [Close] button to close the menu.
You can view the graphical results for the other network features in a
similar manner.

3-22 Civil Designer WATER

Databases
Data may be extracted directly from the various databases.

View Table
You may wish to print out the input data. This can be done in the
following way:
• Select Databases ► View Table.
• The file select dialog will be displayed. Select the current file and click
on the [Open] button.
• A table similar to the one below will be displayed.

• Click on the desired table you wish to view, for eg. AqNodes. Al the
node input information will be displayed.
• You can save the information to a text file by clicking on the [Save to
File] button. The text file can be opened in any text file editor and
printed if required.

Execute SQL
You may wish to save or view only selected items of the network. This
can be done as follows:
• Select Databases ► Execute SQL.
• The file select dialog will be displayed. Select the current file and click
on the [Open] button.
• In the SQL Statement box, type in
select *from Aqpipes where Nomdiameter = 160
• Click on the [Execute] button.

Tutorial 1 3-23
The data displayed will be all the input data for pipes with a nominal
diameter of 160mm.
• You can save the data to a text file but clicking on the [Save Result]
button. The text file can be opened in any text file editor and printed
if required.
An example of the SQL statement is shown below.

3-24 Civil Designer WATER

Plotting long sections
The WATER long section plot requires you to select the desired pipes for
plotting. (The selection features were discussed earlier in the tutorial.)
• Once you have selected the pipes, select Plot ► Generate and choose the
long section sheet file.
• The following menu will appear:

• Specify the Horizontal and Vertical scales as well as whether the

program must scroll to next page or not.
• You have the option to Edit Long Section Data if required. If selected,
the Long Section Editor will be displayed and you will be able to edit
any data item.
• Once the data is to your liking, select the [OK] button, give the drawing
a name and the long section/s will be generated.
The long section will be drawn at the bottom of the long section region.
The program will attempt to continue the long section on top of the first if
enough space is available. The program will also attempt to draw the
different pipes next to each other.

Tutorial 1 3-25
Notes:

3-26 Civil Designer WATER

Working Environment

WATER Screen
The screen layout consists of the following main areas:
• Title Bar
• Menu Bar
• Prompt Area and Control Bar
• Vertical Toolbar
• Work Area
• Information area

Working Environment 4-1

Title Bar
Like all Windows programs, Civil Designer has a title bar running across
the top. This will look different depending on the version of Windows you
are running. It displays the name of the drawing you are working on
together with the disk drive it is located on and the directory it is stored
in.

Menu Bar

All of the program's functions can be accessed from the Pull-Down

menus on the Menu Bar, although there are shortcuts to many functions
via the icons in the Toolbars.

Prompt Area and Control Bar

Prompts asking for input or telling you what to do appear in the Prompt
Area.

You type information, answer questions or select options in the Control

Bar. There are several types of prompts and responses.

4-2 Civil Designer WATER

Vertical Toolbar
The icons on the vertical toolbar represent the graphics manipulation
tools. Once a graphical symbol has been inserted onto a layout, right click
on the item and chose the edit option to type in the relevant data or
alternately, use the required pull down data menu.

Select arrow – Left click : selection.

One click - single selection
Hold Shift button down & click for multiple selection
Drag box around selection.
Add pipes - Left click : insert a new pipe, Ctrl plus left click
for intermediate positions, left click to end input. You can
use the keyboard shortcuts such as U for co-ordinates as
well as the snap mode options accessed by right mouse
click.

Add a reservoir – Use the keyboard shortcuts or the snap

mode menu to add a new reservoir in the desired position.

Add a pump – Use the keyboard shortcuts or the snap

mode menu to add a new pump in the desired position.

Add a valve - Use the keyboard shortcuts or the snap

mode menu to add a new valve in the desired position.

Add a Pressure Release Chamber - Use the keyboard

shortcuts or the snap mode menu to add a new chamber in
the desired position.

Move a node – using the Move cursor, simply click on the

item to be moved and either drag it using the cursor or
move it to the correct location using the keyboard shortcuts.

Working Environment 4-3

 Insert a node in an existing link - insert a new node by
clicking at the point near the pipe where the new node is
needed or use the keyboard shortcuts and snap modes for
an exact placement. WATER automatically splits the pipe at
the new node position.

Join Pipes (delete a node) – click on the node you wish to

delete. This function automatically joins the pipes and
updates associated.

Connect existing pipes – click on the node you wish to

connect to the nearest pipe. This function will move the
node into position and split the pipe. All associated data will
automatically be updated.

Insert bend – click on the existing pipe and move to add

the bend freehand or use the keyboard shortcuts or snap
mode for exact positioning.

Remove bend – click near the bend that needs to be

removed.

Display settings – this allows you to set up the display for

viewing and plotting. (See display setting in the Tools
chapter.)

4-4 Civil Designer WATER

Work Area
The work area is defined as being the area in which the elements of the
current project are displayed.

Work Area Shortcuts

There are various shortcuts you can use to speed up data antry and
editing.

Keyboard Shortcuts
There are several CAD keyboard shortcuts, or jumps available to you.
These keys make for easier movement on the WATER screen layout. To
position a mouse pointer accurately on the screen when jumping to CAD
entities, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts, which are the
CAD shortcuts:
H Home, Center of Screen.
J Jump to Nearest Point.
G Nearest Grid Point.
0 (Zero) Any Intersection.
U Move to exact coordinate and enter point.
P Move an exact distance and angle (polar).
I Geometry intersection.
N Nearest element.
C Mid point jump.
O Ratio Jump between two points.
X Last fixed point.

Arrow Keys
Move the cursor an exact vertical or horizontal distance from the last
fixed point when drawing pipes and inserting nodes.

Working Environment 4-5

Floating toolbar (Mouse Shortcuts)

Right clicking of the mouse when the cursor is in

select mode, will display a window listing various view
and zoom options.

The selected item, i.e. node, pipe, etc, will be highlighted or shown in a
different colour.
Edit Displays an editing menu for the selected objects.
Quick Info Displays summarised information of selected object.
Graph Displays various performance graphs of selected object.
Pump Curve Displays the pump curve/s.
Delete Selected Deletes all selected objects.
Zoom Window Allows you to zoom in on a selected area.

Zoom Last Displays the previous view.

Zoom Next Display the next view.
Zoom All Displays the extents of your network.
Magnify Zoom in on your display.
Demagnify Zoom out or increase the extents of your current view.
Pan Move the center of your view.

On selecting to position an item from the graphical

toolbar, the following snap modes are available.
• Freehand
• Snap to Node
• Snap to Pipe

4-6 Civil Designer WATER

Information Area
The information area at the base of the work area displays the X and Y
coordinates of the position of your mouse cursor. The coordinates are
situated on the right hand side of this area.

Working Environment 4-7

Notes:

4-8 Civil Designer WATER

File menu

The main program functions are in this

menu. As with any Windows package, this
is where opening, closing, printing and
other file management options are
situated.

File Menu 5-1

New Project
This option allows you to set up a new project and specify the data files
that must be used.
• Select File ► New Project.
• The Project dialog is displayed. To add a drawing to the project
simply click in the check box next to Drawing, click on the […]
(browse) button on the right of the dialog, and select the drawing
using the standard Window file open dialog. The drawing name will
be displayed.

• Similarly, to add a data file to the project click in the check box next
to the required data type and select the file to use with the Browse
button. If the file does not exist it will be created.
To use the WATER functions, you must select or create a WATER file.

5-2 Civil Designer WATER

Drawing File
You may only use an existing drawing file. The drawing may be an
AllyCAD DRG, AutoCAD DWG, Caddie CEX or a DXF file.

Terrain File
• If you select a terrain file that does not exist, the following dialog will
be displayed:

• Click on [Yes] to create the DTM file.

• After you have clicked [OK] on the New Project Dialog the following
dialog will be displayed.

• If you happen to know the approximate site location, type in some

coordinate near the centre of your site, as well an approximate
diameter that will encompass the site or else accept the default
entries.
It is acceptable to leave the settings at their default values, but you
should then either import data from an ASCII file which will offer a
rescale that centres the site, or add data manually and then use Tools ►
Rescale Survey from the Terrain menu.

File Menu 5-3

WATER File
• If you select a WATER file that does not exist, the following dialog will
be displayed:

• Click on [Yes] to create the WATER database file.

5-4 Civil Designer WATER

Open Project
This menu option opens an existing project.
• You can select which project to open using the standard Windows
Open dialog.

• Select the project file (.CDP) to open and click on [OK].

• The existing project (if any) will be saved and the new project will be
opened. The associated data files will automatically be opened and
displayed in the Design Centre.
Only data that includes coordinates can be displayed in the Design
Centre.

File Menu 5-5

Edit Project
This option allows you to add design elements to the project or to change
the data files associated with the project.
• To add a design element to the project simply set the check box of
that element and select the data file using the […] (browse) button.
The standard Window Open dialog will be displayed. Select the file to
add to the project or type in a new file name to create a new data file.
You may not change the locale settings of an existing project as the
projection settings have already been applied to data files and may
not be changed.
• Click on [OK].

Save Project
This option allows you to save the current project and the associated data
files.

Save Project As
This option allows you to save the current project and the associated data
files to new file names. You may specify a new file name for the project
file and each of the active design files in turn.

Close Project
This option allows you to close the active project and clear the Design
Centre. You will be given the option to save the associated data files.

Merge WATER File

This option allows you to merge existing WATER files into one. The
procedure is as follows:
• Name the new data file. Select the merge menu option and browse for
the file you wish to merge with the active data file. Select [OK] once
you have selected the desired file. Repeat this process as many times
as necessary.
The merging process will clean up duplicate nodes, but not duplicate
pipes. This will have to be done by the operator.

5-6 Civil Designer WATER

Set Auto Compact
Microsoft Access files tend to grow during editing as unused, deleted or
overwritten entries are never physically removed from the database, they
are just hidden. To remove unnecessary entries database must be
compacted. It is like that by design.
Water Module offers an option to compact Water database each time
after project closure. Due to driver limitation this feature is available only
for files that are in MS Jet 4 format, meaning files created in Civil
Designer 6.3 or later versions.
Menu option Set Auto Compact displays a Dialog with options to switch
Auto Compact feature on and off. By default this feature is on, and should
be left like that except if there is some specific reason to disable it.

NB: Menu options Save Project and Save Project As will not and cannot
compact database.

Import
This menu opens up an additional sub-menu.

File Menu 5-7

Aquanet for DOS File
Existing projects may be uploaded from the DOS version using this menu
option.
• On selecting the menu option, the file dialog box is displayed and
allows you to browse for the relevant file. Once the file is selected,
click on the [OK] button to accept the import option.
Once you have imported the Aquanet DOS file into the Windows version,
you will need to redefine certain parameters. WATER will warn you
about items not correctly transferred to the Windows version:
• Non return valves, now termed check valves, are not modeled
separately but are included as the property of the pipe. If NRV were
defined in the previous model they are not converted and it will be
necessary for you to redefine them in the Windows model.
• Fixed head inlets are now nodes with preset pressure. These are also
not transferred and must be redefined.
• Outlets are now nodes with pressure/discharge relation. These will
need to be redefined.
• Pressure release chambers need to be re-defined.
• Wells must be modeled as pressure nodes.
• Outlets must be modeled as pressure related discharge nodes.

5-8 Civil Designer WATER

Wadiso 3.0 File
Existing projects may be imported from Wadiso version 4 using this
menu option. The Wadiso 4 files need to be in the ASC file format.
On selecting the menu option, the file dialog box is displayed and allows
you to browse for the relevant file. Once the file is selected, click on the
OK button to accept the import option.
Once you have imported the Wadiso 4 file into the Windows version, you
will need to redefine certain parameters. The following changes
automatically take place during import:

Nodes are imported without any changes.

For pipes, Hazen -Williams friction coefficients are converted to
absolute roughness.

Tanks are imported as reservoirs. Capacity is not available in
Wadiso, so it must be entered manually afterwards.

Pump characteristics in Wadiso are given as summary of head-
flow curves. If there are several pumps in a pump station, the
characteristics for each pump have to be adjusted manually.
Efficiency is not available in Wadiso.

Pressure reducing valves are converted to valves without pressure
control.

Pipen 2 & 3 Files

Existing projects may be imported from Pipen files version 2 and 3 but
the files need to be in the ASCII text format, which is an export option in
Pipen. The Pipen 3 file can contain node coordinates.
On selecting the menu option, the file dialog box is displayed and allows
you to browse for the relevant file. Follow further instructions.

File Menu 5-9

Text File
This option allows the importation of various ASCII text file formats, i.e.
Fixed width, Comma, Tab and Space delimited.
• On selecting the menu option, the file dialog box is displayed and
allows you to browse for the relevant file.

• A fixed width space delimited file dialog box will look similar to the
example shown below. Use the pull down tab to select what the item
describes. Follow further instructions and select the [Finish] button to
complete the import.

5-10 Civil Designer WATER

Convert Drawing Entities
This option allows you to convert Cad entities into an intelligent network.
The CAD drawing may have been created in the CAD module of Civil
Designer or alternately in other CAD software and read into Civil
Designer importing a DXF, DWG, or CEX file.
• On selecting the Convert Drawing Entities menu option in the
WATER module, the following dialog box appears:
• The program will pick up all the named CAD layers.
• Select the CAD layer containing the required information and click on
the [OK] button.
• The network information will be saved in the WATER data file. The
CAD drawing remains unaffected by this conversion.

Pipes: Line and polylines on a selected layer will be imported as pipes.

