

Autocad autoturn software#
While this software is popular in North America, it is less so in other geographies, so traffic volumes can also be manually input from other traffic analysis software. This can be imported directly from HCS+ (Highway Capacity Software). All options are shown in a preview of the junction and then applied to the drawing directly.Ĭapacity conditions method: Nexus can generate an initial junction design based on capacity analysis data. Schematic lane configuration method: this is the most flexible of the four and allows the engineer to toggle between each leg, defining the number, type and position of entry and exit lanes. There are four methods of generating a junction layout and all of these can be accessed through a single ‘generate intersection’ dialogue box. Here, the horizontal alignment would be used to generate the initial junction design, while the vertical alignment could be used downstream for conceptual grading in Nexus. However, if actual survey data is available then a 3D alignment could be created in Civil3D or MXRoad and used instead. These can be standard lines or arcs which, at the preliminary stage of the design process, could be traced from aerial photos or satellite images.

The design process starts by the engineer selecting the 2D reference lines that will define the junction. Design guidelines can be set up as part of a company-wide standard or applied on a project-by-project basis. During this process, he or she should take into consideration the constraints, rights of way, and building envelopes. In setting the design guidelines, the engineer can specify some of the key geometric parameters that would typically be recommended by regional design standards, such as lane widths, corner geometry, or corner radiuses. The Generate Intersection Tool is used to define the lane configurations at the junction. They don’t form a rigid set of rules, and can be edited at any point, but by using them it means engineers don’t have to worry about every single element of the design. Design guidelinesĭesign Guidelines are a key part of Nexus and can be used to set a range of default values used throughout the design process.

Working with these applications offers the added advantage of a smooth transition should the engineer want to progress the junction design from the preliminary stages to the detailed design phase.

It also works with the major vertical civil / highway design software tools that sit on top of these CAD platforms, namely MXRoad, InRoads, Geopak and AutoCAD Civil3D. It works alongside AutoTurn, which gives it its swept path analysis functionality, and sits on top of the two key AEC CAD platforms - AutoCAD and MicroStation. Nexus is part of a three-tiered platform. It enables engineers to try out multiple options to see which makes most engineering sense, taking into account traffic operations, geometric design and safety performance. Nexus is specifically designed for developing junction design concepts very quickly. While there are many established tools for junction design - AutoCAD Civil3D, Bentley MXRoad, and Bentley InRoads, to name but a few - Transoft believes there is a gap in the market for a tool that focuses specifically on the conceptual or preliminary stages of the design process. The company has now followed this up with Nexus, which applies to same principles to junction design. In 2010 Transoft turned its attentions to roundabout design with Torus, a brand new tool that uses swept path analysis for the conceptual phases of the design process. ParkCAD started this trend with an application that helps engineers or architects quickly design and review multiple car park designs.
