Errors and Solutions - Longitudinal Devices deforming in plan and/or profile

Some longitudinal devices present deformations after launch, for example:

This problem can have 2 causes:

1. Hardware failure (uncertified video card, for example)
2. Device modeler failures

In the event of hardware failures

The fact that the vast majority of projects are "georeferenced" by matching AutoCAD coordinates to UTM, cause the program to lose precision when representing real numbers, since the integer part of the number uses many bytes leaving few for the fractional part (E=651647.547, N=7845327.697, for example). This loss of precision causes hardware failures, which results in situations like this:

In this image, the rightmost line is an ARC. Note that visually, the ENDPOINT does not coincide with the end of the line.

This issue is related to hardware acceleration and use of large numbers. When the acceleration is turned off, the problem does not appear. To test this bug:

1. Create an arc with:
   • Radius = 31.3254
   • Center = 304514.7613,7437251.5027
   • Initial angle = 61 degrees
   • Final angle = 96 degrees
2. Create a line at the coordinates:
   • Start =304511.4426,7437282.6511
   • Final =304511.4426,7437282.6511
3. Zoom in to the end of the line
4. Try moving the end of the line to the end of the arc, using OSNAP ENDPOINT

To fix this problem, update your video card drivers, make sure it is an Autodesk-approved card, or turn off hardware acceleration using the 3DCONFIG (GRAPHICSCONFIG) command and do a REGENALL

In case of errors in the modeler

Longitudinal devices are typically created using the Sweep tool. This tool has properties that directly influence how the device will be modeled. One of them concerns the "verticality" of the section to be modeled.

In Civil 3D, Corridors are modeled using Assemblies that are always vertical. Therefore, when viewed from above, we do not see the "shapes" of the selected section, only the links:

Look at the left window. In it we see the corridor from above and therefore you cannot see the hatches of the templated section, which are visible in the frame on the right, as it is in 3D.

In SOLIDOS, the tool Sweep, can model as if it were a corridor or varying the section to better represent the element:

Note the "wire" of the chain link fence (available in the catalogue). To model this wire, the section needs to be modeled on the axis, always changing direction.

Now, in the context of a longitudinal device, modeling the non-vertical section is a bad idea, as the section does not start/end vertically if the slope of that device is not zero.

If you are using an old version of the plugin, you may have this non-vertical section issue. For example, the trapezoidal channel:

Note the deformed section at the top. For coordinates close to the origin, it works normally. But in "georeferenced" projects errors may occur.

The modeler in this section is not vertical. Open this modeler, go to Start / Solido. Let's see how it was created:

• VecTan, is a tangent vector to the device axis, at its starting point
• VecPer, is perpendicular to VecTan
• VecCross, is the cross product of VecTan and VecPer
• Alinhar, is the section to be modeled, it was created in the XY plane, to then be aligned in the negg coordinate system
• Varredura, is the modeling itself, using the "Alinhar" section and the device axis, with the option Vertical Section = False

To make this section vertical, follow these steps:

1. Insert a Vector immediately below VecTan, with the properties:
   • Ordinate X = VecTan.X
   • Ordered Y = VecTan.Y
   • Z ordinate = 0.0
   • Name = VecTanHoriz
   
   You are projecting VecTan in the XY plane, creating VecTanHoriz
2. Modify VecPer, changing the vector of which you want the perpendicular vector, doing:
   • Vector = VecTanHoriz
   
   Before, it was Vector = VecTan
3. Modify VecCross so that it uses VecTanHoriz, doing:
   • Vector A = VecTanHoriz
   • Vector B = VecPer
   
   Before, Vector A = VecTan
4. Modify Alinhar so that it uses the correct vectors
   • Destination X Vector = VecPer
   • Destination Y Vector = VecCross
   • Destination Z Vector = VecTanHoriz
   
   Before, Destination Z Vector = VecTan
5. Modify Varredura, so it knows that the agra section is vertical
   • Vertical Section = True
   
   Before, Vertical Section = False
6. Look at the same preview, as it looks:
   
   
   Note that the coordinates used for the axis are:
   1. 1.000 m; 0.000m; 0.000 m
   2. 3.000 m; 0.000m; 0.000 m
   3. 5.000 m; 3,000m; 2.000 m
   
   Observe Z=2.000m at the third point, to simulate a non-zero slope situation
7. Click the OK button for the changes to take effect. All devices that use this modeler will be redesigned

Obviously, some devices may vary the names above, however the concept is the same. If you created models using the Sweep tool and observed the error described here, correct using the steps described here.

Note that in the case of the fence, we must use the sweep section with the option Vertical Section = False, so that it does not deform along the axis.

The devices in the current catalog are all already corrected.