Nodes will be automatically inserted at both ends of the pipe
Diameters: Text on a specified layer will be converted into numeric
format , and assign to nearest pipes
Node Names: Text on a specified layer will be assign into a nearest node
as a node name
Elevations: Text on a specified layer will be converted into numeric
format as assign to a nearest node as node elevation. Elevation extracted
from DTM, is present, will overwrite this value
Demands: Text on a specified layer will be converted into numeric
format, and assign to nearest node, as a demand in l/s.

File Menu 5-11

Reservoirs: Reservoir will be placed on the position of a circle on a
specified layer
Valves: Valve will be placed on the position of a circle on a specified layer
NB: Drawing entities contained in CAD blocks or objects will not be
imported. Use CAD function Explode Object before importing
You can import as many drawings into the WATER file as required. The
program will delete duplicate nodes only and also only within a radius of
100mm.
Alternative way of importing pipes is importing from multiple layers.
Check Multiple Pipe Layers button and press Settings. Dialog listing all
layers will appear. For each layer select appropriate pipe material, class
and diameter

5-12 Civil Designer WATER

Export Wadiso
Exports Water project to Wadiso ASC file.
Due to limitations of Wadiso some Water Module features cannot be
accurately exported.
Pipes:

Pipe material, class and nominal diameter will be ignored.

Only internal diameter will be exported.

Minor loss factor will be ignored.

Only up to five intermediate points on the pipe are acceptable to
destination software.

Invert level will be ignored

Vertical pipe bends will be ignored, as destination software
provides only for Y and X.
Nodes:

Demand patterns will not be exported.

Pressure related discharge is not supported by destination
software.

Nodes with fixed preset pressure will be exported as Tanks.

Nodes with variable preset pressure will be exported as in case of
fixed pressure.
Reservoirs:

Inlet, full supply and floor level will be ignored.

Reservoir capacity and shape will be ignored.

Inlet / outlet pipe definitions will be ignored.

Inlet control valve will be ignored.

Demand in the reservoir node will be ignored.

Only water depth will be exported.
Pumps:

Multiple pumps in the pump station are not supported by
destination software.

Only first pump in each pump station will be exported.

All rising main properties (diameter, friction losses, intermediate
points...) will be ignored.

Pump controls will be ignored.

File Menu 5-13


Pump sump will be converted to Tank.
Valves:

Level control and manual valves will be ignored.

All pipe properties (diameter, friction losses, intermediate
points...) will be ignored.
Pressure reducing chambers:

Not supported by destination software.

Will be ignored, as it is not possible to accurately convert them to
Tanks.
Groups:

Grouping is not supported by destination software and will be
ignored.

5-14 Civil Designer WATER

Output Manager
The Output Window is always visible. During the analysis it is updated to
display the progress of the analysis as well as additional information
about the analysis. This function allows you to set up the Output
Window's printing and file export capabilities.

You may direct the output to one or more of the following devices:

Screen Output
Check this box to direct output to the Output Window.

Printer Output
Check this box to direct output to your printer.

File Output
Check this box to direct output into an ASCII file. You may specify the
Output file name or select an existing file by clicking on the [...] button. If
you check the Append to existing file option the output will be added on
to the ASCII file, otherwise the existing file will be deleted and a new file
of that name created.

Don't show this dialog in future

Check this option to prevent the dialog being shown before every
function which produces output. Checking this option will in future not
display the dialog, but any settings made will remain in force for all
future output.

File Menu 5-15

Security

This option has a further sub menu.

This menu is discussed in Design Centre portion
of Civil Designer.

Exit
This allows you to exit Civil Designer. You will be prompted to save your
project and related data files.

5-16 Civil Designer WATER

Data

The Data menu contains the options for

editing data interactively

Spin Buttons
The following spin buttons also appear on most of the data dialogs and
are used as follows:

Describing button from left to right:

• Go to first record.
• Go back to previous record.
• Go to next record.
• Go to last record.
• Find record.

Other buttons:
Show – show record on graphics.
[OK] – accept input.
Cancel – cancel input.
Copy – copy current record.
Paste – paste information which is currently on the clipboard.

Data 6-1
Demand Patterns
The demand for water in a water supply system varies with time (the
usual terms are hourly and seasonal fluctuation in demand or in
consumption). The daily water demand distribution is modeled by means
of hourly coefficients; that is the water use in any particular hour of the
day, is given as a ratio of the daily average.
The demands may be multiplied by the seasonal peak factor, if
appropriate - this will have the effect of increasing all the demand values
by the seasonal peak factor. Typically hotels would experience variation
in water demand during the holiday season. In rural areas the seasonal
increase in water usage would correspond with the dry period.
The coefficients of hourly variations of water use form a separate file,
which is a constituent part of the program and not connected to any
particular water supply system. The standard file which forms part of
the WATER software contains several different daily water use
distributions which are, by the author's experience, the most often used.
By selecting the Demand Patterns option, a menu similar to the one shown
below appears. Each demand pattern has a Demand Pattern Id number
which is assigned to the node where the demand pattern applies. The
arrow keys are used to move between the different Demand patterns.

To add a new demand pattern to the library proceed as follows:

• Click on the [Add] button. At this point all input areas will be cleared.
• Type a name in the Description field.

6-2 Civil Designer WATER

• Type in the Seasonal Peak factor.
• Type in the coefficient required in table for the 24 hour period. Use the
[Tab] key to move between input windows.
• Click on the [OK] button.
When next you select the demand pattern option from the data menu,
your new demand pattern will be the last record listed.

Data 6-3
Summary
This menu displays a detailed summary of all components of your
network, listing the following:

• Number of each element, i.e. nodes, pipes, reservoirs, pump stations,

pumps, valves and pressure release chambers.
• Demands on the network:
Average This is the total demand on the network without
applying any demand pattern or peak factors.
Seasonal Peak This is the total demand on the network multiplied by
the peak factors.
Instantaneous Peak This is the worst possible scenario where at each
node, the demand is multiplied by the worst demand
pattern factor as well as the peak factor and added
together to give a demand in l/s.

• The second page of the window displays pipe lengths in a tabular

format, grouped by material, diameter and class
You have the option to print the summary or save to a text file.

6-4 Civil Designer WATER

Pipes
Pipes are defined by Id number, start and end node, length, diameter,
roughness, minor loss coefficient and name. The name is optional and
may consist of letters and / or numbers. The pipe Id number is an
automatically created unique reference number determined by Water
module.
The sequence of writing in first and last nodes is not of consequence,
except if the pipe contains a pump station or non-return valve. In these
cases it is assumed that the start node is on the upstream side, and the
end node on the downstream side.
The Pipes window consists of two input page options each headed by a
tab, i.e. General and Longitudinal Sections.

General
This page has the reference details which require data input. Some items
include a drop down menu allowing the user to select pipe properties
from a Pipe Catalogue. Right clicking on the other items opens up the
standard Windows Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete options.

Name & Id
Name is an optional feature, used for display purposes only. It cannot
contain more than 30 characters. Id is a unique reference number
created automatically by WATER.

Nodes : From / To
The start and end node of the pipe. The From - to direction, is irrelevant
unless that pipe contains a check valve or a pump. In that case it is

Data 6-5
assumed that the start node is on the upstream side, and the end node on
the downstream side. (The start/end node is the Id number of the node,
not the name.)

Pipe Material
Pipe material can be either one of the pipe materials available on the
market and stored in the Pipe Catalogue or “User Defined”. Selecting
one of the standard materials from the database enables you to pick
available pipe class and nominal diameter from drop down lists on the
pipe entry form.

Pipe Class
As for material list above.

The numerical value of the pipe class does not indicate permissible
working pressure in all cases. For permissible working pressure consult
the Pipe Catalogue.

Fixed class Check Box

If selected, indicates that pipe class shall not be changed during the
optimisation process. (The optimisation field is not in use in the basic
software version.)

Nominal Diameter (mm)

As for material list above.

Fixed diameter Check Box

If selected, indicates that pipe diameter shall not be changed during the
optimisation process. (The optimisation field is not in use in the basic
software version.)

Internal Diameter
This is automatically updated if a pipe is selected from the Pipe
Catalogue. For “User Defined” pipes, the internal diameter is equal to
nominal diameter.

6-6 Civil Designer WATER

Length (m)
The software updates this every time some of the co-ordinates have
changed unless the length of the pipe has been fixed.

Fixed length Check Box

If selected, prevents the software from updating the length of the pipe.
Fixed length is useful when preparing a schematic of the network.

Roughness (mm)
Absolute roughness of a pipe wall, used in calculation of friction loss.

Minor Loss Coefficient

A pipe's roughness coefficient depends on many factors: type of material,
pipe age, working conditions. In the D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation, the
roughness coefficient is the mean height of roughness in the pipe and is
specified in mm. The recommended roughness coefficient values can be
found in literature. The author, based on personal experience,
recommends the following roughness coefficient values for typical types
of pipe material:

ROUGHNESS COEFFICIENTS
PVC pipes k = 0.1 mm
Asbestos cement pipes k = 0.4 mm
Cast-iron pipes k = 0.4 - 1.0 mm
Concrete pipes k = 1.0 - 2.0 mm
Galvanised pipes k = 0.4 - 1.0 mm
Steel pipes k = 0.4 - 1.0 mm
Steel with cement lining k = 0.1 - 0.4 mm
Bitumen lined k = 0.3 - 1.0 mm

The steel roughness coefficient can increase to as much as 5 in the case of

old rusty pipes.
The total head loss due to flow through a pipe is defined as the sum of the
friction loss due to pipe resistance and the minor or secondary head
losses due to bends and fittings.

Data 6-7
Minor losses along the section are given as a function of the un-
dimensional coefficient ( > ). The corresponding numerical value is
calculated by means of the equation:
2
*H = G(>)v /2g
where
*H = head loss in the pipe due to minor losses
G(>) = sum of all minor loss coefficients
v = velocity of flow in the pipe
g = gravitational acceleration constant

Should the diameter of the pipe change locally (for example: reducers,
flow meter, diffuser, etc) it is necessary to adjust the numeric value of the
minor loss coefficient to the equivalent diameter. Minor losses in pump
stations and regulating valves are discussed later.
Typical pipe loss values follow.

Bends

ß r/d
1 1.5 2 4 6
15° 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03
30° 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07
45° 0.14 0.11 0.09 0.08 0.075
60° 0.19 0.16 0.12 0.10 0.09
90° 0.21 0.18 0.14 0.11 0.09

Elbows

6-8 Civil Designer WATER

 ß 20 40 60 80 100 120
ξ 0.03 0.20 0.45 0.90 1.45 2.00

Data 6-9
 a/d 1 2 3 4 5 6
ξ 0.34 0.31 0.35 0.36 0.39 0.40

a/d 1 2 3 4 5 6
ξ 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.13 0.15 0.14

a/d 1 2 3 4 5 6
ξ 0.20 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.20

6-10 Civil Designer WATER

 a/d 1 2 3 4
ξ 0.16 0.15 0.16 0.17

Tees

Qa/Q 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Kb (1.0) 1.0 1.01 1.03 1.05 1.09 1.15 1.22 1.32 1.38 1.45
Kr 0 0.004 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.26 0.32 (0.40)

Qa/Q 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Kb (-1.60) -0.37 -0.18 -0.07 +0.26 0.46 0.62 0.78 0.94 1.08 1.20
Kr 0 0.16 0.27 0.38 0.46 0.53 0.57 0.59 0.60 0.59 0.55

Data 6-11
 2
Kr1 = 1 + 0.3 (Qa1/Q)
2
Kr2 = 1 + 0.3 (Qa2/Q)

2
Kr1 = 2 + 3 [(Qa1/Q) - Qa2/Q]
2
Kr2 = 2 + 3 [(Qa2/Q) - Qa1/Q]

6-12 Civil Designer WATER

Inlets
Projecting

Sharp-edged ξ = 2.5 / 3
Broken ξ = 0.6 / 1

Projecting Taper

l/d 0.1 1.0

ß 60 40 / 60
ξ 0.4 0.1

l/d 0.1 0.6

ß 40 / 60 40
ξ 0.2 0.1

Even with wall

Sharp-edged ξ = 0.5
Rounded ξ = 0.25

Data 6-13
Rounded shape

For R/d ≥ 0.2 ξ = 0.03

Constrictions

Extremely sharp edges

A2/A1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
ξ 0.58 0.52 0.40 0.22 0.02

Edges lightly broken

A2/A1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
ξ 0.35 0.28 0.17 0.05 0.02

Edges strongly chamfered

A2/A1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
ξ 0.11 0.08 0.05 0.03 0.02

Edges strongly rounded ~ 0.02

6-14 Civil Designer WATER

Diffusers

Sudden divergence
A2/A1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
ξ 0.62 0.38 0.18 0.03 0.01

ß A1/A2
0,25 0,30 0,40 0,50 0,60
8°° 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02
16°° 0.15 0.13 0.10 0.07 0.05
24°° 0.26 0.23 0.17 0.12 0.08

Should the diameter of the pipe change locally (for example: reducers,
flow meter, diffuser, etc) it is necessary to adjust the numeric value of
the minor loss coefficient to the equivalent diameter. If graphics are
available, click on the middle of the pipe and then press the right mouse
button for the input table. Values for the selected pipe can be typed in at
this stage.

Check Valves
Check valves are devices that allow flow in only one direction (from the
start to the end node of the section on which the non-return valve is
located). They are identified by the Id number of the corresponding pipe.
Pump stations do not have to be specifically fitted with non-return valves,
since it is assumed that pumps never reverse.

Data 6-15
Longitudinal Sections

This page lists everything regarding the details of a longitudinal section

of a length of pipe, i.e. chainage, co-ordinates and ground and invert
levels.
The [Show] button can be used to see which pipe on the graphical display
is currently in edit mode.

