Cut Sheet

In this lesson you will create a Cut Sheet report for staking grade for a proposed parking lot. This tutorial utilizes the data limits of the Contouring, Break Lines and Stockpiles tutorial. Once opened, you will:

1. import a LandXML comprised of digital data content
2. draw a centerline file for spatial reference
3. draw a polyline file for additional spatial reference
4. offset the centerline "alignment" to establish a Back of Curb (BOC)
5. create stake-out points along the BOC but at existing ground elevations
6. create a cutsheet to compare the points against a design surface model

Let's get started.

1. Click the Windows desktop icon for Carlson to start the program.
   • If you get the Start Page, pick Open Files.
   • If you get the Startup Wizard dialog box, click the Browse button.
   • If you are taken directly into CAD, click File -- Open.
   Browse/navigate to the default folder location of C:\Carlson Projects and open the Mantopo.dwg file. Use the File -- Save As to save a copy named Mantopo-C.dwg. Completing this tutorial will alter the drawing file and by renaming the file from the start, you'll keep the original file intact (allowing you to run through the tutorial a second time if desired). This is also a good practice to keep when working on drawings from 3rd parties.
2. Activate the Survey menu via Settings -- Carlson Menus -- Survey Menu. Your drawing may (should) resemble that shown below:
   
   Issue the Points -- Set Coordinate File command to display the following dialog box:
   
   Select the file as shown above and click Open when ready.
3. For the content to follow, a LandXML file containing various pieces of design data will be used to complete this tutorial. Issue the File -- Import -- LandXML File to display the following dialog box:
   
   Select the file as shown above and click Open when ready. A secondary box similar to that shown below will appear:
   
   Set the various options as shown above and click Import when ready. A summary of the surface model TIN files will appear in the Surface Manager similar to that shown below:
   
   Click the Done button when ready. The drawing should resemble that shown below (layer colors and visibility altered for clarity):
   
   The drawing contains a proposed parking lot with striping and curb islands. A closer examination will reveal that the entire length of the roadway and parking lot perimeter has been defined as a centerline (aka alignment, Existing4.cl) file as created by the Polyline to Centerline File command (e.g. double-clicking the perimeter should display the Centerline Editor command).
4. Our next task will be to offset this alignment by 1.5' to simulate back-of-curb geometry. Issue the Edit -- Offset -- Offset to Layer command to display the dialog box below:
   
   Set the values as shown above and click OK when ready. When prompted:
   
   Select a polyline to offset: pick the perimeter polyline as shown below
   Select side to offset: pick to the outside as shown below
   Select a polyline to offset (Enter to end): press Enter
   
   
5. The next thing we'd like to do is locate stake-out points along the Back-of-Curb at important inflection points. Issue the COGO -- Create Points from Entities command to display the dialog box below:
   
   Set the values as shown above (making particular note of the highlighted items above) and click OK when ready. A secondary dialog box as shown below appears:
   
   Set the values as shown above (making particular note of the highlighted items above) and click OK when ready. A dialog box prompting for the surface model use for the point elevation appears (similar to that shown below):
   
   Select the surface model as indicated above and click Open when ready. When prompted:
   
   Select arcs, circles, faces, points, text, lines and polylines.
   [FILter]/<Select entities>: pick the back-of-curb polyline created in the previous step
   [FILter]/<Select entities>: press Enter
   
   A collection of points is inserted into the drawing and at an elevation governed by the previously cited surface model.
6. Issue the Survey -- Cut Sheet command to display the dialog below:
   
7. Click the Import -- Coordinate File as illustrated above and when prompted for a coordinate file, select the file shown below and click Open when ready:
   
8. A secondary dialog box appears similar to that shown below:
   
   The coordinate file may have more data than we need (i.e. original ground points from an earlier lesson). Set the values as shown above, paying particular attention to the Range of points in the range of 501-553. Click OK when ready. The Cut Sheet Data dialog box is populated with data similar to that shown below:
   
9. The next thing we'd like to do is bring in the target elevations for each of these points. Issue the Grade -- Triangulation File command (but note the additional methods of determining the proposed grades) as illustrated below:
   
   When prompted, select the triangulation (TIN) file cited below and click Open when ready:
   
   This process will select a design surface model for the proposed grades. The Design Z elevation field is populated from the proposed TIN and the Cut/Fill amount per point is calculated as illustrated below:
   
10. The next piece of information we would like to obtain is an alignment from which Station/Offset information can be derived. Issue the Centerline -- Centerline File command as illustrated below:
    
    When prompted, select the centerline (*.cl) file shown below and click Open when ready:
    
    The Cut Sheet now contains the station and offset information for the curb line as illustrated below:
    
11. Our next task will be to configure the content of the Cut Sheet Report we'd like to generate. Issue the Report -- Report Settings command as illustrated below:
    
    The Report Options dialog box appears permitting the eventual report to be customized:
    
    Ensure the Report Options are set as shown above and click OK when ready.
12. Let's create the report. Issue the Report -- Create Report command to display the Report Formatter dialog box similar to that shown below:
    
    Select the desired Available fields on the left and click Add > to move them to the Used fields on the right. For this lesson, just select Station (sorted Up), Offset and Cut/Fill to create a simple cut/fill report.
13. Click the Settings tab as seen above and click Field Options button to display the Field Options dialog box as shown below:
    
14. To create user-defined additional fields to include in the report, click the Add Field button and set the values as shown below. Click OK when ready:
    
    This new user-defined field is added to the list of Available Fields. Click the Add Field button again to set the values as shown below and click OK when ready:
    
    NOTE: Make sure to enable the Prompt at display time toggle. This will cause the program to pause for user input at the time of creating the report.
15. Select the two new fields and click the Add > button to add them to the Report Header tab as illustrated below:
    
    When the fields are moved, you will be prompted to select various format options as illustrated below:
    
16. Set the following fields:
    
    • Client to:
      • Row #1
      • Center justified
      • Bold Font
      • 14 pt text size
    • Job Number to:
      • Row #2
      • Left justified
      • Regular Font
      • 10 pt text size
    The result should look similar to that shown below:
    
    Click OK when ready.
17. Select the Report tab and click on the Report Viewer button as shown below:
    
    Select an 8.5" x 11" paper size with 0.25" margins all around as shown below and click OK when ready:
18. When prompted for the values of the user-defined fields, set the values as shown below and click OK when ready:
    
    The resulting report is displayed similar to that shown below which can be printed or exported to various formats:
    
19. Close the report to return to the Report Formatter dialog box as shown below:
    NOTE: The above process can be repeated for any number of fields and exported as a *.FMS file for future use or to develop company or client report standards. Click the Exit button to dismiss the Report Formatter dialog box.
20. Back in the main Cut Sheet Data spreadsheet editor, click File -- Save and save the file as shown below and click the Save button when ready:
    
    Click File -- Exit to close the command.

This completes the tutorial: Cut Sheet.