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The Cross Section Library is an efficient tool for making reuse of key sections created in previous bridge projects. The library also enables to quickly create a bridge model by using sections from a predefined standard profile library. The library includes information about point types and offset values for all section points defining the cross-section geometry. The library cross-sections will therefore automatically connect to the road profile when added to the bridge project.
The cross-section library is actually an editable text file with the file extension.BLB (Bridge LiBrary). The library file (BLB) can be opened from the dialog 'Cross Section Library' for a graphic presentation of the available cross-sections. If you add new cross-sections to the library, the library text file will be updated when you press the save button in the dialog box.
The cross-section library file can also be opened in any text editor. From a text editor, you can modify the library contents directly. Before doing so you should make yourself familiar with the syntax of the library file.
Find the function here:
Ribbon: Bridge > Cross-Section > Cross-Section Library
The dialog box 'Cross-Section Library' will pop up, which gives you a presentation of the contents of a library file (BLB), and allows you to add bridge cross-sections from the library to the current bridge project.
The drop-down menu 'Library file' shows the currently selected library file. Open the dropdown menu to select among previously used library files. When you select a library file the program reads the ASCII text in this file and presents the contents in this dialog as a list of available cross-sections.
Save all changes made in the dialog to the current library file
Creates a new library file
Open an existing library file
Adds a new cross-section to the active library file.
Deletes a cross-section from the active library file.
The Preview window shows the currently selected cross-section in the cross-section list. The preview uses the current road project, and you may specify any station number along the road line for the preview. The preview will show the actual road profile and how the cross-section will connect to the road at the specified station number.
The preview window offers some standard View options: Zoom Window, Zoom Extents, and Pan Real-time.
Follow the steps below to add a cross-section to the current bridge project from a cross-section library.
Press the Open button to open an existing library file (*.blb) if the desired library file is not active, and select the library file from which cross-section is to be added.
Or select one of the recent library files from the dropdown menu 'Library file'. * Select the cross-sections, which is to be added to the current bridge project from the list of available cross-sections in the active library.
Enter the station number, at which the cross-section is to be added at the field 'Insert Selected library Cross-Section at Station Number:'.
If the cross-section should not be perpendicular to the road centreline, mark the check box 'Specify intersection angle with road centreline' and enter the desired angle at the field activated by marking the check box. The angle is in grads, using a 400 grads circle. 100.0grad is perpendicular to the road centerline
Press the Insert button.
The selected cross-section will be attached to the road at the specified station. You can check this by generating the cross-section at the specified station. Use the tool 'Draw Cross Section'.
Note: The cross-section, which is to be added to the active library, must be registered. This presumes that you have already designed the cross-section on AutoCAD using the general AutoCAD function and registered the same using the tool 'Connect Polyline to Road' of Bridge Professional. In case if you have not done these follow the procedure explained in the topic 'Define your own Key Section' to design the cross-section and then follow the procedure explained in the topic 'Connect Polyline to Road' to register the cross-section.
To add a cross-section to the active library use the button 'Add new cross-section' (see the above table of icons). The dialog box 'Add new cross-section to Library' will pop up, which lists all the key sections in the current bridge project along with respective station nos. Follow the below simple steps to add a cross-section to the active library:
Select the cross-section, which is to be added to the active library.
Define a name to the cross-section being added at the field 'Name'.
Add description at the field 'Additional Information' (maximum three lines of description).
Press the button 'Add to Library'.
The library file (*.BLB) is a text file, which consists of a set of command lines defining the cross-sections, polylines, etc. A command line is a single text line starting with a command keyword, followed by command values and/or an alphanumeric text.
The different data in each command line must be separated with space or a comma. Alphanumeric values must be entered within quotes, for example, “T-section”.
All valid command keywords are presented below. The commands are listed in the order they should be entered in the library file for each cross-section. For example, defining a new cross-section (SECT) should come before defining a new polyline (POLY) in this section.
“name”: User-defined name for identification of cross-section
This command defines a new cross-section. All following POLY and PT commands, until next SECT command or end of file, refer to this cross-section.
“info”: Optional information text
This command adds a new information text to the cross-section. Maximum 3 INFO commands for each cross-section.
polyno: Polyline number (integer)
“name”: User-defined name for identification of polyline
Adds a new polyline to the cross-section. All following PT commands, until next SECT or POLY command or end of file, refer to this polyline.
pointno: Point number
pointtype: Point type
-1 = radius point
Other point types see the topic 'Point Types and Connection Mechanism'.
dx/dr: Offset in the x-direction in reference coordinate system, or radius for a curved line to next section point [m]
dy: Offset in the y-direction in reference coordinate system
ref1,ref10: reference section points according to definition for selected point type
This command adds a new section point to the current polyline. The point connection mechanisms are defined through point type and reference points. For more details on point types and connection mechanisms, see the topic 'Point Types and Connection Mechanism'.