6-16 Civil Designer WATER

Nodes
Nodes in the network are defined by Id number, elevation, demand type,
co-ordinates and name. A node is defined at the start and end of each
pipe. It is not necessary to define new nodes at each change of direction
as multiple bends may be accommodated between nodes.
Nodes are necessary at pipe connections, e.g. where 3 or more pipes join,
change of diameter, demand points, specific points at which you wish to
know or pre-set the pressure and reservoirs. It is not necessary to define
a node at pump stations and valves, as these are defined by the pipe Id
number on which they are situated.
All nodes in the model must be assigned an elevation in order to be able
to determine the hydraulic grade line and residual head at each node.
The elevation is defined in metres above some chosen datum level.
Demands are optional.

Data 6-17
Group
Refers to a group that element belongs to. New elements will initially
belong to a group that was selected as a current group at the time the
element was created. How groups are created and manipulated is
explained in chapter on groups.

Preset discharge node

This is the general input area for the demand and demand pattern at
each node. Demand is specified in litres per second, and equals the
average daily outflow. The water demand at any moment in time is
obtained by multiplying that average node outflow by the corresponding
hourly water use coefficient, i.e. the Demand pattern coefficient. The flow
value can be negative designating inflow. The Demand Pattern may be
typed in or selected from the file by clicking on the [Demand Pattern]
button.

Preset pressure node

Where portion of a network is being analysed, preset pressure nodes are
required for simulating the inflow from the rest of the network. This type
of node would typically be used where a network is fed from a main
supply pipe, another network or from a fixed head borehole or dam outlet.
In this case the known pressure is applied to the node to simulate the
effect of the source. The preset pressure may be constant or variable. If
variable, select the Settings option and type in a value each 15 minutes for
a 24 hour period.

Pressure related discharge node

This is an outlet for which the outflow value depends on the current
pressure in the corresponding node in the network. The contour condi-
tions of this type are usually used for aerators in water treatment plants
and in calculations of accidents and pipe breaks.
The only input detail required here is discharge at one Bar given in liters
per second.

6-18 Civil Designer WATER

Reservoirs
There must be at least one reservoir or inlet in any network in order to
achieve a solution as the hydraulic grade line must be fixed at least at one
point in the system.
Reservoirs are defined by name, id and node on which they are located.

There is no limit to the capacity of a reservoir. Dams may be modeled by

entering large capacity values.
There are three input pages headed by a tab namely:

General
Details are defined by the following variables:

Name & Id Name is optional. WATER automatically assigns an Id.

Group Refers to a group that element belongs to. New
elements will initially belong to a group that was
selected as a current group at the time the element
was created. How groups are created and manipulated
is explained in chapter on groups.
Node This is the node number on which the reservoir is
situated.
Capacity (Kl) The total storage capacity of the reservoir given in
Kilolitres.
Full supply level (m) Given at height above sea level or some chosen datum
level.

Data 6-19
Floor supply level (m) Given at height above sea level or some chosen datum
level.
Inlet level (m) Given at height above sea level or some chosen datum
level.
Water depth (m) Physical water depth inside the reservoir.
Y / X Co-ordinates (m) Coordinates will automatically be picked up from the
node the reservoir is positioned on.

Connections
There are three entry areas in the reservoir Connections table namely;
Inlet, Inlet and Outlet and Outlet.

When you first enter this menu, all the pipes are listed in the middle area.
To define the function of a pipe, highlight the pipe in the middle and
press the arrow in the required direction, or drag the pipe to the desired
area - either inlet or outlet only.
Pipe numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order so it is not
necessary to drag pipe numbers across in sequence. Multiple pipes
cannot be selected and dragged across in one movement.

Inlet
If the pipe is described as an inlet only, flow into the reservoir only is
possible. The pipe automatically functions as if a check valve has been
assigned to this pipe. An inlet control valve may also be applied to the
inlet pipe, as per the options in the bottom of the screen.

If an inlet control valve is chosen, the water depth for the open and
closed position of the valve must be defined.

6-20 Civil Designer WATER

Outlet
If the pipe is described as an outlet only, flow out of the reservoir only is
possible.

Inlet and Outlet

In this option the flow in both directions is possible.

Shape
The shape of the reservoir affects the actual depth of the water at a given
point in time during a time simulation and will therefore affect the
pressure. You can define any shape of reservoir by either selecting one of
the most common shapes, or the option “other” and defining the water
depth versus volume. A typical input area is shown below:

Data 6-21
Pump Stations
Pump elements will allow flow in the positive direction only, i.e. from
upstream node to downstream node.
Care should be exercised when selecting start and end nodes to ensure
the correct direction of pump action.

Reverse flow through pumps is impossible as pumps behave as check

(non-return) valves when pumps are switched off.

Negative flow is possible if pumps are running and conditions in the

network are completely out of the design range of the pump.

Up to 8 pumps may be handled in a pump station. The pumps are

configured in parallel. The data input table is shown below and is divided
into 5 input areas:

6-22 Civil Designer WATER

General
This section includes general details about the pump station. There are 3
input options available here namely:
Name and Id The Name is optional but the Id is automatically
entered by WATER.
Pipe Refers to the Id number of the pipe on which the pump
is situated.
Y and X co-ordinates The coordinates of the pump station in m.

Layout
There are two pump configuration options:
Sump Specify an elevation of the pump in metres.
Inline Booster The pump assumes the elevation of the pipe at that
point.

Pump tabs
For each pump in the pump station a tab is displayed, allowing different
settings for each pump.

Each pump has the following input options:

Characteristics

Pump details can be entered in two ways, i.e. manually typing in the
pump data or by selecting the required pump from the pump catalogue
and using the copy and paste command.

Description
The following information is required:
• Model

Data 6-23
• Impeller Diameter (mm)
• Motor Size (kW)
• Nominal Speed (RPM)
• Points on the pump curve for Delivery (l/s), Head (m) and Efficiency
(%).

Points on the Pump Curve

Pump curves are defined using 3 points, by increasing order of flow. The
best approximation is achieved when the points are equidistant and the
midpoint is selected to coincide with the point that reflects the maximum
pump efficiency. This rule is disregarded only when the working point
lies beyond the normal working area. In this case, it is necessary to assign
points in the area expected to contain the working points.

Click on the [Pump Curve] button to see the curve as shown below:

6-24 Civil Designer WATER

Controls
There are a number of Active Control options available:

Pressure control

The pump will switch on or off depending on the pressure attained in the
reference node. If the pressure in the node drops below the "On"
pressure, the pump will be switched on. If the pressure rises above the
“Off“ value the pump will switch off.

Level control

The pump will switch on or off depending on the level attained in the
reference reservoir. If the level in the reservoir drops below the "On" level
the pump will be switched on. If the level rises above the “Off” value the
pump will switch off.

Time control

Data 6-25
For time controlled pump stations, start and stop times are entered.
Since the lower tariff periods usually apply twice a day, two sets of
parameters may be defined here. Typically this would be for the night
and afternoon low periods.

Delayed Start

When using the various controls, it may be difficult to start up the pump
again, for e.g. for level control the float valve may not work so well and
the pump will not automatically kick in again. Rather then using
expensive means like telemetry to send a signal to the pump to start
pumping, a simple solution is to use the delayed start option to start up
the pump again after some time of the pump stopping. The other 3
controls however, will override the delayed start option. For example,
should the reservoir be full the pump will not be able to start.

Long Term

This option allows you to specify which days of the week the pump will
switch on and off.

Initial status
The initial status of the pump can be set as either initially being switched
on or off.

Applying the Controls

The main 4 sets of control parameters may be applied simultaneously.
The order of precedence is:
1. Long Term control
2. Time control
3. Level control
4. Pressure control

6-26 Civil Designer WATER

To activate each control, check the appropriate options on the left-hand
side of the Pump menu.

Adding and removing pumps

Pumps can be added and removed with the [Add Pump] and [Remove Pump]
buttons, while pump details can be copied and pasted from one pump to
another using the [Copy] and [Paste] buttons.
You can add another pump only once you have entered details for the
previous pump i.e. you must enter details for Pump 2 before you can add
Pump 3.
Pump details may be inserted as follows:
• Click on the [Pump Catalogue] button.
• Select the required pump using the arrows to browse through
database.
• Click on the [Copy] button and close the menu.
• Click on the [Paste] button to insert in the desired pump in the input
area.

Data 6-27
Pump Catalogue
The Pump Catalogue contains a list of available pumps. You may view
the pump curve and details of every pump in the catalogue. The pump
curve page will show the relationship between the flow, the head and the
efficiency of the selected pump.

The detail page will show general details about the selected pump as well
as points on the pump curve.

6-28 Civil Designer WATER

Valves
Valves in the program are considered to be regulating valves whose
coefficient of resistance changes in accordance with a set algorithm.
Hydraulic losses on valves with constant resistance can be written off
against minor losses on the appropriate sections.
The Valves dialog consists of two parts:

General
This section allows you to define the basic properties of the valve:
Valve Name (optional) and Id This allows you to assign a specific name to a valve. Id
is automatically assigned by WATER.
Group Refers to a group that element belongs to. New
elements will initially belong to a group that was
selected as a current group at the time the element
was created. How groups are created and manipulated
is explained in chapter on groups.
Pipe This is the pipe Id number on which the valve is
situated.
Diameter (mm) This is the internal diameter of the valve measured in
mm.

Y / X Co-ordinates (m) These are the coordinates of the valve position.

Data 6-29
Operation and Settings
Operation refers to the valve control method. Settings work in
conjunction with Operation, allowing you to set the parameters for the
various control methods:

Manual The valve can be open 100% or any value between 0

and 100%. If set to zero, a closed valve is achieved
which prohibits flow entirely. It is used to model the re-
distribution of flows within a network should valve
closure occur or pipes become blocked. There are no
constants required to define the behavior of a closed
valve.
Pressure Control This requires the setting of a reference node and
desired pressure. Consequently, two cases are
possible, depending on the position of the node in
relation to the valve and the direction of the flow.
Pressure reducing valves
If the reference node is “downstream”, then the
regulating valve assumes the role of a so called
“reduction valve”, which stops pressure in the
reference node from rising above the given limit. This
limits the pressure just downstream from the start node
of the valve to some maximum value by reducing the
flow through the valve.
A pressure reducing valve will allow flow only in the
positive direction of the element (i.e. from the start to
the end nodes). In the opposite direction the valve will
behave as a one way (non-return) valve.
Pressure sustaining valves
Should the reference node be located “upstream” of
the valve, then the regulating valve will maintain the
minimum pressure in the reference node. This case
occurs less often than the former and is usually found
on pump stations where the regulating valve serves to
prevent the pump from operating at a pressure level
beyond that presumed.
The operating mode selected will depend on the
network configuration.
Flow Control For a flow control valve the desired flow is specified in
(l/s). The valve will then open or close allowing the
desired flow through the valve.

6-30 Civil Designer WATER

Level Modulating When controlling valves by level, it is necessary to
define the reference reservoir and the levels at which
the valve will be completely opened or closed.
Depending on the relation of these two levels, two
situations are possible:
If the level at which the valve closes is higher than the
one at which it opens, rising water levels cases a
partial closing, that is, the regulating valve functions as
a float valve.
If the rising water levels in the reservoir causes the
opening of the valve, then a certain part of the network
can be supplied from that reservoir only if the level of
water is higher than the minimal given level. This part
of the network must have an alternate supply as well.
The level modulating valve will start opening at the
closing level and reach 100% at the opening level.
Level On/Off When controlling valves by level, it is necessary to
define the reference reservoir and the levels at which
the valve will be completely opened or closed.
Depending on the relation of these two levels, two
situations are possible:
If the level at which the valve closes is higher than the
one at which it opens, rising water levels cases a
partial closing, that is, the regulating valve functions as
a float valve.
If the rising water levels in the reservoir causes the
opening of the valve, then a certain part of the network
can be supplied from that reservoir only if the level of
water is higher than the minimal given level. This part
of the network must have an alternate supply as well.
In the case of an On/Off valve, when open the flow
attains 100% immediately and drops to 0%
immediately the closing level is reached.

Data 6-31
Characteristics
This section allows you to set parameters to fully model the type of valve
required.
Several types of valves are tabulated in WATER, i.e. the Butterfly, Flat
Disc and V port. Any other type of valve can be defined by inserting the
required values under “Other”.
Several types of valves need not necessarily be defined for analysis
purposes. Gate or butterfly valves are generally only open between 0 –
6% and as such are not ideal for regulation. In normal steady state
conditions, air valves are completely closed and as such do not interfere
with flow.
Only valves which vary in opening should be included in the model as
regulating valves.

6-32 Civil Designer WATER

Pressure Release Chamber
Pressure Release chambers are defined by Id number, node number on
which the chamber is situated, working water level and coordinates.

It is necessary to ensure that only one pipe enters the release chamber.
There is no limit on the number of pipes leaving the chamber.
Realistic working conditions of release chambers have been reproduced
in the program. Inflow to the release chamber at any moment equals
outflow. Since retention is negligible, the sum of inflow and outflow in all
sections leading in and out of the node is zero.
The capacity of the incoming pipe is automatically adjusted to the
contours by changing the coefficient of minor losses. (In practice, this
amounts to hydraulic loss on a float valve or an electric motor valve with
level control, at the entrance to the chamber. Chamber = combination of
small reservoir and valve with level control).
Should it be required to include the retention of a release chamber in the
calculations, then instead of the release chamber model, a reservoir of the
required dimensions and associated regulating valve model should be
used. This would be the case of a chamber of a large volume which can
accommodate peak demands, or a chamber used for fire fighting
reserves.

Data 6-33
Data Spreadsheet
This option allows you to edit the data in a spreadsheet format. There are
six pages, one for each Water element. Right click on a table header
allows sorting based on selected column.

