How to display and label the slopes correctly on the longitudinal profile?

Summary

Unlike cross sections, in the MDT longitudinal profile the labelling of the grade line slopes is shown through the numerical data band used when the profile is drawn. This article explains why the slopes may not appear even when the corresponding option is enabled, how to label them on the profile segments (instead of in the data band), and how to fix the misalignment of the slope texts that are placed vertically.

Applies to

• MDT — cases documented on MDT 25 (version 25.0.01.0). The remaining queries do not indicate a version. In MDT26 the elements are named the same: the reference manual documents the Slopes elements, both for the grade line and for the natural terrain.

• Longitudinal profile functions (drawing the profile and editing the numerical data band).

Symptoms

• You cannot find where to label the slopes on a longitudinal profile: the route given in the documentation does not match the options available in your version.

• When you enable the option to show the slopes in the data band, they do not appear in the drawing, while on cross sections they work correctly.

• You want to label the grade line slopes on the segments of the longitudinal profile instead of in the data band.

• On a compound longitudinal profile, the slope texts placed vertically (because there is no room for horizontal text) are not aligned with the rest of the horizontal texts inside the slope band: they appear lower than expected.

Cause

• Displaying the slopes on the longitudinal profile requires the corresponding element to be added to the configuration of the numerical data band used when drawing the profile. If the band in use does not include that element, the slopes are not labelled.

• Labelling the slopes directly on the profile segments —as happens on cross sections— is not directly available on the longitudinal profile.

• The slope text is placed vertically when it does not fit horizontally in the segment between grade line vertices. When the distance is also shown next to the slope value, the insertion point of the vertical text does not match that of the horizontal texts, so it ends up misaligned.

Solution

Case: the slopes do not appear because the element is missing from the data band

1. When drawing the longitudinal profile, click Edit in the profile drawing window itself to edit the data band in use.

2. Click Modify and add the element you need: the slopes of the grade line or those of the natural terrain. They are two separate elements of the band.

3. From then on, the slope labelling will be shown correctly on the profile.

Case: labelling the slopes on the profile segments instead of in the data band

Directly, as happens on cross sections, it is not possible. It can be achieved at grade line elevation on the longitudinal profile through a manual process:

1. Label the grade line in plan.

2. Convert the texts holding the slope percentage into points.

3. Calculate the station and the grade line elevation of those points.

4. Project the points onto the longitudinal profile, labelling the code at the point where the percentage is indicated.

Case: the vertical slope texts are not aligned with the horizontal ones

The text is placed vertically because there is no room for it horizontally in the segment between the grade line vertices. To align it with the rest of the texts, edit the Slope element of the slope band of the longitudinal profile and apply one of these two options:

1. Remove the distance from the text format: delete d=%D from the Format field, so that only the slope value is shown.

2. Show the information on two rows: create a new band style that shows the information on two rows, one for the slope and another for the distance.

With either option, the vertical text ends up aligned with the rest of the slope texts.

If the problem persists

• If after editing the data band the slopes are still not shown, or the labelling is not as you expect, attach your drawing when opening the query: APLITOP support can reproduce the case on your own file and even show the procedure on video.

Category: Longitudinal profiles · Level: Intermediate