Sections

Function

This command allows you to digitize section lines and store the section data in the section file you have specified. The command first prompts you the Digitize Section Dialog. Enter the section file name and determine if you want to digitize second and third sections at the same station. Look at your plans and determines the station interval, which is used to automatically default to the next station value when digitizing a series of stations. If the grids at all the stations have the same base elevation, toggle on Use Fixed Base Grid Elevation. You can also toggle on Interpolate Zero Offset Elevation, Prompt for Subgrades, Prompt for Save for Each Section and Use Beeps with Prompts. Click OK to start digitizing.
Takeoff prompts you to calibrate the section sheet before you digitize the section lines. You pick three points and specify their offsets to the centerline and elevations in order to determine the horizontal and vertical intervals. Corners on the section grid are preferred reference points. Place your cursor at one end of the section line and begin digitizing the line. While digitizing a line, you can remove a mistake by pressing A on the puck or entering Undo on the keyboard. At the end of the section line, press Enter on your puck or keyboard. The station is completed, and the station value is automatically incremented. The command would prompts to digitize next section. You can press A on the puck or enter Exit on the keyboard to finish digitizing. If you want to continue to digitize next section, press Enter or enter the new station number. For every station after the first one, you can calibrate the grid sheet by picking one reference point and specify its offset and elevation. After you digitize the section lines on your drawing, all the section data would be saved in a section file (.sct).

Prompts

Digitize Section Dialog
Enter Section File Name, Station Interval, and toggle on/off Use Fixed Base Grid Elevation etc.
Section station to digitize <0.000>:    press Enter to start with station 0.0 or enter a station number
Calibrate section sheet
Pick First section sheet reference point:   pick a grid point of this station on your drawing
Enter offset <0.0>:   press Enter to accept the offset or enter the offset of the point to the centerline
Enter elevation:    1030 (enter the Elevation of the reference point)
Pick Second section reference point:   pick the second grid point
Enter offset:    0 (enter the offset of the point to the centerline)
Enter elevation:    1040 (enter the Elevation of the reference point)
Pick Third section reference point:   pick the third grid point
Enter offset:    50 (enter the offset of the point to the centerline)
Enter elevation:    1040 (enter the Elevation of the reference point)

3 calibration points

Transformation type:            Orthogonal            Affine        Projective
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outcome of fit:                        Success              Exact        Impossible
RMS Error:                            11.49
Standard deviation:                 2.38
Largest residual:                     14.08
At point:                                 2
Second-largest residual:          14.08
At point:                                 1

Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 0.000 (Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: -39.81 Elev: 1028.80
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 0.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: -9.94 Elev: 1030.03
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 0.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: 49.44 Elev: 1034.93
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 0.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   press Enter to finish
Save changes to DRAWING1 section 0.000 [<Yes(A)>/No(B)]?   A (press A or B)

Exit[A]/Section station to digitize <50.000>:    200 (enter next station number)

Calibrate next section
Pick section reference point:   pick a grid point of the station on your drawing
Enter offset <0.00>:    press Enter to accept the offset or enter the offset of the point to the centerline
Enter elevation <1030.00>:    1020 (enter the Elevation of the reference point)
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 200.000 (Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: -40.40 Elev: 1008.07
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 200.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: -5.38 Elev: 1019.98
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 200.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: 27.86 Elev: 1030.02
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 200.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   pick a point on the section line
Offset: 50.33 Elev: 1035.80
Digitize break point for DRAWING1 section 200.000 (Undo[A],Enter to end):   press Enter to finish
Save changes to DRAWING1 section 200.000 [<Yes(A)>/No(B)]?   A (press A or B)

Exit[A]/Section station to digitize <250.000>:    A (press A to finish or enter the station number to continue)

Keyboard Command: digxsec
Prerequisite: Have a digitizer board and a puck connected to your computer, and have Wintab driver installed. The digitizer has been correctly set up. Have done tablet calibration for current drawing.