Fields that are displayed in the table and their order can be easily
customized.

6-34 Civil Designer WATER

Adjust Demands
It is possible to assign the water use (demand) of the system at the nodes
of the water supply network by many different means. In general when
creating your network layout, a demand is assigned to a node in litres per
second, and equals the average daily outflow.
For a time simulation, the water demand at any moment in time is
obtained by multiplying the average node outflow by the corresponding
water use coefficient. The coefficients used are taken from the particular
demand pattern which has been assigned to the node. At times however,
it may be necessary to adjust these demands.

Data 6-35
A table is displayed which lists a summary of the various demands, i.e.
Average Daily Demand, Seasonal Peak Demand and the Instantaneous
Peak Demand of the network or a selected portion.
There are 3 options to adjust the demand.

Apply fixed factor

Applying a fixed factor to your network or portion of the network will
multiply the water demand at each node by this additional factor.
To apply a fixed factor to a portion of the network only, check the Selected
AreaOnly box.
Applying a fixed factor to a network may be useful in cases where you
may have had a sudden unexpected influx of people to an area which in
the past was sparsely populated. The fixed factor may also be useful in
predicting a water demand for an area in say 10 years time.

Distribute According to Pipe Lengths

Often, especially in the case of an even population density, the total
average water demand of a network is distributed proportionally to the
pipe’s lengths. This type of distribution can be accomplished
automatically by selecting this option and assigning a l/s consumption for
the whole or selected portion of the network.

Read from Consumption Database

This option is useful when you have actual consumption figures available
in a database format. You can link the consumption figures to the
WATER model and compare the results and adjust the demands of your
model accordingly.
The setup screen appears. (See Monitor Consumption for explanation of
the rest of the procedure to adjust demands).

6-36 Civil Designer WATER

Monitor Consumption
WATER can be used not only for the design of new networks, but also to
calibrate existing networks. Having calculated the network demands, it is
possible to refine the demands by comparing measured consumption
figures with your model and adjusting when necessary.
Measured consumption can be read into WATER by means of linking a
database file containing consumption figures and comparing them to the
theoretical model.
The Water Consumption Data dialog is displayed. Browse for the Access
database file and fill in the necessary information.

Once you have defined your parameters for the consumption, click on the
[Read Consumption] button at the bottom of the menu. You have the option
of measuring the entire network, or measuring a selected area.
You will see the figures as measured appear in the section of the menu
displayed above. If the results differ at all, the difference will be shown as
a percentage in the last box on the menu.
If you would like to adjust the network demands to those of the database
demands, click on the [Adjust Demands] button.
WATER will distribute the measured demand proportionally to the
nearest nodes.

Data 6-37
Update Elevations
On selecting this menu option, Civil Designer will pick up elevations from
your DTM model and assign the elevations to the nearest nodes. The
surface used by WATER is set up under the Settings ► Project Settings
option.
To assign elevations to the nodes 1m below the DTM model, the cover to
the pipes needs to be set as a default of 1m. This is done by selecting
Settings ► Pipe Defaults.
No dialog box is displayed during this operation.

6-38 Civil Designer WATER

Graphical Menu

Add Pipe
The program will prompt:
Add Pipe: Indicate first node position
You may use any of the snap modes, including Water specific snaps, to do
so. Once you have clicked with the mouse or pressed Enter the program
will prompt:
Add Pipe: Indicate second node position
To enter intermediate point on the pipe (horizontal bend) hold Control
key while entering a point, otherwise indicated point would present end
node of the pipe.
Newly entered pipe will receive default values (material, diameter, class
...) as specified in Pipe Defaults, and will belong to current group. Pipe
vertical alignment will be determined from ground longitudinal section.

Add Reservoir
The program will prompt:
Add Reservoir: Indicate reservoir position
You may use any of the CAD snap modes, and Snap to Node to do so.
Note that if Snap to Node was not active a new node at the reservoir
position will always be created. The only way to place reservoir at an
existing node is to snap to that node.

Add Pump
The program will prompt:
Add Pump: Indicate pump position
No user selectable snaps are available when entering a Pump Station. It
will always be placed at the pipe nearest to indicated point and linked to
it. If program cannot find any pipe inside searching radius Pump Station
will not be created.

Add Valve
The program will prompt:

Graphical 7-1
 Add Valve: Indicate valve position
No user selectable snaps are available when entering a valve. It will
always be placed at the pipe nearest to indicated point and linked to it. If
program cannot find any pipe inside searching radius valve will not be
created.

Add Pressure Release Chamber

The program will prompt:
Add Chamber: Indicate chamber position
No user selectable snaps are available when entering a pressure release
chamber. It will always be placed at the node nearest to indicated point
and linked to it. If program cannot find any node inside searching radius
pressure release chamber will not be created

Move
The program will prompt:
Move: Indicate a node or a bend to move
When desired node or horizontal bend is indicated program will prompt:
Move: Indicate a new position
At this time it is possible to use any of CAD snap modes, but not Water
specific snaps.

Insert
The program will prompt:
Insert a node: Indicate position on the pipe
Indicate position of a new node and the pipe will be split in two at the
point nearest to indicated one.

Join
The program will prompt:
Join pipes: Indicate a node to remove
Indicated node will be removed, keeping horizontal bend, if present.
Pipes can be joined in this way only if all relevant physical properties are
identical.
It is also possible to use block selection at the prompt, to perform
operation on all selected nodes at once.

7-2 Civil Designer WATER

Connect
The program will prompt:
Connect pipes: Indicate a node to connect
If continious pipe was found inside searching distance from indicated
node, the pipe will be split in two and proper connection created.
It is also possible to use block selection at the prompt, to perform
operation on all selected nodes at once.

Insert Bend
The program will prompt:
Insert Bend: Indicate a pipe
After a pipe was indicated prompt changes to
Insert Bend: Indicate position
and program draws drag lines while waiting for input. CAD snaps can be
used at this time.

Delete Bend
The program will prompt:
Delete Bend: Indicate bend to delete
Indicated horizontal bend will be removed

Water Specific Snaps

In addition to CAD snap modes, there are two more snap modes available
when entering Water entities, Snap to Node and Snap to Pipe. It is
essential to use them in order to maintain connectivity between Water
entities.
To change Water snap mode right click while in the editing operation,
and popup menu with available options will appear.
Freehand Switch off Water snap mode. CAD snaps, if any are
selected, will be active.
Snap to Node The cursor will snap to nearest Water node.
Snap to Pipe Available only when entering a new pipe. Existing pipe,
if found, would be split in two at the snap point, a node
created and a new pipe properly connected to it.

Graphical 7-3
Groups
Groups are essentially permanent selection sets. In some way they are
similar to layers in the drawing.
How to organize groups is entirely up to your requirements. Per example:
• Existing pipes in one groups, Phase 1 development in another, then
Phase 2, Phase 3, or
• Bulk infrastructure as one group, reticulations for each suburb or
village in separate groups
Default group exists in every project, and cannot be deleted. Additional
groups can be created or deleted as required and elements can be freely
moved in between them.
A group can be made visible or invisible, and it can be included in
hydraulic analysis or excluded from it.
All elements of the model belong to some of the groups. Newly created
elements are included in the group being current group at the time of
element creation.

Groups 8-1
Create New
Creates a new empty group.
Type in the new group name, up to 50 characters long, or accept default
name, Group#. Group can be renamed at the later stage.
New group does not became current after creation.

Set Current
Set the current group. All newly created elements will by default belong
to the current group

Delete
From the menu chose a group to be deleted.

If the group contains any elements, this dialog allows user to chose either
to delete the elements as well or to move them to any other group in the
project

Settings

Id Unique Id Number of the group. Letter C next to the

number indicates that group is current at the moment
Group Title Descriptive name of the group
Visible Indicate group visibility
Calculate Check to include the group in hydraulic analysis or
uncheck to exclude

Right click displays a popup menu with options to delete the group
under the cursor or make it the current group.
Double click on the title starts editing of group name.

Move selected to
Chose a destination group, and all currently selected Water elements will
be moved to it.

8-2 Civil Designer WATER

Analysis
This is where data is verified and different solution
types may be selected. Results for various times
may be viewed.

Error Checking
Error checks are performed on the geometric config-uration of the
network, node type, pump station and valve data. If an error is found, a
message regarding the type of error appears.

The program will continue with the analysis if any warnings are shown,
but not if an error is found
The location of the erroneous element can also be shown by selecting the
element on the table and clicking on the [Show] button.
The Messages dialogue box will minimise, the cursor will move to the
“error” location and the element will be highlighted on the map layout.
To return to the Messages dialogue box, click on the [Restore previous size]
button.
To edit highlighted text, click on the [Edit] button and the edit window for
that item will appear allowing you to edit the contents thereof.

Note that some errors cannot be detected in this manner, for example a
misdirected pump station or an inadequate pump capacity.

Analysis 9-1
Data control is done automatically every time calculations are started. If
an error is detected, a message will appear and the analysis will not
proceed

Single Step Analysis

The Single Step analysis is normally used before running the time
simulation of the water supply network, in order to determine the state of
the network in typical cases of demand (usually the times of minimum
and maximum water use).
It is also used when controlling accidental and other infrequent states
that are not normally addressed during normal simulation. It is usual
(though not always the best) to combine the analysis of maximum water
use with minimum water levels in the reservoir, and minimum water use
with maximum water levels.
Simulations may be saved for later retrieval.

There are 4 possibilities for single step analysis:

• Specific Time
• Average Demand
• Maximum Demand
• Minimum Demand
The seasonal peak factor can be taken into account during analysis by
switching on the toggle. You can select to view the state of the pumps,
valves and critical node during simulation. The pumps can be switched
on or off manually.

9-2 Civil Designer WATER

To start an analysis you click on the [Start] button. The analysis will be
terminated should the number of iterations exceed 200. The number of
iterations normally does not exceed 15 except if pressure control valves
are used.

On completion of the analysis, you have the option to save the results and
also to view the messages by simply selecting the relevant button.

Specific Time
After selecting the Specific Time option, the hour and minute for which
the analysis is set, are given. The demand pattern factors for the chosen
time are used for the analysis and it is therefore wise to check the shape
of the selected water-use diagrams by viewing the corresponding
Demand pattern. You have to option to apply the seasonal peak factor for
the analysis.

Modeling accidents
When analysing accident related conditions, sections of the system which
are out of order are simulated by assigning a very high local resistance
value (e.g. 108).
The state caused by a pipe burst is simulated either by placing an outflow
on the desired node (if a break in the middle of the section is desired,
then it is necessary to insert an internode), or by assigning a
predetermined value for outflow.
If the simulation is achieved by an inserted outflow, the pressure coeffi-
cient is given on the basis of the size of the imagined opening in the pipe
wall.

Average Demand
Average water use is understood to denote a state in which all hourly
water use coefficients are equal to one, i.e. demand patterns are ignored

Analysis 9-3
but seasonal factor may still be applied. During calculations, all given
algorithms for controlling pump stations and regulating valves are active,
except, for obvious reasons, those controlled by time.

Maximum Demand
The maximum demand simulation will give the maximum demand at
each node irrespective of time.

Minimum Demand
The minimum demand simulation will give the minimum demand at each
node irrespective of time.

Time Simulation
Continuous (usually 24-hour) simulation of a water network and distri-
bution system allows:
• Presentation of the pressures and flows in the network under condi-
tions of changing water use.
• Level oscillations of water in reservoirs (this enables control of
chosen volumes).
• The functioning scheme of pump stations (by controlling the
parameters of operation) and other elements which mirror a realistic
operating system.
In view of this, continuous simulation has become (with the advance of
computer systems) a necessary part of every hydraulic analysis of a
system with variations in water use.
Before starting the simulation, the initial water level in the reservoirs
must be given (the author recommends the minimal operational level,
while starting the simulation with the hour when lower, night time use
begins.)

9-4 Civil Designer WATER

Simulation Starts at
This option allows you to select any time of day to begin the simulation as
well as any day of the week.

Time Increment
Any time increment starting at 1minute can be specified, although since
the demand patterns have a factor each 15 minutes, it is more practical to
start at 15 minute time increments.

Duration
Duration can be specified in hours or days.

Apply Seasonal Peak Factor

The seasonal peak factor can be taken into account during analysis by
switching on the toggle.

Advanced
The advanced options include:

Link discharge to pressure

The analysis will take into account the fact that the discharge will
decrease as the pressure decreases.

Calculate water losses

Determines the water losses according to the specified parameters.

Show
You can select to view the state of the reservoirs and pumps during
simulation.

Pumps

Analysis 9-5
The pumps can be switched on or off manually during simulation. You
can view up to four pumps simultaneously but the pull down menu
allows for selection of other pumps if required.

Reservoirs
You can view up to six reservoirs simultaneously. Each display screen
has a pull down menu from which you can select which specific
reservoirs you want to see displayed during the simulation.

Each simulation can be stored under a separate name for future retrieval.

9-6 Civil Designer WATER

Long Term Simulation

Long Term Simulation was implemented to allows hydraulic analysis of

large, usually irrigation, schemes where changes in operation modes and
reservoir or dam levels are graduate.
It is executed in 365 steps, one for each day in the year. Demands in such
schemes change seasonally, and, to cater for that, demand patterns for
day in the week and week in the year should be used. Demand variations
during the day are irrelevant and therefore ignored.
Pump and valve operation status is checked against set rules, say level or
pressure controls, once a day.
Time control for pumps based on hours in the day is inactive, while time
control based on days in the year is active.
Do not execute this operation on regular municipal or rural water supply
schemes. Result would be meaningless as parameter variations are too
rapid to be modeled in this way.

Analysis 9-7
Quantities

Calculate quantities according to SABS 1200.

