alignment, you can set a different alignment current or you can close the Alignment database.

To share an alignment database with someone using Release 1 of AutoCAD Land Development Desktop, you can save the alignment database in the previous format of the alignment database as a project.adb file. Choose the Save as .adb command from the Alignments Alignment Commands menu.

Drawing Alignment Geometry

Begin an alignment design by drawing alignment geometry. You need to draw an alignment centerline onlyyou can create offsets later by using an automated offset routine. To draw an alignment centerline, you can use line, arc, and spiral commands from the Lines/Curves menu, as well as AutoCAD commands such as ARC, LINE, PLINE, and FILLET. You can also draw alignments as Survey Figures either in the field using the Survey Command Language to input the data in a data collector, or on the Survey command line. When you draw the alignment, use object snaps to ensure that no gaps exist between each object that makes up an alignment. To create spirals, use the Spiral commands from the Lines/Curves menu. If you know the intended speed for an alignment, then you can draw spirals using an AASHTO or user-defined speed table, which automatically calculates superelevation information for an alignment.

Key Concepts

If you use the Lines/Curves menu commands instead of PLINE or LINE, then the lines, curves, and spirals are drawn tangent to their adjacent object. You can define more than one alignment from the same alignment geometry.

Working with Alignments

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To create alignment geometry

Steps 1 Create a layer on which the alignment centerline is to be drawn. Use a name such as CL for Centerline. 2 Use one of the line drawing options from the Lines/ Curves menu. 3 To add curves, use the curve commands from the Lines/ Curves menu. You can add a curve between two tangents, from the end of a tangent, and more. These options ensure that the curve is drawn tangent to the selected lines. 4 To draw a spiral, use one of the spiral commands from the Drawing Spirals Lines/Curves menu. Use to locate

Create and Name Layers

Drawing Lines

Drawing Curves

Defining an Object as a Road Alignment

By defining figure geometry as an alignment, all individual geometric components (lines, arcs, and spirals) become linked as a single object, and alignment data is saved to the database in the project folder. Because this data is stored in an external database, you can access the alignments from all drawings in the project. After you define and alignment, it in not necessary to draft the alignment in the drawing. All commands that refer to the alignment geometry reference the database. To define an alignment
Steps 1 Draw the alignment geometry. 2 If you drew an alignment geometry using lines, curves, and spirals, then select Define From Objects from the Alignments menu to define the alignment. If you drew an alignment using a polyline, then select Define From Polyline from the Alignments menu. When you define the alignment, you are prompted for essential information such as the alignment name, description, starting station, and objects that comprise the alignment. Use to locate

Defining Alignments Defining an Alignment from Objects Defining an Alignment from a Polyline

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Chapter 5

Working with Alignments and Parcels