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CROSS-SECTIONS
Cross-section Overview
Cross sections have been greatly simplified from previous versions of CAD. Simply draw lines
where you want your cross-sections along an alignment and in a few quick steps, multiple crosssections are created.

1.

CREATE CROSS SECTIONS:

From the Home Tab Profile and Section Views Panel

o Click Sample Lines
o Select the alignment you wish to sample
This can be done by clicking on the alignment or pressing Enter. If
you press enter a list of alignments in the drawing will pop up.
Choose your alignment and click OK
Either method will bring up the Create Sample Line Group dialog box. This
dialog box only appears the first time you make a Sample Line Group for a
particular alignment.
o Name the Sample Line Group
o Leave Sample Line Style and Sample Line Label Style as NRCS
o The Sample Line Layer is predetermined
o Check the boxes for the entities you wish to sample (i.e. the existing ground and
waterway surface)
o Choose an appropriate Style for the entities you are sampling
o Click OK

CrossSection.docx

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CROSS-SECTIONS
o The Sample Line Tools toolbar will pop up
o Click the Sample Line Creation Methods Icon

By Range of Stations: Allows you to specify a range of stations, sampling width, and
other options.

At a Station: Allows you to choose a specific station along an alignment and define
the swath width for each sample.

From Corridor Stations: Allows you to create a sample line at all predefined corridor
sections. The Create Sample Line dialog box opens and you can define the station range
and swath width for the sections.

Pick Points on Screen: Allows you to select points in the drawing and define the
swath width for each section. This can have multiple vertices!

Select Existing Polylines: Allows section lines to be based on polylines already

existing in the drawing. The polyline does not have to be perpendicular to the center
line and it can have multiple segments.

Whichever method you choose, follow the directions at the command line or in the
dialog box to create the sample lines.

For instance, if you were to choose By Range of Stations the dialog box would look
similar to the box shown on the next page, resulting in sample lines every 100 feet
along the alignment with left and right swath widths of 30 feet. Click OK to see the
sample lines along the alignment.

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CROSS-SECTIONS

2.

CREATE SECTION VIEWS:

From the Home Tab Profile and Section Views Panel

Click Section Views

Click Create Multiple Views

The Create Multiple Section Views dialog box opens:

o
o
o
o

CrossSection.docx

Check to make sure the correct alignment and sample line group is selected
Adjust Station Range as needed
Choose a Section View Style
You can either click Next to walk through the remaining options and make
changes as needed or click Create Section Views

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CROSS-SECTIONS

o Follow the command line and pick a spot on the screen to place your cross sections
o The Cross Sections are displayed as shown below

o To edit the cross-section, click on the cross-section Right click and select
Section View Properties or Edit Section View Style depending on what you
would like to modify.

CrossSection.docx

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3.

Editing the Cross Section Data:

Editing the sample line is very useful after you have created additional sources such as: a
corridor, a corridor surface, or any other surfaces!

From the Home Tab Profile and Section Views Panel Click the Sample Lines icon
o Select the appropriate alignment
o The Sample Line Tools Toolbar pops up
o Click the Sample Line Action button

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Sample More Sources: Allows you to choose additional sources to sample. Your section
views will automatically be updated! (This also works when you want to remove a
surface you have sampled.)

You can add or delete sample line groups, change the swath widths, and add new data
sources using the Modify drop-down list in the Sample Line Conceptual Ribbon. Simply
click on a sample line and the contextual toolbar pops up Click the icon of your
choice.

An additional way to make edits is to click on a cross section entity and a Conceptual
Ribbon will appear allowing you to add labels, sample more sources, change the
properties of the views, and much more.

CrossSection.docx

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