After launching the Sample Lines command on the ribbon, you will be prompted to select the parent alignment. Then you will be asked to name and stylize the sample lines and choose the sources that will be sampled to create cross sections. There are four types of objects that you can sample: surfaces, corridors, corridor surfaces, and pipe networks. Finally, you will be presented with the Sample Line Tools toolbar, which contains an array of commands for creating and modifying the sample lines within a sample line group.
On the Sample Line Tools toolbar, a pull-down menu provides several methods for placing sample lines along the alignment (see Figure 10.5). A description of each method is as follows:
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| Figure 10.5 The Sample Line Tools toolbar showing the different methods available for sample line placement. |
- By Range Of Stations
- This method creates multiple sample lines with predetermined swath widths at a specified increment along the alignment. It is great for creating large numbers of sample lines that are evenly distributed along the alignment. These sample lines will be perpendicular to the alignment.
Tips:Swath width is the distance from the alignment to either the left or right end of the sample line.
- At A Station
- This method is probably the simplest. You supply the station value, left swath width, and right swath width for each sample line that you want to place. You can specify the station value graphically by clicking a point in the drawing, or numerically by typing the value at the command line. This method is good if you only need to draw a few sample lines at odd locations. The sample lines will be perpendicular to the alignment.
- From Corridor Stations
- This method creates a sample line wherever there is an assembly insertion on the corridor. This is a great solution when you would like to create and display cross sections for design purposes. Of course, one of the sources for your sample lines must be a corridor.
- Pick Points On Screen
- As the name suggests, with this method you click points on the screen, in effect drawing the sample line. This is ideal for irregularly shaped sample lines that have multiple vertices and/or are not perpendicular to the alignment.
- Select Existing Polylines
- This method yields the same result as Pick Points On Screen, but you use it when you have already drawn a polyline representing the path of the sample line.
- Open the drawing named Creating Sample Lines.dwg located in the Chapter 10 class data folder.
- On the Home tab of the ribbon, click Sample Lines.
- When prompted to select an alignment, press Enter and select Jordan Court in the Select Alignment dialog box. Click OK.
- In the Create Sample Line Group dialog box, do the following:
- For Name, enter Design.
- For Sample Line Style, verify that Road Sample Line is selected.
- For Sample Line Label Style, verify that Section Name is selected.
- Under Select Data Sources To Sample, uncheck all but the second check box.
- Verify that the settings within the dialog box match Figure 10.6 and click OK.
Tips:You are selecting only the Jordan Court corridor to be sampled.
Figure 10.6 The Create Sample Line Group dialog box. Tips:The Create Sample Line Group dialog box opens because no sample line groups exist for this alignment. If one had existed, step 4 would have been skipped completely.
- On the Sample Line Tools toolbar, expand the button that lists creation methods and select From Corridor Stations.
- In the Create Sample Lines – From Corridor Stations dialog box, click OK to accept the defaults and create the sample lines.
- Press Esc to end the command.
- Zoom in within the left viewport, and examine the sample lines that have been created (see Figure 10.7).
Figure 10.7 Sample lines created at corridor stations.