Pipe Lengths are grouped by material, diameter and class

9-8 Civil Designer WATER

Excavation lengths and Excavation Volumes are grouped by diameter.
Depth is in increments of 1 meter, as specified by SABS. Column Surface
refers to pipes that are exposed on the ground surface.

Analysis 9-9
Bedding Volumes are grouped by bedding classes, as prescribed by
SABS

9-10 Civil Designer WATER

Water Losses

Water losses are usually expressed as a percentage of water usage,

although there is obviously nothing that can physically relate these two
phenomena.
As a way of comparing different water supply systems percentage of
losses can be quite misleading, as it favours high consumption systems.
Municipal water scheme with 8% of losses and per capita demand of 700
l/day seems to be in a much better state than the one with 20% of losses
and per capita demand of 90 l/day. The actual fact is that water losses in
the first case are 56 l/day/consumer while in the other case are 18
l/day/consumer. Losses per kilometre of network would be 6.7 m3/day in
first and 2.1 m3/day in the other case. Makes one wander.
As a way for spatial distribution, percentage approach is even less
applicable. What could possibly be a reason for water losses near the
factory or hotel to be hundreds time higher than near the connection for
residential house? Definitely reason cannot be that consumption it self is
higher. Amount of water flowing though the pipe does not influence
leakage.
Clearly, water losses are independent of consumption and have to be
evaluated and calculated independently.

Terms related to water losses

Non Revenue Water is a difference between amount of water supplied to

the network and amount of water sold to consumers. It consists of
Unbilled Authorized Consumption and Water Losses.
Unbilled Authorized Consumption includes watering of public parks
and gardens, street washing, flushing of water and sewer lines, fire
fighting etc.
Water Losses can be divided in two groups, namely Apparent and Real
Water Losses.
Apparent Water Losses are not losses in the strict meaning of the term,
as water was actually delivered to the consumers. They are result of
illegal connections, inaccurate water meter readings and measuring
equipment faults. They can be kept on minimum in properly maintained
water supply schemes, although they will always exist to some degree.

Analysis 9-11
Real Water Losses are caused by leaks and bursts up to the measuring
point.
Specific Loss is a volume of water lost per length of pipe in certain time
span. As a parameter for evaluation of water losses it has much more
sense than percentage of consumption and therefore is now the preferred
way of losses assessment. In Europe, it is usually measured in m3/km/h.
Unit Loss is a Specific Loss on certain reference pressure. Inclusion of
Unit Loss was necessary to allow for accurate calculation of water losses,
as they are greatly influenced by pressure. Further on it will be expressed
in m3/km/day on the pressure of 1 bar.

Parameters influencing water losses

Length of the water pipes is a definitive factor influencing water losses

Number and length of service connections is a significant factor as
connections are weak links in the system. Losses on the connections are
of the low magnitude, but numerous, difficult to detect, usually last for a
long time and therefore produce considerable effect.
Maintenance level is maybe the most important factor influencing water
losses per length of the pipe.
Pipe material can be a factor of importance, especially when linked to
soil characteristics, age of the pipe and general maintenance and
workmanship level. Properly installed pipe, manufactured to standards
and appropriate to conditions should not be the cause of undue losses
being of one material or the other.
Type of soil can influence water losses in several ways:

Corrosion

Movement in soil

Detection of leaks
Influence of first two parameters can be significantly reduced at design
stage, by selecting pipe material and bedding appropriate to soil
conditions. Detection of leaks is more difficult in coarse soil or fissured
rock, and water losses should be monitored more closely.
Pressures in the system greatly influence water losses, all previous
parameters being equal. Idea that higher pressure is a better pressure is
not only wrong it is outright harmful. Pressures in the network should be
kept as low as technically possible and feasible.

9-12 Civil Designer WATER

Importance of pressure

Increase in flow trough a fixed outlet, as in case of a sprinkler, would

follow increase in pressure via square root function. That is not the case
with water losses. Leaks would increase to a much higher degree, almost
linearly to increase in pressure.
Mathematically, this relation can be expressed as exponential function,

QLOSS = L * ULOSS * P ^ ELOSS

Where:

Q LOSS Volume of losses

L Length of pipe

ULOSS Unit Loss

P Pressure in the pipeline

ELOSS Exponent, usually between 0.7 and 0.9

Ways to establish Unit Loss

Different ways to establish unit water losses will be listed in decreasing

order of accuracy.
Zero consumption measurement is most accurate way of establishing
both unit loss and actual exponent for water losses. It is similar to
pressure testing of pipes, as an isolated part of the network is subjected
to constant (or range of constant pressures) with all extraction points
closed. Unit loss is then simply calculated from amount of water lost on
certain pressure. At the negative side, it is expensive and needs
disruption in water supply. Because of that it is limited to situations
when high amount of losses is evident and radical measures are called
for.
Night flow measurement is a more convenient method, giving reasonable
degree of accuracy. Flow and pressures at the time of minimum

Analysis 9-13
consumption are measured, and difference between measured and
anticipated flow gives amount of losses. Drawback of the method is that
sometimes it is not easy to find out what was the actual consumption (it is
never zero) at the time of measurement. Observation of number of water
meters in the area increases the accuracy.
Total losses can be used to determine unit loss, both at the design stage
(as some supply authorities still use percentage of losses as a design
parameter) and as a first step of investigating or comparing existing
networks. Care should be taken not to confuse Non Revenue Water with
losses.
Guidelines are a convenient starting point. Per example,
recommendations from German National Report on Water Losses are for
specific loss to be between 0.05 and 0.25 m3/km/h, depending on
conditions. As average pressure in Germany is around 3 bar, this
translates to Unit Loss of around 0.5 to 2.5 m3/km/day at 1 bar pressure.

Implementation in Water Module

Implementation of Water Losses Analysis in the software follows

previously described route.

Unit Loss can be specified for entire network, part of it or
individual pipes. Available functionality also allows for
calculation of Unit Loss from Zero Consumption or Night Flow
measurements, or from total amount of water losses.

Exponent for water losses can be altered if desired. Default value
of 0.8 corresponds adequately with measurements on actual
water supply schemes, and should be changed only if
measurements in certain local conditions indicate that other
value could provide better correlation.

Software will calculate losses factor for each node, base on the
lengths of adjoining pipes and their unit losses.

During hydraulic analysis, water losses, concentrated in nodes,
will be calculated trough exponential equation using calculated
factor and pressures in corresponding nodes.
Each step of the procedure will be described in detail further on.

9-14 Civil Designer WATER

Water Losses Settings

To fully understand approach to analysis of water losses implemented in

the software, please start with:

Introduction

Terms related to Water Losses

Parameters influencing Water Losses

Importance of pressure

Implementation in the software
Menu option Water Losses | Settings opens a dialog box that enables user
to change parameters for analysis of water losses.

Exponent for Calculation of Water Losses:

Previously explained, default value of 0.8 applicable in most cases.
Set Unit Loss to…
Press the button to enter desired value in the edit box on the right. Used
to assign Unit Loss from textbooks or guidelines or calculated from Zero
Consumption measurements.
Multiply Unit Loss by:
Multiplies previously entered value by some factor, usually to enable
finer correlation with measured values.

Analysis 9-15
Set Daily Volume of Losses to…
Option is used to calculate Unit Loss from recorded total real water
losses, or in design stage, if supply authority requests that certain amount
or percentage of losses must be applied. This option requires hydraulic
analysis to be performed several times in order to adjust losses in various
pressure conditions
Calculate Unit Loss from Night Draw-Off…
Calculates Unit Losses from measured Night Flow. Also requires
hydraulic analysis.
Selected Area Only
Check to apply any of previous options (except for exponent, as it is
global) to selected part of the network only.
Apply
Press to apply desired parameter change to the network. It would
automatically invoke hydraulic analysis if required.
Pane on the right hand side of the dialog is used to display messages and
progress while hydraulic analysis is on.

Water Losses Report

Displays summary of water losses.

9-16 Civil Designer WATER

Select Current State to see summary for one step of the analysis, or Time
Simulation Total.
Button Graph invokes graphical presentation in case of Time Simulation.
Water losses assign to individual nodes could be viewed in Results |
Nodes.

Water Losses Graph

Graphically presents results of hydraulic analysis including water losses.

Summary on the right hand side displays results for Current Time (time
that corresponds to cursor position) and simulation total

Analysis 9-17
Results
The Results menu is intended for viewing the
analysis results in a tabular format. It is divided
into the following items, including a results
browser.

Results 10-1
Results Browser
The results of for example, a 24-hour time simulation, run with 15 minute
intervals, contain 96 successive states of the network. Obviously it is not
necessary or possible to present all of them in documentation. Usually it
is sufficient to display two or three characteristic states. The results
browser option therefore allows you to select a time from which you wish
to extract results as well as the specific simulation file for information
retrieval.

Once you have selected the time, select the item from the results pull
down menu. You can keep the results browser open on the screen and as
you select a different time to view, the results in each table or graphics
will change automatically to coincide with the selected time.
The result tables of each of the result items can be arranged in
descending or ascending order on any selected field by simply clicking on
the heading of the field with your left mouse button. Once you have
selected the required state of your network, click on the print button to
print the results.

10-2 Civil Designer WATER

Pipes
The pipe results in the pipes can be viewed in a tabular format at the
time selected in the results browser. The pipe results include the flows in
(l/s), velocity in (m/s), head losses in (m), and gradient in (m/km).

• To view the position of a pipe on the graphical display, simply

highlight the pipe in the table and click on the [Show] button.
• To print the displayed results, press the [Print] button.
• To save results in a text file format, click on the [Save] button.
• You have the option to list only selected pipes by checking the Show
selected only option.

Results 10-3
Nodes
The node results can be viewed in a tabular format at the time selected in
the results browser. The node results include the elevation of the node
above sea level or chosen datum level in (m), the head in (m), the
pressure in (bar) and the discharge or outflow in (l/s).

• To view the position of a node on the graphical display, simply

highlight the node in the table and click the [Show] button.
• To print the displayed results, press the [Print] button.
• To save results in a text file format, click on the [Save] button.
• You have the option to list only selected nodes by checking the [Show
selected only] option.

10-4 Civil Designer WATER

Reservoirs
The Reservoir results can be viewed in a tabular format at the time
selected in the results browser.

• To view the position of a reservoir on the graphical display, simply

highlight the node in the table and click the [Show] button.
• To print the displayed results, press the [Print] button.
• To save results in a text file format, click on the [Save] button.
• You have the option to list only selected nodes by checking the [Show
selected only] option.

Results 10-5
Pumps
The pump station results can be viewed in a tabular format at the time
selected in the results browser. The results show the flow (l/s), head (m),
efficiency (%) and power (kW). Power is understood to imply the power
on the axis (not the motor power, which is slightly higher due to the
efficiency of the motor.)

• To view the position of a pump on the graphical display, simply

highlight the node in the table and click the [Show] button.
• To print the displayed results, press the [Print] button.
• To save results in a text file format, click on the [Save] button.
• You have the option to list only selected nodes by checking the [Show
selected only] option.

10-6 Civil Designer WATER

Valves
The Valve results can be viewed in a tabular format at the time selected
in the results browser.

• To view the position of a valve on the graphical display, simply

highlight the node in the table and click the [Show] button.
• To print the displayed results, press the [Print] button.
• To save results in a text file format, click on the [Save] button.
• You have the option to list only selected nodes by checking the [Show
selected only] option.

Results 10-7
Pressure Release Chambers
The Pressure Release Chamber results can be viewed in a tabular format
at the time selected in the results browser.

• To view the position of a pressure release chamber on the graphical

display, simply highlight the node in the table and click the [Show]
button.
• To print the displayed results, press the [Print] button.
• To save results in a text file format, click on the [Save] button.
• You have the option to list only selected nodes by checking the [Show
selected only] option.

10-8 Civil Designer WATER

Pipe Report

Pipe report displays pipe operating parameters for selected time

simulation:
Id - Id number of the pipe
From, To - Id numbers of starting and ending node
Max Flow - Maximum flow that occurred in the pipe during the
simulation, in l/s
Max Velocity - Velocity that correspond with maximum flow, in m/s
Time - Time when maximum flow occurred
Volume - Volume of water conveyed during the simulation, in cubic
meters. Volumes are summarized as absolute values, not as a net balance.
Avg Flow - Average flow through the pipe in l/s. It is a total volume of
water divided by the time span of the simulation
Significant difference between maximum and average flows, especially in
bulk supply systems, could indicate that pipe is not utilized properly, and
that smaller pipe, working more uniformly could do the job as efficiently.

Results 10-9
Pressure Report

Pressure report displays maximum and minimum pressures along the

length of pipe that occurred during the time simulation.
Id - Id number of the pipe
From, To - Id numbers of starting and ending node
Max Pressure - Maximum pressure that occurred in the pipe, in Bar
Chainage - Chainage of the point of maximum pressure
Min Pressure -Minimum pressure that occurred in the pipe, in Bar
Chainage - Chainage of the point of maximum pressure
Pressures are evaluated for all time steps in the analysis, and in all
vertical alignment points along the pipe longitudinal section. Note that
pressures as indicated in this report refer to pressures in the pipe, at the
pipe invert level. They are therefore different to pressures as displayed in
node results, as pressures at the nodes are calculated at ground level.

10-10 Civil Designer WATER

Reservoir Report

Reservoir report displays summary of how the reservoir capacities were

utilized during the time simulation. It is best to use it in conjunction with
graphical representation. See also hints on sizing reservoirs.
Id - Reservoir Id number
Name - Name of the reservoir
Capacity - Reservoir capacity in cubic meters
Max Storage - Maximum volume of water during the simulation,
expressed as percentage of reservoir capacity
Min Storage - Minimum volume of water during the simulation,
expressed as percentage of reservoir capacity
Active Storage - Percentage of reservoir capacity that was actually
balancing during the simulation.

