Create road

Create road by layer

Users can click the Create Road button, then select Create road from the dropdown menu.

Before creating road, a road layer must be available. The road layer can be either imported from a DWG file or created manually in SketchUp.For how to create road layers, go to next chapter "Create Road Layers in SketchUp".

The GIF below shows the process of creating road by polygons layer:

The GIF below shows the process of creating road by cental line layer:

Notes:

1. The road layer is mandatory, while the Road slope layer is optional.
2. Users can click the Clear button in the interface to delete previously created road.
3. In the original terrain model, the road plane may partially sink into steep or uneven terrain. This can be corrected by adjusting the Height above terrain parameter for optimal display.

Delete affected array: If this option is enabled, all arrays intersecting with road (closed polylines) will be deleted automatically. Arrays intersecting with slopes (non-closed polylines) will also be removed automatically.

Create Road Layers in SketchUp

There are multiple ways to create road layers in SketchUp: Importing DWG files, Synchronizing with CAD, Creating Corridor gaps during Array layout, and Drawing central line of the road.

Create road layers by Importing DWG files

The GIF below shows the process of creating road layers by importing DWG files:

The steps are as follows:

1. Save the planned road to a separate layer in CAD (e.g., "Centerline-road" or "Area-road" layer).
2. Turn off all layers except the road layer and the "Candela-Position-Origin" layer, then use the WBLOCK command to save as a new DWG file for subsequent import.
3. Road objects can be closed polylines or centerlines.

Create road layers by Synchronizing with CAD

The GIF below shows the process of creating road layers by Synchronizing with CAD:

1. Click the Synchronize with CAD button.
2. Select the DWG file to be synchronized.
3. Right-click and select Import or export polylines and lines.
4. In the pop-up window, select the road layer to import, then click Confirm.

Create road layers by Creating Corridor gaps during Array layout

The GIF below shows the process of Creating road layers by Creating Corridor gaps during Array layout: 

1. Check Corridor gaps horizontal and Corridor gaps vertical when laying out the array.
2. After layout is complete, two layers will be created: Horizontal_gap and Vertical_gap.

Create road layers by Drawing central line of the road

The GIF below shows the process of Creating road layers by Drawing central line of the road:

For more about the Drawing central line of the road function, see the next chapter.

This function allows for the drawing and editing of road centerlines in SketchUp.During the drawing process, key parameters such as slope ratio and turning radius are displayed in real time.Once intelligent analysis is enabled, a slope ratio semicircle is displayed to assist in finding the optimal path.

Users can click the Create Road button, then select Draw central line of the road, Edit central line of the road, Regenerate outline of road from the dropdown menu.

Draw central line of the road:In the SketchUp model, roads are created by setting parameters including road width, turning radius, and slope ratio.

Edit central line of the road: Users can edit road centerlines that have been drawn or imported from DWG files.

Regenerate outline of road: For existing roads, uesrs can adjust the road width or turning radius, and the road outline will be regenerated automatically.

Draw central line of the road

Users can click the Create Road button, then select Draw central line of the road from the dropdown menu.

When the user right-clicks within the Draw central line of the road function, the following menu will appear:

1.Edit mode

Switch to the Edit central line of the road function.

2.Parameter settings

Upon selecting Parameter Settings, the following interface will appear:

The parameters in the Parameter Settings function are described as follows:

Road width: The width of the road.

Turning radius: Set the inner arc radius of the road

Search distance:This function is only available in Intelligent Analysis mode and displays the length of each individual road segment.During drawing, the software intelligently analyzes road directions within the search range that satisfy the specified slope ratio.

When Intelligent Analysis is enabled (Switch with the TAB key), a slope ratio semicircle will be displayed.The blue line on the ring indicates a negative slope ratio (downhill road), and the red line indicates a positive slope ratio (uphill road).The darker the color, the steeper the gradient. Gray short lines indicate that the slope ratio exceeds the set value.When the drawing direction moves to the gray short line, the prompt text turns red.

The Intelligent Analysis function can also be enabled or disabled via the right-click menu.

Slope ratio: Maximum road slope ratio. When users draw or edit roads, segments exceeding the set value will be highlighted in red.

Expansion distance: The distance by which the road is expanded. An expansion line is displayed during road drawing or editing to avoid intersections with arrays.

3.Mid point slope ratio verification setting

Upon selecting Mid point slope ratio verification setting, the following interface will appear:

The positions of checkpoints B' and C' are determined by the following two conditions:

Popup Interface Parameter Description:

When the length of the road section is greater than this value, verification will be carried out :
Verification is performed only when the length of a single road segment (AD segment) being drawn exceeds the set threshold.

Verification is only required when the distance from the midpoint to the endpoint is greater than this value :
Verification is triggered only when the length of segment AB or segment CD exceeds the set threshold.

When the slope ratio exceeds the preset value by a certain proportion, an error message will be displayed :
An error message is displayed when the slope ratio of segment AB' or C'D exceeds a specified percentage of the Slope Ratio defined in Parameter Settings.
Example: An error is shown when AB'' % > Preset slope ratio × (1 + E%).

4.Only display information of road segments that do not meet the requirements

5.Import from layer

Users can choose to import a road centerline, which can either be drawn directly in SketchUp or created in CAD and then imported into SketchUp. After importing the layer, the system will automatically generate the road-area and road-centerline layers using the default parameters (road width, turning radius). The "road-area" layer represents the road outline, while the "road-centerline" layer represents the road’s centerline. Following import, users can use the Edit central line of the road function to check and adjust various road parameters, or use the Regenerate outline of road function to set the road width and turning radius for regeneration.

Tips :

• Tab: Toggles the use of Intelligent Analysis on or off.
• F2: Toggle Snap Mode : Polar , Center between adjacent arrays adsorption , None
• Ctrl: Toggles the display of available/restricted areas.
• In Intelligent Analysis mode, the arrow keys allow quick adjustment of the search range:
  Up / Down keys: Adjust by 1 m each step.
  Left / Right keys: Adjust by 5 m each step.
• Users can right-click and select Parameter Settings to modify road parameters during drawing.
• To draw connected roads with different parameters, users must right-click to end the current drawing, reset the parameters, select the connection point, and then resume drawing.

Edit central line of the road

Users can click the Create Road button, then select Edit central line of the road from the dropdown menu.Users can select individual roads to edit, delete, or switch to drawing mode

After entering the Edit central line of the road function, roads that do not meet the slope requirements are displayed in magenta.

When a road is selected, its detailed information will be displayed :

Information for each road segment:
Distance: 2D/3D distance.
Slope: Expressed in degrees (°), always a positive value.
Slope Ratio: Expressed in percentage (%), where positive values indicate uphill and negative values indicate downhill.

The slope ratio message : ndicates that the slope ratio does not meet the requirements; press the Shift key to display.

Turning radius out-of-range message : Indicates that the turning radius is less than xx m.

Main Functions : 

Select a vertex of the road centerline and drag to adjust its position.

 Regenerate outline of road

Users can click the Create Road button, then select Regenerate outline of road from the dropdown menu.

For existing roads, adjust the road width or turning radius to regenerate road outlines.