What's new in MXROAD and MXROAD Suite V8i (SELECT series 1)?
The SELECT series 1 release of MXROAD and MXROAD Suite brings numerous upgrades to the previous version, MXROAD V8i. It improves usability, stability, and productivity throughout the MX product family, addresses more than 200 user requests, and includes:
- MicroStation V8i and ProjectWise V8i support
- Bentley Map Integration
- Data Acquisition
- Civil Geometry
- Roadway Designer
The MX product family now fully supports MicroStation V8i and ProjectWise V8i (08.11.07) and continues to operate with DGN and DWG file formats (supports AutoCAD 2008/2009/2010).
ProjectWise Integration in this release provides MX users with direct, multidisciplinary collaboration and supports the following aspects of typical MX workflows:
- MX model data
- Project-specific folder structure and dependencies
- Input files
- MX Active drawing
- Reference files
Bentley Map Integration provides MX users with built-in mapping functionality for the creation, maintenance, and analysis of geospatial data. The geospatial data can then be edited with the precise, CAD-level accuracy required for civil engineering. This means users can easily integrate data from a wide variety of sources into engineering and mapping workflows.
Data Acquisition provides a set of user-friendly tools to assemble data from multiple, disparate sources typically encountered in the civil engineering design workflow. The primary goal of Data Acquisition is the creation of a digital terrain model that represents the existing surface, the basis of any design. Data Acquisition includes:
- Import of a variety of raw field data formats including:
- Trimble (.job and .dc)
- Leica (.gsi and .xcf)
- Many more…
- Import of digital elevation raster files (DTED, Geo Tiffs, etc.)
- Import of terrain models from Bentley civil products including MX, InRoads, and GEOPAK
- Import of terrain models from third-party applications via LandXML and LiDAR
Civil Geometry tools are coordinate geometry (COGO) tools that utilize a heads-up interface, preserving user input and design intent. Results of these tools are intelligent graphic elements stored in the DGN. Civil Geometry includes:
- COGO and graphical representation are synchronized
- User input preserved in rules and properties
- Relationships between elements are maintained
- Elements can be edited using onscreen graphic manipulators and properties
- Design standards can be created and used to control alignments
Roadway Designer provides MX users with an alternative set of interactive, in-context, smart design tools for road design and rehabilitation, visualization, and reporting, aimed at the production of enhanced 3D models.
Roadway Designer provides multiple roadway corridor capability and intelligence to the design process. Unique features allow the user to define design surface construction, pavement layers construction, cater for overlay and widening situations, superelevation requirements, complex earthworks strategies, and complex rule-driven components such as retaining walls. Roadway Designer includes:
- Merges horizontal and vertical geometry with 3D topography for application of design standards and typical sections
- Define typical sections with horizontal and vertical geometry paths
- Component control points enforce defined features or geometries: horizontally, vertically, or both
- Simultaneous viewing in fully controllable plan, profile, and cross section views
- Dynamic scaling of views
- Display right-of-way, existing ground, and other road centerlines to enhance dynamic interaction
- Heads-up, dynamic, interactive parametric design, with instantaneous feedback
- Manage one or multiple corridors, for plans, visualization, cross-sections, and reporting
- Superelevation viewer allows dynamic editing of super application
- Apply exceptions items such as bridges and voids or for end conditions
- Smart color coding to assist problem resolution for transitions, super run out, flat conditions, etc.
- Dynamic editing of individual stations
- Dynamic Quantities and Volumes reflect edits to balance cut and fill
- Shaded materials enhance clarity
- Generates a full 3D model of the roadway corridor using intelligent 3D components*
*Components can include curb and gutter sections, sidewalks, asphalt layers, aggregate layers, medians, barriers, slopes, and ditches. Roadway Designer automatically creates MX surfaces, strings, and cross-sections to enable volume calculation and aid visualization and rendering.
What’s enhanced in MXROAD and MXROAD Suite V8i (SELECT series 1)?
- Roadway Designer Scheme manager for MX
- Dynamic Surface Analysis caters for multiple MX models and boundary control. Utilizing Civil DTM technology changes to the design can be visualized quickly/dynamically without the need to run MX analysis/display options.
- AutoCAD 2010 is now a supported environment to run MX. Bringing the supported AutoCAD versions to 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Enhanced menus and GUI customization using MicroStation Tasks and toolbars, providing fully customizable MX toolbars in the standalone and MicroStation environments
- Reference file management now supported through input files via the MX script manager
- Dynamic Section Enhancements
- MX specific improvements to Accudraw
- Incorporation of Bonus tools
- Display Styleset - providing the ability to graphically test all features in a style set
- Extend a String - providing the ability to extend a string to a string or a point or by distance and calculate the level
- Support added for LandXML 1.2 schema
- MX Engine Enhancements
- Command Macros now enhanced to allow arithmetic between two or three variables
- Use of different macro lines to display Interface strings
- Interface now honors the String Naming Convention on Repeat Patterns, Rounding, and Circular Ditches
- Drainage Design Enhancements
- More than one pipe between two nodes
- Display surface flow to upstream inlet
- Automatic inlet spacing – general improvements for:
- Inlet rules files now support efficiency
- Support for combined curb and drainage systems
Full details of all enhancements can be found in the MXROAD and MXROAD Suite V8i (SELECT series1) Release Notes.