Define Fill/Cut Design

Load: This loads a previously saved template file. They have the *.RMP extension.

Save: This saves the currently defined Fill/Cut template to a *.RMP file.

Clear: Choosing Clear will clear all entries in the template. Use this command if the program is producing errors while running and start over. Sometimes remnants of other templates are still being used, and it is best to start over instead of trying to replace the templates.

Set Snap: This option determines the level of acceptable rounding of calculated points. Larger snaps reduce excess points, but may collapse the geometry. The default is 0.01 drawing units.

Colors: Selecting the Colors button brings up the Colors dialog box. Here you choose a color for the breaklines created for the Road, Slope and Bench.

Cut or Fill: This is the determining setting if the program will cut down or fill up from the boundary.

Horizontal Resolution: This is the setting for how often a horizontal breakline will be drawn. Breaklines will be drawn closer in corners and intersections, but never larger than this resolution. These are the breaklines that run from the top to the bottom of the slope. 

Vertical Resolution: This is the setting for how often a vertical breakline will be drawn. These are the breaklines that run around the disturbance area, parallel with the benches. It works well if the vertical resolution is less than the bench height, putting a breakline in between the slopes. It is best if the interval is a factor of the bench height, i.e. 50' benches and 25' vertical resolution. Here a bench is defined as a flat or nearly flat section in the template between two sloping surfaces. 

Force Road Method: There are two methods by which the stepping is done. A simple method, and the more complex method that is used by the Road option. If you have a very complex boundary that the regular, simple method does not handle well, use this option. It does not place a road unless that is turned on in the next screen. It just uses the road algorithm. There is no reason to use this method for simple cuts or fills. If they look fine, then leave this off. It will run much slower with this option turned on, so leave it off unless you need some more intelligence. If you have a fill with more than one peak, then you will need to leave the Force Road Method off, as it uses the road logic, and draws a road only to the first peak created.

Boundary: Selecting this button leads to the Boundary Line dialog box for specifying the perimeter line and the surface or elevations of the line.

Process And Continue: Once the perimeter and source of elevations are chosen, you select Process And Continue to define the templates. This takes you to the next window.

 Elevation: The fill or the cut will go to this elevation.

Grid: The fill or the cut will go to the selected grid file (*.GRD).

TIN: The fill or the cut will go to the selected TIN file (*.FLT).

Min Area: The fill or the cut will go to an elevation where the area of the top or bottom will not go below this value in square feet or meters.

Ultimate Slope: The fill or cut will continue until the maximum height or depth is attained. This gives a peak in a fill or a V shaped pit bottom.

Width: Specify a total road width in feet or meters.

Slope %: Enter the road slope in percent, i.e., 12.

Clockwise: Choosing this makes the road wind clockwise, leaving it blank creates the road winding counterclockwise.

Select Start Section: You must select where to begin the road on the preview of the perimeter. The selection must cross the perimeter line as shown above with the short black line on the far right of the perimeter line. Just pick the two points, one on either side of the perimeter, with two left mouse clicks.

Show Profile: This option brings up a profile of the ramp, to make sure it does not cross the existing ground perimeter polyline. If it does, it will give an error message as shown below, and the problem area is shown below the two red lines. To fix this, either pick a new ramp starting location, or modify the elevations of the perimeter.

Bench Transition Length: This is the distance the road goes flat across the bench, until it starts up or down again.

Taper to Bench Inside: This is the other option if there is not a Bench Transition Length desired. This will “hug” the inside of the bench until the road gets across it.

Hold Elevation or Hold Distance: When making changes in the template, one of the first two columns must remain fixed, either the elevation or the horizontal distance. You select which one will stay, while the other changes if you modify the slope or any other parameter.

Template Base Elevation: Enter in a starting elevation if the bench interval desired is above or below what the program is calculating. Normally, benches are created at logical increments of the template, such as 1050, 1100, 1150, etc. If you want benches at 1055, 1105, 1155, etc, then you would enter 5 in the base elevation for example. This value will basically offset your benches up or down this amount.

Delta Distance, Delta Elevation, H-V Ratio, Slope %, Slope Degrees: This is the section to enter in the slope and benches. The first five columns may be used, other variables will be calculated if another is modified. The last two, Total Distance and Total Elevation are locked, and cannot be used. For flat benches, just enter a Delta Distance, with 0 as the Delta Elevation. A preview of the slope group will appear in the preview box. If it does not show up for some reason, you may need to save the RMP file, close the program and restart it. This will reset the template preview window.

Bench Taper Length: Enter in the distance for a bench to taper from zero width to the full width.

Variable Bench Design: This option will keep the same bench/slope ratio while the bench widens to its full thickness. If the template has a 45 degree slope, 50’ high, and a 50’ bench, then as the slope increases its height, the bench width will increase at the same ratio/rate. If the bench height to width is always 5:1, then that ratio will always be produced in the widening of the bench.

Next Template: Selecting this button brings up the next template defined. If there is only one, the bottom of the window is red, and nothing happens. If you have other templates defined (with the Add Template), then it will scroll through them. Each will have a distinct color to show where they correlate to the perimeter in the preview window. The colors of the template design window and the corresponding line segments of the perimeter are in this order: red, green, cyan, orange, blue, magenta, light green and black.

Add Template: This will add a new, empty template to the design. Each new template added will have its own, unique color to keep them organized. The colors are listed just above.

Select Points For This Template: After a template is defined, this option defines where on the perimeter, the program will apply this set of slopes and benches. You must pick a starting point and run clockwise to pick the last point. The perimeter line will change color to match the template color. This lets you know where each template is defined. If there is only one template (the initial red one), then the entire perimeter line is red to match it.