Results 10-11
Pump Station Report

Report columns represent:

Id - Pump Station Id number
Name - Pump Station name
Pump - Pump ordinal in Pump Station or Total for Pump Station
summary.
Hours - Operating hours for the pump, or total for Pump Station
m3 - Volume of water pumped
kWh - Energy consumption for individual pump and total for Pump
Station. Energy is calculated as net input on the pump shaft. It does not
include losses due motor efficiency and other factors.
kWh/m3 - Ratio of energy consumption against volume of pumped water.

10-12 Civil Designer WATER

Graphs
The Graphs menu is used to obtain graphs of the
various results.

Once you have run the analysis and would like to view the various
graphs, select the object for which you want to display a graph, for
instance Graphs ► Pipes, a similar graphic to the one below appears:

At the bottom left hand side of the graphic, scroll buttons are displayed
which you can use to scroll between the pipes from the first pipe to the
last.
Click on the [Print] button to print a graphic.

Graphs 9-1
Pipes
The following graphs are available. Simply click on the relevant tab at the
top of the dialog.
• Flow – shown in litres per second (l /s)
• Velocity – shown in metres per second (m/s)
• Head Loss – shown in metres (m)
• Gradient – shown in metres per kilometre (m/km)

Nodes
The following graphs are available. Simply click on the relevant tab at the
top of the dialog.
• Pressure – shown in bar (bar)
• Head – shown in metres (m)
• Discharge – shown in litres per second (l/s)

Reservoirs
The following graphs are available. Simply click on the relevant tab at the
top of the dialog.
• Water Depth – shown in metres (m)
• Storage – shown as a percentage (%)
• Discharge – shown in litres per second (l/s)

Pump Stations
The following graphs are available. Simply click on the relevant tab at the
top of the dialog.
• Flow – shown in litres per second (l/s)
• Head – shown in metres (m)
• Efficiency – shown as a percentage (%)

11-2 Civil Designer WATER

Valves
The following graphs are available. Simply click on the relevant tab at the
top of the dialog.
• Flow – shown in litres per second (l/s)
• Head Loss – shown in metres (m)
• Opening – shown as a percentage (%)

Pressure Release Chambers

• Inflow – shown in litres per second (l/s)
• Outflow – shown in litres per second (l/s)
• Head loss – shown in metres (m)

Graphs 9-3
Retrieve Results
WATER allows you to retrieve result tables from any point on the graph
i.e. any time point. If you move the cursor across a graph, you will notice
a vertical line appear. As you move it across the screen, you will notice
the times and performance figures on the text boxes at the bottom
changing.
Move the cursor to the time for which you would like to view the table
and right click. The following menu appears:

Check that the time displayed on the menu is the correct one required or
left click anywhere on the screen to reselect. Once you have selected the
correct time, click on the [Retrieve results for xx:xx h] button to accept. You
can then go to the results menu and select the appropriate table. The
table will list results at the selected time.

Graphical results can be obtained for any item by selecting the item on
the screen and using the right click of the mouse to display the floating
toolbar options.

11-4 Civil Designer WATER

Pump Curves

This option displays a similar graph to the one shown below. Using the
scroll buttons, you can scroll between the various pumps and pump
stations you have modeled in your network.
You may choose to print the graphs.

Graphs 9-5
Vertical Alignment

Before using menu option Graphs | Vertical Alignment any number of

pipes have to be selected. Selected pipes should present a string of
interconnected pipes.

Vertical bar on the right hand side of the window contains check boxes
for items that will be displayed, either on the drawing (Hydraulic Grade
Line) or in the legend bar. Certain options, presenting results (Flow rate,
Head, Pressure and Hydraulic Grade Line), are active only in case that
Hydraulic Analysis was previously performed and that there are valid
results in memory.
Legend bar at the bottom of the window displays textual presentation of
the longitudinal section. Scroll bar next to the legend allows vertical
scrolling in case that height of the legend exceeds available space.
Horizontal scroll bar is shared by both textual and graphical part of the
longitudinal section.
Editing is accomplished by using tool bar at the left of graphical window

Insert Vertical Bend - Click to insert a bend at the cursor position.
Chainage and elevation of the cursor position are displayed at
the status bar
11-6 Civil Designer WATER

Delete Vertical Bend - Click near the bend to remove it.

Move vertical bend - Click to select a bend, click again to place it at
a new position. Note that strictly vertical bends, indicated by
orange vertical lines, can be moved freely in both horizontal and
vertical direction, while alignment points that are both
horizontal and vertical, indicated by blue lines, can be moved
only in vertical direction.
Zoom Window, Zoom In, Zoom Out and Zoom Extents work in usual way.

Graphs 9-7
Databases
The Databases manu offers 4 options:
• View Table
• Execute SQL
• Pipe Catalogue
• Pump Catalogue
For both the Pump Catalogue and Pipe Catalogue units with other
specifications can be added.

Databases 12-1
View Table
This option allows you to view or edit a database file.
On selecting the menu option, browse for the desired file and select to
open.
An open WATER.mdb file will look similar to the one below:

You have the option to save the information to a text file.

Alternately, you can use MS Access to manipulate the information.

12-2 Civil Designer WATER

Execute SQL
SQL (Structured Query Language) is a language that is orientated
around a relational database. It eliminates a lot of work that a language
such as C would involve. To build such a database in C, you would have
to start from scratch with tasks such as defining the object, create
procedures for storing and retrieving information and repeat this for
each row in your table.
SQL saves you all this trouble by allowing your commands to operate on
an entire group of tables and still treat them as one object, and, can also
treat any amount of data extracted from those tables as a single object as
well.
A detailed summary of SQL commands that can be used is discussed in
more detail in Appendix C. On selecting this menu option, a dialog box
appears with a further file menu option shown:

Open Database
This option allows you to open any relevant WATER database file you
wish to query, including the current working file.

Open Db from File Name

This option allows you to open a database by selecting a file name.

Save Data Link

This option allows you to save the current data link settings.

Open Query
This option allows you to open an existing query linked to the currently
open database file.

Save as Query
This option allows you to save an SQL query to the currently open
database file for future retrieval under a desired name.

Databases 12-3
A Query is linked to the current WATER network database file. You can
access the query inside the WATER module or externally by opening the
WATER network file with Microsoft Access.
An SQL Script is an ASCII file not linked to any specific file. A Script can
therefore be used to query any one of the WATER network files on your
system.

Open SQL Script

This option allows you to open an existing or new SQL Script.

Save as SQL Script

This option allows you to save an SQL script under the desired name.

SQL Statement
This is the command line that SQL will read to carry out the search. All
your search parameters are defined in this input area.

Query Result
SQL will display any information that it finds in the search in this table.
If there are any incorrect commands in the Statement section, SQL will
display an error massage in which it informs you which parameter is
causing an error.
Below is an example of an SQL statement requesting a search in the
database file, showing all pipes with a nominal diameter greater than 110.

12-4 Civil Designer WATER

You can store each query or script by using the Save as Query or Save as
SQL Script menu option and retrieve the query later using the Open Query
menu option.
You can save the results of your query in a text file format by clicking on
the Save Result button.
Press the [Execute] button to process the query.

Databases 12-5
Pipe Catalogue
This section gives you access to the pipe catalogue, allowing you to make
changes such as removing a specific model that has been discontinued or
adding a new model.
The following dialog is displayed:

In order to add a pipe to the library, ensure that you have the
manufacturer’s specifications on hand and click on the [Add] button. (PS
not functioning at the moment).
A blank copy of the pipe catalogue menu will appear. Enter the details
and press the [OK] button.
You can use a filter for viewing purposes, for example you wish to view
only Asbestos Cement pipes to save time scrolling through the database.
Simply select Asbestos Cement pipes and click on [Apply Filter] to narrow
down your selection.

12-6 Civil Designer WATER

Pump Catalogue
This section give you access to the pump catalogue, allowing you to make
changes such as removing a specific model that has been discontinued or
adding a new model.
The following dialog will be displayed:

This graph displays Power (kW), Efficiency (%) and Head (m).

Databases 12-7
Notes:

12-8 Civil Designer WATER

Plot
There are two options available:
• Generate
• Sheet File Editor

Plot 13-1
Generate
This function allows you to generate a CAD drawing of your network data
prior to printing. You can generate a plan or long section of your WATER
network.
For a plan plot, you can switch on any CAD layers or services you wish to
plot on the same plan as your WATER network.
On selection, the Plot Setup dialog will be displayed.

Select the desired sheet template by using the browse button. The
standard Windows Open dialog is displayed. The example sheet files are,
by default, stored in the Samples\Sheetfiles directory under the
program's installation directory.
Specify the sheet size from the dropdown list. The title block will
automatically be scaled down to the specified sheet size.
Press [OK] to enable the program to read the sheet file.

13-2 Civil Designer WATER

Plotting a long section
The WATER long section plot requires you to select the desired pipes for
plotting. Once you have selected the pipes, select Plot ► Generate and
choose the long section sheet file.
The following menu will appear:

Specify the Horizontal and Vertical scales as well as whether the

program must scroll to next page or not.
You have the option to Edit Long Section Data if required. If selected, the
Long Section Editor will be displayed and you will be able to edit any data
item.
Once the data is to your liking, select the [OK] button, give the drawing a
name and the long section/s will be generated.
The long section will be drawn at the bottom of the long section region.
The program will attempt to continue the long section on top of the first if
enough space is available. The program will also attempt to draw the
different pipes next to each other.

Plot 13-3
Plotting a Plan
On choosing the plan sheet file, the listing options menu will be
displayed. Check the Water List option if you wish to plot a coordinate list
of the nodes.
Specify the scale and rotation of your drawing in the Plan Plotting menu.
Use the Draw as a Cartesian drawing option to allow the program to
create a Cartesian drawing and to rotate the final plot. Select the Draw in
survey coordinates to keep the output drawing in Survey mode and to
rotate the Title Block. By doing this, the screen coordinates will still be
survey coordinates.
Press [OK] to specify the desired plotting region on the Design Center
window. Drag and place a rectangle, representing the Plan Plotting
region. Once the rectangle has been placed at the desired location, you
will once again have the option to rotate the plot. Press Yes to rotate the
plot graphically around the left bottom corner of the rectangle. Right
Click to move the rectangle at the current rotation and Left Click to
place.
Everything displayed on the Design Center window within the rectangle
will be plotted.

13-4 Civil Designer WATER

Sheet File Editor
This menu option allows you to create or edit a sheet file or template.
Sheet files or templates define the layout of the generated drawing. The
precise position and attributes of the title block and other entities are
defined in the template. All units are expressed in tenths of a millimeter
in order to ensure absolute accuracy.
It is usually much easier to edit and rename an existing sheet template
file than start a new one from scratch.

Plotting Regions
The template must have a global plotting region and at least one sub
region. This is the only compulsory entry.
The Sheet Template Editor is divided into 5 pages. The first page
contains data which defines the global or overall layout of the sheet. The
next 3 pages, Plan, Cross Section and Long Section, each contain the
data to define the layout of that type of drawing. The Preview page allows
you to view the sheet template.
The global plotting region defines the outer limits on which data will be
plotted. The sheet units are 0.1 mm for absolute accuracy.
A region must also be defined for every plot type if it is to be included on
the sheet. The drawing regions should exclude the areas used by title
blocks.
Multiple regions can be configured alongside each other on the same
plan or the same region can be specified repeatedly for different types.
All subsequent items on the template are optional.

Preview Page
The sheet file can be viewed graphically at any stage by simply changing
to the Preview page. Single entities such as text and lines can be queried
in the Preview page after which the appropriate row in the spreadsheet
will be highlighted. In the same manner, different plotting regions can
also be queried.

Plot 13-5
Notes:

13-6 Civil Designer WATER

Settings
The Settings menu deals with all the display options
available to the user. These include:
• Pipe Defaults
• Node Defaults
• Project Settings
• Display Settings
• Selection Filters

Settings 14-1
Pipe Defaults
This section allows the user to:
Set the defaults for pipes that are going to be added next.
Set new defaults for selected pipes. The pipes are selected, new defaults
specified and applied to the selection by clicking on the apply button.
Take defaults from a specific pipe by using the Take From button and click
on the pipe with the desired settings.
Default options that can be set are, Material, Pressure class, Nominal
diameter, Cover, Roughness and Minor loss coefficient.

14-2 Civil Designer WATER

Node Defaults
This section allows the user to:
Set the defaults for nodes that are going to be added next.
Set new defaults for selected nodes. The nodes are selected, new defaults
specified and applied to the selection by clicking on the apply button.
Take defaults from a specific node by using the take from button and
clicking on the pipe with the desired settings.
Node defaults are divided into three areas:

Preset Discharge
You can input 2 possibilities here. The first is the average demand, which
is measured in litres per second, and the second is the type of demand
pattern.

Preset Pressure
This option allows you to specify a pressure at the node measured in bar.

Pressure Related Discharge

This involves the discharge at 1 bar of pressure measured in litres per
second.

Settings 14-3
Project Settings
This menu sets up Design Centre layers to be used for obtaining
information for ground elevations as well as for quantity calculations.

The fluid characteristics may also be changed should the analysis be

required for fluids other than water.

14-4 Civil Designer WATER

Display Settings
This function allows you to change the way in which the data is displayed
in the Design Centre.
Various setting can be set up for all the network elements.

