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User Guide for OpenRoads/OpenSite Designer

The Engineering Applications Support Team provides documentation about the configuration of OpenRoads Designer and OpenSite Designer in the topic lists below. The software is configured to produce civil graphics that adhere to ODOT standard symbologies when modeling or performing survey operations. The topics below will give you information about choices that you have when using the software to produce ODOT deliverables.

​The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) configures and customizes Bentley products and other CAD software for agency use. Therefore, the applications may perform differently than the typical “out of the box” set up.  This User Guide provides guidance on how ODOT configures the software for its use.​

​The configuration for ODOT is provided in a WorkSpace named OregonDOT. To access ODOT standards, you must use either the local WorkSet named ODOT or the 9_WorkSet folder in a CONNECT Design Platform ProjectWise project.

The workspaceroot and worksetsroot are both accessed from a location on an ODOT computer in C:\ODOT.  This location is refreshed with every ODOT user logon to a computer that has MicroStation or OpenX software installed.

Seed Files, Cache Files, Cell Libraries and Level Names

A group of files (.dgnlib, .dgn, and .cel) provides the foundation for work created using Bentley products. Locations to these ODOT standard files are set using configuration variables so that the files are accessible to you when using the software with the OregonDOT Workspace.

​The following resources further explain the ODOT configuration.

​The ODOT discipline ribbon workflows are the location of the ODOT standard symbologies used in plans production with MicroStation or OpenX software. The ODOT standard symbologies are delivered via element templates, which set attributes such as level, color and line style for any item that is selected.

ODOT Standard Symbologies

​Printing can be one-off single-sheet printing set up using the Print dialog, or you can use the Print Organizer tool to set up print definitions for entire print sets. Printing is used to create PDFs, JPGs, and TIFFs, in addition to making hard copies.

Because there are many selectable attributes for printing, customized Print Styles have been created for you to use. Using a Print Style automatically sets print attributes (including printer driver configuration and pen tables) to match an ODOT standard.

Any time that your desired print output must match an ODOT standard, using a Print Style greatly streamlines the print setup process.

The Place Named Boundary tool allows you to select Drawing Boundary Seeds, that will quickly create a sheet that is the correct size and scale, and also has a border and title block.

​What is a "Seed" file?

​Every application has to have a starting point - a blank page, if you will. Microsoft Word uses a file named Normal.dot and calls it a template. Bentley ProjectWise also uses the word "template" for creating new documents. But, Bentley CAD programs use the word "seed" to describe the initial starting point. Just like a plant that grows in your garden, design files begin with a seed.

New seed files have been created and configured for ODOT use with MicroStation, OpenRoads Designer, OpenSite Designer, and OpenBridge Modeler.

Are you required to remember where the seed files are located? No, the software is configured to allow you to quickly [Browse…] to the seed files when you create new DGN files using the File>New… command.

If you are creating new DGN files inside a CONNECT Design Platform project in ProjectWise, use the ProjectWise command Document>New>Advanced Wizard…. Navigate to the Documents\CAD_Resources\Seed folder in the datasource; open the folder with the name of the software you will be using to edit the DGN file; and select a template and use the ODOT Naming Tool that is part of the Advanced Wizard.

​The behavior, appearance and annotation of civil elements are controlled by the feature definition assigned to it.​

How a feature is drawn in 2D plan, 3D, profile or cross section is all determined by a set of element templates. Other element templates control the display of the annotations of the feature. Each alignment feature definition has an annotation group defined for it that will annotate stationing, cardinal point flags and curve data​. ORD can only get so close to ODOT annotation standards for plans, so there will be some editing that needs to be performed by CAD Technicians.

​ODOT_ORD_seed.itl is the ODOT Standard OpenX Template Library - used for both OpenSite Designer and OpenRoads Designer. The ODOT standard template library contains standard point names assigned to feature definitions and pre-built components in an organized folder structure that can be used in building templates. Fully functional sample templates are also included in a Templates folder for you to use and/or edit.

A template library (.itl) is always loaded when you launch ORD/OSD. By default, the read-only ODOT_ORD_seed.itl is loaded from the WorkSpace in C:\ODOT\v2023\Organization-Civil\ODOT_Standards\Template Library. This makes it easy to use the example templates or standard components in a quick corridor. Changes cannot be made to the ODOT_ORD_seed.itl. If custom templates are needed for modeling, use a discipline-specific (.itl) or create a project-specific (.itl) that auto-loads.

Read the OpenX Template Library document below to find out more about Discipline-Specific OITL files that are manually loaded and a Project-Specific (automatically loaded) ITL file.

When annotating alignments if standards have been changed, they may not display with correct symbology - wrong color, wrong level.

Method: The standards for the feature definitions, as well as the element templates, need to be updated. The file should be exited after updating and re-opened fresh to prevent crashing.
  1. ​In the Manage Element Templates dialog, select the active file and choose Utilities>Update Templates from Library.​
  2. In the Explorer>OpenRoads Standards, right-click on the active file and choose “Update Standards from dgnlib”. Then wait a couple of minutes for that to complete. You should notice a change to the displayed symbology.
  3. Exit the file and check it in.
  4. Re-open the file, select the alignments and choose Annotate Element – then datapoint to accept the selection set. You should see all the stationing and curve data for the alignments.

​*Note - When updating standards in terrains generated from field books, be aware that if the survey rules are activated, the observations will be revisited. That action may alter terrain edits that were performed in the DGN. Contact Geometronics for assistance if you have questions.

​The OpenX and CAD Standards Committees have been working on efficient methods for using both MicroStation and the Bentley civil CAD software to produce contract plans. The following documents explain methods to create the files that display the design using OpenRoads/OpenSite Designer and methods of assembling that data into sheets using MicroStation.

Steps to Create an OPNP or XSEC_bas Design Deliverable

     OPNP File Creation

     XSEC_bas File Creatio​n​

3D Design Deliverables

The documents below explain methods to create 3D Design Deliverables for eBids and construction handoff packages using OpenRoads Designer.

​The question, is often asked, "into which model do I place my text?". These are the recommendations:

Orthogonal Text – Sheet model
Non-Orthogonal Text – Any model
Text that might need to appear in more than one sheet or different sheet cuts, and not orthogonal – Design-type or Drawing-type models.

Non-civil Text that is required to be orthogonal to the plan sheet – put this text in the sheet.  You can control the orientation of orthogonal text in the sheet with only two active angles: 0° or 90°. Examples are descriptive text, note text and legends, and ODOT bubble notes.
Plan text that is placed to be read “ahead on line and along a curved alignment” – it might be easier to put this text in either the drawing-type model or the design-type model; that way the text will appear in different sheet cuts. Civil plan annotations like stationing can be placed into a Civil Annotation Published File (ANNO_pub) and referenced into a Civil Annotation Base Container File (ANNO_bas_CF). The container file may be attached as a reference to an OPNP in the design-type model (Default) - that way the stationing will be displayed in cut, 11x17 drawing-type and sheet-type models created from the OPNP named boundaries​.
Profile text - put civil annotations in the drawing-type model; place non-civil annotations in either the drawing-type or the sheet-type model.
ODOT Bubble Notes – If the text within the bubble shape should be orthogonal to the sheet – the bubbles must be placed in the sheet model. This is a limitation of the current version of the ODOT Bubble tool.

ODOT CAD Preferences record the history of files that you open and settings about which tools are open. They are constantly updated and have a high possibility of corruption. If your software does not function as expected, you may benefit from resetting your CAD preferences.

Engineering Tips Webinar 06/01/2022 MicroStation: Errors and Messages; What To Do?​  ►42:24​