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Tag: ORD

  • Projecting Vertical Geometry Between Alignments

    Projecting Vertical Geometry Between Alignments

    On most road and rail jobs, we’re never dealing with a single alignment. There’s usually a mainline plus ramps, offsets, adjacent tracks, service roads, or platform lines that all need to behave together vertically.

    That’s where problems often creep in.

    Horizontal relationships are usually under control, but vertical geometry between parallel alignments is harder to keep consistent as designs evolve. A small change to one profile can quietly introduce grade breaks, clearance issues, or mismatched transitions elsewhere—often without being obvious in plan or long section.

    Bentley’s Project Vertical Geometry Between Alignments workflow is designed to manage exactly this scenario.

    Instead of manually re‑creating profiles, this approach allows vertical intent to be projected from one alignment to another in a controlled, repeatable way. When used properly, it helps keep parallel profiles aligned with the same logic-rather than relying on visual checks or manual edits.

    The real value isn’t just speed. It’s about:

    • Reducing rework when changes inevitably happen
    • Avoiding subtle inconsistencies that only show up late
    • Making authority reviews easier to defend
    • Letting engineers focus on design decisions instead of redrafting

    The video linked below walks through the workflow step by step and shows how Bentley handles this natively within its alignment and profile tools.

    If you regularly work with multiple parallel alignments in MicroStation, OpenRoads, or OpenRail, this is one of those features that’s worth understanding properly. It can save hours-and avoid some painful surprises later in a project.

    ▶ Watch the video:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cs7UcNMXMc

  • Dynamic Contour Labelling in Bentley OpenRoads: Faster, More Controlled Annotation

    Dynamic Contour Labelling in Bentley OpenRoads: Faster, More Controlled Annotation

    Contour labelling in OpenRoads can feel constrained when you want more control over placement, rotation, and consistency-especially on large or complex models.

    This video introduces a new dynamic approach to contour labelling that’s designed to be quick to use and flexible in how annotations are placed and managed. It works with contours dropped from an OpenRoads terrain, but it’s not limited to that-contours from other sources can be labelled the same way.

    The strength of this workflow is the level of annotation control it gives the user. You can define exactly what gets labelled, how accurate the labels need to be, and which levels are used for both contours and text. That separation makes it easier to produce clear, readable drawings without fighting the settings.

    Label placement is intentionally simple. You can use a dynamic two‑point method with different rotation options, or just select a contour line directly. Both approaches are fast and predictable, which matters when you’re working through multiple design iterations.

    The same dynamic behaviour also applies to corridor contours, so the workflow stays consistent whether you’re working with existing terrain or corridor outputs.

    If you’re producing contour‑heavy documentation in OpenRoads and want more speed and control in your annotation, this is a workflow worth understanding.

    ▶️ Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rR9eX8W4fg

  • Tired of your cross-section annotations being limited to what OpenRoads Designer “knows”? Here’s how to break that restriction completely.

    Tired of your cross-section annotations being limited to what OpenRoads Designer “knows”? Here’s how to break that restriction completely.

    For years, cross-section annotation in OpenRoads Designer has come with a big condition: “ORD needs to know the features first.”

    That’s been a major roadblock for teams working with partners who live outside the Bentley world -GIS departments, surveyors delivering DWGs, asset owners using ESRI services, or planners managing cadastral data in their own systems.

    The new EPP Cross-Section Annotation Tool removes that restriction entirely.

    You can now annotate any information that Bentley DGN can display in your cross-sections -even if ORD has never heard of it before.

    That includes:

    • GIS cadastral boundaries and property data
    • AutoCAD (DWG) 2D and 3D strings
    • ESRI REST services
    • External 3D models and linework
    • Any element with accessible properties (levels, line styles, PFI values, custom attributes, item types, etc.)

    And it’s not just visual. You can automatically add:

    • Dimensions and slope labels
    • Offset and elevation call-outs
    • Cells placed at meaningful positions
    • Property labels (e.g. lot numbers, boundary IDs, asset attributes)

    All directly onto your cross-sections.

    The real change isn’t just in presentation -it’s in workflow freedom.

    You’re no longer forced to import, reclassify, or “teach” ORD about external features just to see them in cross-section. If it can be displayed in MicroStation, it can now be annotated in your sections.

    That’s a big deal for collaborative projects where design, cadastral, utility and GIS data live in different ecosystems.

    Less time converting data.
    Less time reworking cross-sections.
    Better information for better engineering decisions.

    And ultimately -safer, clearer documentation for the people building it on site.

    If you’ve ever had to explain why something didn’t show up in section just because ORD “didn’t know it”… you’ll understand why this one matters.