Pipes

Default colour of pipe, selected item colour, line width, arrow length,
arrow width, text size, colour schemes for pipe diameters, velocities,
flows, head loss and gradient.
Optional annotations can be displayed in the centre of the pipe above and
below the pipe line. These annotations may be a combination of link
attributes and normal text. Attributes are enclosed in brackets and can
be selected from a list by right clicking in the control. Once you have
selected an item it is added onto the text in the control.
For example, if the following text is inserted into the edit control:
{SIZE}mm {TYPE}
The program will display say "150mm Asbestos Cement".
You may also define the number of decimals for numeric items. For
example, an item "{LENGTH.1}" will display the length of the link to 1
decimal. The default display is 3 decimals.

Settings 14-5
Nodes

Default node colour, selected item colour, symbol size, line width, text
size, text below and above symbol as per pipe details, colour schemes for
discharge, elevations and pressures.

Reservoirs

Default line colour, fill colour, symbol size, test size and text above and
below symbol.

14-6 Civil Designer WATER

Pump Stations

Default line colour, fill colour, symbol size, test size and text above and
below symbol.

Valves

Default line colour, line width, symbol size, text size and text above and
below symbol.

Settings 14-7
Pressure Release Chambers

Default line colour, fill colour, symbol size, test size and text above and
below symbol.

14-8 Civil Designer WATER

Selection Filters
This menu allows you to set certain limits to the selection criteria. You
may perhaps want to select pipes only, but within that scope, you only
want to select pipes between 30mm diameter and 160mm diameter.
WATER makes provision for this.
Selection details for the following items can be specified:

Criteria for the selection shown are set by clicking on the button located to
the right of each option.
This in turn will display the following options for each object type:

Pipes

Settings 14-9
Nodes

Reservoirs

Pump Stations

14-10 Civil Designer WATER

Valves

Operation refers to the type of valve. The list available is selected by using
the pull down arrow.

Chambers

Example: (Pipe selection).

Clear all the selection boxes except for Pipes. Then click on the Where
button to open up the selection criteria menu.
Click inside the Nominal Diameter, Lower Limit box and enter 30. Then
click inside the Nominal Diameter, Higher Limit box and enter 160. Your
selection criteria are now set to only include pipes ranging in diameter
from 30mm to 160mm.

Settings 14-11
Notes:

14-12 Civil Designer WATER

Appendix A - Summary of Equations
This chapter provides a brief summary of the equations used in this
program.

Flow resistance in pipelines

Various formulae for head losses in pipes are recognized in theory.
Hydraulic engineers favour two of them:
• Hazen-Williams and
• D'Arcy-Weisbach with Colebrook-White friction co-efficient.

The Hazen-Williams formula

H = 10.96 L Q1.852 / C1.852 D4.87
Where:
H = head loss (m)
L = length of pipe (m)
Q = flow (m3/s)
D = pipe diameter (m)
C = Hazen-Williams coefficient
The advantage of this formula is that it is easy to implement, but there
are far more disadvantages:
• Formula is accurate only in certain range of pipe diameters (large
pipes)
• Hazen-Williams coefficient is without any physical meaning,
impossible to measure or calibrate
• It is limited to water at normal temperatures

Nowadays, when engineers are in the position to use powerful

computers, the Hazen-Williams formula is considered obsolete.

Appendix A – Summary of Equations 15-1

The D'Arcy-Weisbach formulation
The head loss due to pipe resistance is related to the flow through the
pipe by the equation

H = f L/D. V2/2g
Where:
H = head loss (m)
L = length of pipe (m)
D = pipe diameter (m)
V = velocity (m/s)
g = gravitational acceleration
f = friction coefficient
The friction coefficient used in the D'Arcy-Weisbach can be calculated
from:

The Colebrook-White friction factor

The most suitable formulation for the friction factor required by the
D'Arcy-Weisbach equation is generally regarded as being the Colebrook-
White equation. This equation provides an implicit definition for the
friction factor as follows:

1 / √ f = -4.0log [2.51 / 2Re √ f + k/3.7D]

where:
f = friction coefficient
D = the pipe diameter
k = the mean height of roughness in the pipe
Re = Reynold's number defined as:
Re = Ž V D / F
where:
Ž = the liquid density
v = the velocity of flow
D = pipe diameter
F= the dynamic viscosity (see below)

15-2 Civil Designer WATER

Kinematic viscosity
Kinematic viscosity of water at various temperatures:
EC) Viscosity (m2/s)
Temperature (E
01.79 H 10-6
101.31 H 10-6
151.14 H 10-6
201.01 H 10-6
300.81 H 10-6
The D'Arcy-Weisbach formula, with friction coefficient calculated from
the Colebrook-White equation is accurate for any fluid, at any
temperature, also for any pipe diameter or fluid velocity.

Calculation of head losses in WATER

Head losses in pipelines are calculated using the D'Arcy-Weisbach

formula.
The Colebrook-White friction coefficient is recalculated for each pipe
after each iteration, because Reynold's number varies with fluid velocity.
This slows down the process, but maintains accuracy.
The default value of Kinematic viscosity used in WATER is:

1.19 H 10-6m2/s
(water at 15EC), and the default density is

1000kg/m3.

Appendix A – Summary of Equations 15-3

Notes:

15-4 Civil Designer WATER

Appendix B - SQL Command language
The following section contains descriptions of some of the more powerful
SQL statements that are supported by the database interface.

SQL commands for Execute SQL

Literal expressions used in assignments and comparisons can be of
character, numeric or date format.
• Numeric values are defined as numbers
• Character strings are single quote delimited.
• Character strings are case sensitive
• Date expressions are as follows: DATE '04/04/1976’ - the leading zeros
are necessary.

Despite the presentation in your tables, this search uses the long date
style, dd.mm.yyyy, set in your Regional Settings Properties in the
Windows > Settings > Control Panel path.

Therefore the following statement would be valid:

SELECT * FROM ACCOUNTS WHERE CONSUMERID = 22 AND READINGDATE
= ’22.01.1996’
This will extract all details pertaining to consumer Nº 22 from the
‘Accounts’ database table on 96/01/22.

Or
SELECT * FROM AQPSTATIONS WHERE NAME = ‘SOKKIESFONTEIN’
This will show all the values in the AqPstations database table relating to
the ‘SOKKIESFONTEIN’ pumpstation.

To show a limited number of fields in a report, select on the fields

required.
SELECT ID, PIPE, YCOORD, XCOORD FROM AQPSTATIONS WHERE NAME
= ‘SOKKIESFONTEIN’

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-1

To create a database
To create a new database and specify the database name type the
following:
CREATE DATABASE PREPAID
where PREPAID would be the name of the file you wish to create.

To create tables
To create a table, type the following:

CREATE TABLE TABLENAME (COLUMN1 TYPE, COLUMN2 TYPE etc)

where the column name and type list is a comma-delimited list of
expressions of the form: <<column_name><column_type>>.
The column TYPES are as follows:
• INTEGER Numeric field - whole numbers
• FLOAT Numeric field with decimals
• CHAR(x) Character field, width specified in brackets.
• TEXT Character field, variable width
• DATE Date field
Example:
CREATE TABLE ACCOUNTS1 (RECORDNO INTEGER, CONSUMERID
INTEGER, READINGDATE DATE, READING INTEGER, CONSUMPTION
INTEGER, PAYAMOUNT FLOAT)
Example:
CREATE TABLE AQINFO (ID INTEGER, DATABASE CHAR (15))

The above creates the structure only. To fill in values, use the commands
below.

16-2 Civil Designer WATER

To insert values into tables
Insert column values into table using the following:
Example:
INSERT INTO CONSUMERS (COSTUMERID, NAME, YCOORD, XCOORD)
VALUES (9999, ‘SMITH’, 50800, 2629520)
where the list of column names is followed by the list of values in the
form: <column_name_list) Values <expression_list>

To update values in a table

Update <table> set <assignment_list>
Example:
UPDATE CONSUMERS SET NAME = ‘WILSON’
This updates all the names to “WILSON”.

To update a particular customer/consumer only, use the ‘WHERE’

command.
Example:
UPDATE CONSUMERS SET NAME = ‘BLOGGS’ WHERE COSTUMERID = 1356

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-3

To add a column to a table
ALTER TABLE tablename add column-name type
Example:
ALTER TABLE WATER ADD DIAMETER INTEGER
where WATER is the table and DIAMETER is the new column.

To delete a table
DROP TABLE tablename
Example:
DROP TABLE WATER
where WATER is the table to be deleted.

To delete a column from a table

ALTER TABLE tablename drop column-identifier
Example:
ALTER TABLE WATER DROP DIAMETER
where the DIAMETER column is being removed from the WATER table

To delete rows from tables

Delete from table [Where <condition_list>]
Example:
DELETE FROM CONSUMERS WHERE COSTUMERID<5
where the result is that customers Nº 1 – 4 are deleted from the
CONSUMERS table

16-4 Civil Designer WATER

To determine the number of rows in table
Select count (*)
Example:
SELECT COUNT (*) FROM ACCOUNTS
Displays total number of customers appearing on the table where
ACCOUNTS is the table name

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-5

SQL Arithmetic statements

± }
× } arithmetic operators
÷ }

To determine the total of several values

Select (column_name1)+(columns_name2)
Example:
SELECT ID, FLOORLEVEL, WATERDEPTH, (FLOORLEVEL) +
(WATERDEPTH) FROM AQRESERVOIRS

to determine the actual water level.

To determine the difference

Select (column_name1)-(column_name2)
Example:
SELECT ID, (FULLSUPLEVEL) - (FLOORLEVEL) FROM AQRESERVOIRS

where the difference between the full supply levels and the floor levels of
all reservoirs as well as each reservoir’s ID is shown.

To sum columns
Select sum (column_name)
Example:
SELECT SUM (CONSUMPTION) FROM ACCOUNTS

where the sum of all figures in the column CONSUMPTION in the

ACCOUNTS database table is shown.

16-6 Civil Designer WATER

To calculate the average value in a column
Select avg (column_name)
Example:
SELECT AVG (CONSUMPTION) FROM ACCOUNTS

where the average of all figures in the column CONSUMPTION in the

ACCOUNTS database table is shown.

To determine the minimum value in a column

Select min (column_name)
Example:
SELECT MIN (CONSUMPTION) FROM ACCOUNTS

where the minimum value in the CONSUMPTION column under the

ACCOUNTS database table is shown

To determine the maximum value in a column

Select max (column_name)
Example:
SELECT MAX (CONSUMPTION) FROM ACCOUNTS

where the maximum value in the CONSUMPTION column under the

ACCOUNTS database table is shown

To determine integer of the value in a column

Select cast (column_name as integer)
Example:
SELECT CAST (YCOORD AS INTEGER) FROM AQPSTATIONS

where the Y Co-ordinate is the integer that is shown.

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-7

To trim the average consumption value calculated above
Example:
SELECT CAST (AVG(CUNSUMPTION) AS INTEGER) FROM ACCOUNTS

where the average integer of the CONSUMPTION column is shown.

16-8 Civil Designer WATER

SQL Condition statements
> - greater than
< - less than
<> - not equal to
LIKE '%XX%' - contains
LIKE 'X%' - begins with
LIKE '%X' - ends with
LIKE X - matches
IS NULL - is blank (null)
BETWEEN 2 AND 4 - is in the list
IN ('X') - is found on the list
NOT LIKE '%X%' - does not contain
NOT LIKE 'X%' - does not begin with
NOT LIKE '%X' - does not end with
NOT LIKE X - does not match
IS NOT NULL - is not blank
NOT BETWEEN 2 AND 4 - is not between
NOT IN ('X')%' - is not found in list

Like
Select * from (table_name) where (column_name) like (X%), with ‘X’
being the first part of the column_name to search for.
Example:
SELECT * FROM AQPSTATIONS WHERE NAME LIKE 'SO%'

where SOKKIESFONTEIN is the only result beginning with SO found in

the AQPSTATIONS table.

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-9

Between
Update table_name set name = ‘new_name’ where column_name
between (first row) and (second_row)
Example:
UPDATE CONSUMERS SET NAME = 'JOE SOAP' WHERE COSTUMERID
BETWEEN 1357 AND 1360

where NAME for COSTUMERID between 1357 and 1360 has been
replaced with ‘JOE SOAP’

16-10 Civil Designer WATER

SQL Boolean operators
The boolean operators allow you to combine filters or set alternative
filters.

AND
Takes two Booleans (in the form A AND B) as arguments and evaluates
to true if BOTH are true.
Example:
SELECT * FROM AQPIPES WHERE MATERIAL = 'UPVC – SABS 966' AND
NOMDIAMETER > 110

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-11

OR
Takes two Booleans (in the form A OR B) as arguments and evaluates to
true if EITHER are true.
Example:
SELECT * FROM AQPIPES WHERE MATERIAL = 'UPVC – SABS 966' OR
NOMDIAMETER > 110

NOT
Takes two Booleans (in the form NOT A) as an argument and changes it's
value from false to true or from true to false.
Example:
SELECT * FROM AQPIPES WHERE MATERIAL = 'UPVC – SABS 966' OR
NOT NOMDIAMETER > 160

16-12 Civil Designer WATER

SQL Boolean operators

ADA DBSPACE INT ROLLBACK

ADD DEC INTEGER SCHEMA

ALL DECIMAL INTO SECTION

ALTER DECLARE IS SELECT

AND DEFAULT KEY SET

ANY DELETE LANGUAGE SMALLINT

AS DESC LIKE SOME

ASC DISTINCT LONG SQL

AUDIT DOUBLE MAX SQLCODE

AUTHORIXATION DROP MIN SQLERROR

AVG END MODIFY SQLWARNING

BEGIN ESCAPE MODULE SUM

BETWEEN EXEC NOT SYNONYM

BTITLE EXISTS NULL TABLE

BY FETCH NUMERIC TABLESPACE

C FLOAT OF TIME

CHECK FOR ON TIMESTAMP

CLOSE FOREIGN OPEN TO

COBOL FORMAT OPTION TTITLE

COLUMN FORTRAN OR UNION

COMMENT FOUND ORDER UNIQUE

COMMIT FROM PASCAL UPDATE

COMPUTE GO PLI USER

CONNECT GOTO PRECISION VALUES

CONTINUE GRANT PRIMARY VARCHAR

COUNT GROUP PRIVILEGES VIEW

CREATE HAVING PROCEDURE WHENEVER

CURRENT IDENTIFIED PUBLIC WHERE

CURSOR IN REAL WITH

DATABASE INDEX REFERENCES WORK

DATE INDICATOR RESOURCE

DBA INSERT REVOKE

Appendix B – SQL Command Language 16-13

Notes:

16-14 Civil Designer WATER

Appendix C - Troubleshooting

ERRORS
Error: More then 8 pipes connected to node XX
Limit imposed by software’s data structure.
This limit has never been reached in practice
Error: Can't find first node on pipe XX
The node was deleted by user.
The pipe in question must be deleted and re-entered, or
connected to another node.
Error: Can't find last node on pipe XX
Same as previous message.
Error: Roughness of pipe XX is zero
Self-explanatory.
Error: Length of pipe XX is zero
Self-explanatory.
Error: Diameter of pipe XX is zero
Self-explanatory.
Error: Same node on both ends of pipe XX
Most probably, the pipe is shorter than radius of searching circle
Software picked the same node for both first and last node of the
pipe.
Error: Zero capacity of reservoir XX
Self-explanatory.
Error: FSL must be higher than floor level - reservoir XX
Self-explanatory.
Error: Diameter of valve XX is zero
Self-explanatory.
Error: Head loss coefficient 'K' of valve XX is zero
Self-explanatory.
Error: Wrong flow characteristics curve for valve XX

Appendix C - Troubleshooting 17-1

 Flow curve must be continuously rising from left to right
Error: Can't find the pipe on which the valve XX is
The pipe was deleted by user.
Assign another pipe to the valve.
Error: Can't find pressure reference node for valve XX
Set reference node to a valid node in the system
Error: Can't find reference reservoir for valve XX
Set reference reservoir to a valid reservoir in the system
Error: Wrong pump curve - Pump Station XX
Pump curve must be convex.
Error: Can't find the pipe on which pump station XX is
The pipe was deleted by user.
Assign another pipe to the pump.
Error: Can't find the pressure reference node for PS XX
Set reference node to a valid node in the system
Error: Can't find the reference reservoir for PS XX
Set reference reservoir to a valid reservoir in the system

WARNINGS
Warning: Missing demand pattern information for node XX
Demand pattern is either zero or number that is not linked to an
existing pattern.
Software will use demand pattern number 1 (uniform demand).
Warning: Node XX is not connected to network
Each node must be connected, through the network, to some
source of water (reservoir or a node with preset pressure).
Nodes connected only to reservoir inlet pipe are assumed not
connected.

17-2 Civil Designer WATER

 Index
Accidents 6-17, 7-3
Adjust demand 6-34, 6-36
apply fixed factor 6-34
distribute according to pipe lengths 6-35
read from database 6-35
Analysis 2-3, 3-17, 6-32, 7-1
average demand 7-4
maximum demand 7-5
minimum demand 7-5
portion of a network 6-17
single step 7-3
specific time 7-4
time simulation 7-6
Aquanet for DOS file 5-7
Ascii 2-1
Average demand 6-4, 7-4
Bend 4-4, 6-8
insert 4-4
remove 4-4
BMP 2-1
Borehole 6-17
CAD 2-2
blocks 2-4
convert drawing entities 5-10
demand Layer 2-3
exporting 2-4
layers 2-2
node elevation 2-3
node name 2-3
pipe diameter 2-3
pipe layer 2-2
reservoir 2-3
valve 2-3
Calibrate 6-36
CEX 5-10
Chainage 6-15
Close project 5-6
Colebrook-White 13-2
Constrictions 6-13
Consumption
adjust demand 6-36
read consumption 6-36
Control
flow control 6-30
level control 6-25
manual control valve 6-30
pressure control 6-25
pressure control valve 6-30
time control 6-26
Control bar 4-2
Convert
drawing entities 3-4
Convert drawing entities 5-10
Dam 6-17, 6-18
D'Arcy-Weisbach 13-2
Data 6-1
spin arrows 6-1
Data preparation 2-1
alpha-numerically 2-1
cadastral 2-1
graphically 2-1
Data structure
ascii 2-1
BMP 2-1
databases 2-1
DXF 2-1, 2-2
GIS 2-1
MS Access 2-1
spreadsheets 2-1
Databases 3-23, 10-1, 10-3
edit 10-2
pipe catalogue 10-6
pump catalogue 10-7
view table 10-2
Default settings 3-5
Delete
node 4-4
Demand 2-3, 6-2, 6-3, 6-16, 6-34, 7-3
adjust demands 6-34
average demand 6-4
instantaneous peak 6-4
maximum 7-3
minimum 7-3
pattern 6-2
seasonal peak 6-4
seasonal peak factor 6-2
variable 14-2
 water demand 6-34
Demand pattern 6-2, 6-4, 6-17, 6-34
coefficient 6-2, 6-3
daily water use distributions 6-2
seasonal peak factor 6-2, 7-7
Diameter
fixed 6-6
internal 6-6
nominal 6-6
Diffusers 6-14
Discharge 8-4
Display settings 3-8, 12-2, 12-5
node 12-6
pipe 12-5
pressure release chamber 12-8
pump station 12-7
reservoir 12-6
valve 12-7
Downstream 6-5
DWG 5-10
DXF 2-1, 2-2, 5-10
blocks 2-4
exporting 2-4
Edit 10-2
global 3-11
node information 3-12
pump information 3-16
reservoir information 3-13
Edit project 5-6
Efficiency 8-6
Elbows 6-8
Elevation 2-3, 6-16
Equations 13-1
Error checking 7-2
Errors 15-1
Execute SQL 3-23, 10-3
database 10-3
statement 10-4
Exit 5-12
File 5-1
new 3-2
water file 3-2
Floating toolbar 4-6
edit 4-6
quick info 4-6
Flow 5-8, 6-8, 6-14, 6-17, 6-21, 6-24, 6-30, 8-3, 8-6
control valve 2-3
flow control 6-30
inflow 6-17
negative 6-21
resistance 13-1
reverse 6-21
sign convention 2-6
Fluid characteristics 12-4
Friction factor
bends 6-8
coefficients 6-34
constrictions 6-13
diffusers 6-14
elbows 6-8
Minor loss co-efficient 6-7
minor losses 6-8
tees 6-10
Friction loss formulae 6-7
Gradient 8-3
Graphics
CAD 2-1
GIS 2-1
schematic 2-1, 6-7
symbols 2-5
vertical toolbar 4-3
Graphs 9-1
nodes 9-2
pipes 9-2
pump stations 9-2
reservoir 9-2
retrieve result 9-4
valves 9-3
Hazen-Williams 13-1
Head 3-16, 8-4, 8-6
Head loss 8-3, 13-3
Hydraulic grade line 6-16
Icons
vertical toolbar 4-3
Import 5-7
Aquanet for Dos 5-7
ascii file 5-9
cad entities 3-7
Pipen files 5-8
text file 5-9
 Wadiso file 5-8
Info database
read from database 6-35
Information area 4-7
results browser 4-7
X, Y co-ordinates 4-7
Inlet 6-18, 6-19
In-line booster 6-22
Instantaneous peak demand 6-4
Kinematic viscosity 13-3
Length 6-6
fixed length 6-7
Level control 6-25
Longitudinal section 6-15
Maximum demand 7-5
Menu bar 4-2
Merge WATER file 5-6
Messages 3-18
Minimum demand 7-5
Minor loss co-efficient 6-7
Modify
model 3-10
Monitor consumption 6-36
New project 5-2
drawing file 5-3
terrain file 5-3
water file 5-4
Node 6-16
change of diameter 6-16
default settings 3-6
defaults 12-3
demand 2-3
demand point 6-16
details 6-16
display settings 12-6
elevation 2-3, 6-16
graphical results 9-2
insert 4-4
join pipe 2-2
join pipes 6-16
move 4-3
name 2-3
pipe connections 6-16
preset discharge 12-3
preset discharge node 6-16
 preset discharge symbol 2-5
preset head symbol 2-5
pressure related discharge 6-17, 12-3
pressure related discharge symbol 2-5
reference node 6-30
results 8-4
search distance 2-3
selection filters 12-10
Open project 5-5
Optimisation 6-6
Outflow 6-17
Outlet 6-17, 6-19, 6-20
Output
file output 5-11
printer output 5-11
screen output 5-11
Output manager 5-11
Pipe 2-1, 6-5
add pipes 4-3
class 6-6
connect 4-4
default settings 3-5
defaults 3-11
diameter 2-3
direction 6-5
display settings 12-5
end node 6-5
fix length 2-1
fixed class 6-6
fixed diameter 6-6
fixed length 6-7
graphical results 9-2
insert bend 4-4
internal diameter 6-6
join 4-4
layer 2-2
length 6-6
longitudinal section 6-15
material 6-6
name & Id 6-5
nominal diameter 6-6
results 8-3
roughness 6-7
selection filters 12-9
start node 6-5
 wall thickness 6-6
Pipe breaks 6-17
Pipe catalogue 6-5, 6-6, 10-6
Pipen 2 & 3 files 5-8
Plot 11-1
generate 11-2
long section 3-25, 11-3
plan 11-4
Power 8-6
Preset discharge 6-16
Preset pressure 6-17
Pressure 8-4
Pressure control 6-25
Pressure related discharge 6-17
Pressure release chamber 6-33, 8-8, 9-3
add new 4-3
display settings 12-8
retention 6-33
symbol 2-5
Project
add Water file 3-2
create new 3-2
Project settings 12-4
Prompt area 4-2
Pump 2-4, 6-21
add 3-15, 6-27
add new 4-3
characteristics 6-23
controls 6-25
direction of flow 2-6
efficiency 8-6
flow 8-6
head 8-6
initial status 6-27
in-line booster 6-22
level control 6-25
parallel 6-21
power 8-6
pressure control 6-25
pump curve 6-23
remove 6-27
results 8-6
time control 6-26
Pump curves 9-5
Pump catalogue 3-16, 6-23, 6-28, 10-7
Pump curve 6-23
points on a curve 6-24
Pump station 6-21
details 6-22
display settings 12-7
functioning scheme 7-6
graphical results 9-2
layout 6-22
parallel pumps 6-21
selection filters 12-10
sump 6-22
symbol 2-5
Reference manual 1-4
Reservoir 2-3, 6-18
add new 4-3
capacity 6-18
connections 6-19
details 6-18
display settings 12-6
floor supply level 6-18
full supply level 6-18
graphical results 9-2
inlet 6-18, 6-19
inlet and outlet 6-20
inlet level 6-19
level oscil-lations 7-6
name 6-18
name & Id 6-18
outlet 6-19, 6-20
results 8-5
selection filters 12-10
shape 6-20
symbol 2-5
volume 6-20
water depth 6-19
Residual head 6-16
Results 3-19, 8-1
colour scheme 3-19
graphs 3-22, 9-1
nodes 8-4
pipes 8-3
pumps 8-6
reservoirs 8-5
results browser 3-19
retrieve 3-19
 tables 3-21
valves 8-7
Results browser 8-2
Retrieve results 9-4
selected time 9-4
Roughness 6-7
Roughness coefficients 6-7
Save project 5-6
Save project as 5-6
Schematic 2-1
Seasonal peak demand 6-4
Security 5-12
Select
icon 4-3
Selected area 6-34
Selection filters 12-9
nodes 12-10
pipes 12-9
pump stations 12-10
reservoir 12-10
valves 12-11
Selection filters
example 12-11
Settings 12-1
display settings 12-2
Sheet file editor 11-5
Sign convention 2-6
pumps 2-6
Single step analysis 7-3
Snap
snap modes 4-6
Specific time analysis 7-4
Spin arrows 6-1
SQL command language 14-1
Structured query language 10-3
Summary 6-4
average demand 6-4
instantaneous peak demand 6-4
seasonal peak demand 6-4
Sump 6-22
Symbols 2-5
Tees 6-10
Text file 5-9
Time control 6-26
Time simulation 7-6
 duration 7-7
Title bar 4-2
Troubleshooting 15-1
Tutorial 1
WATER Basics 3-1
Units 2-5
Update elevations 6-37
Upstream 6-5
Valve 2-3, 6-29
add new 4-3
air valves 2-3
butterfly 6-32
characteristics 6-32
check valve 6-5
check valves 6-14
control valve 2-3
co-ordinates 6-29
details 6-29
diameter 6-29
display settings 12-7
flat disc 6-32
flow control 6-30
graphical results 9-3
level modulating 6-30
manual 6-30
name & Id 6-29
non-return valve 2-3, 2-6, 6-14
operation and settings 6-30
pressure control 6-30
pressure reducing 6-30
pressure sustaining 6-30
regulating valves 6-32
results 8-7
scour valve 2-3
selection filters 12-11
symbol 2-5
v-port 6-32
Velocity 8-3
Vertical toolbar 4-3
icons 4-3
View table 3-23, 10-2
Volume 6-20
Wadiso 3.0 file 5-8
Warnings 15-2
WATER screen 4-1
Work area 4-5
arrow keys 4-5
floating toolbar 4-6
keyboard shortcuts 4-5
mouse shortcuts 4-6
shortcuts 4-5
snap modes 4-6
Working environment 4-1