Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Quantm Software
Version 8.0
Revision A
December 2014
Corporate Office
Trimble Planning Solutions Pty Ltd.
Level 4, 333 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
+61 3 8680 7200 Phone
+61 3 9620 3446 Fax
www.trimble.com/alignment/
2 Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installation procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Hardware and software requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Installing the software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Language settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Setting the operating system locale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Quantm products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Getting the best performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Material costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Geology costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Template Materials costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Bridge costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Tunnel costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Wall costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Culvert costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Area costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Linear costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Fixed costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Saving data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Entering object data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Moving end points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Inserting satellite imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Adding linear features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Adding zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Closing the scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Welcome to the Trimble Quantm Getting Started Guide which describes how to install and use the
Trimble Quantm software.
The Quantm system is a strategic planning tool for corridor and route alignment optimization.
This document uses a tutorial to guide you through a typical workflow.
The tutorial includes instructions on:
Creating a project
Familiarization with the user interface
Data entry
Corridor and route identification
Refining a route
Editing and exporting into CAD software
The tutorial in this document is designed for engineers, planners and construction contractors who
are familiar with road design concepts.
It will take you approximately 4 to 5 hours to work through this Getting Started Guide.
Quantm software
Quantm software generates and costs alignments that satisfy user-defined design constraints. The
Quantm system considers road geometry, environmental and social requirements, geology, and costs
associated with the project. The information on potential alignments aids the project team in making
decisions about the most optimal alignment for the project.
Quantm tutorial
The Quantm tutorial is divided into two lessons. The first lesson gets you started with the software
and shows you how to:
start the software.
create projects.
get familiar with the user interface.
Lesson 1 begins in Chapter 3, Creating a Project.
The second lesson shows you how to use the software to generate alignments between two points
and choose a suitable alignment that will serve as the starting point for design in a CAD package.
Lesson 2 will show you how to:
create and open a project.
enter project constraints.
generate alignments.
identify corridors and preferred alignments.
refine preferred alignments.
generate reports.
edit alignments.
export alignments.
Lesson 2 begins in Chapter 5, Data Entry.
Related documents
This document makes reference to the Quantm User Guide. Refer to the User guide to find out
additional information on features introduced in this document.
To view the Quantm User Guide, click Start / All Programs / Trimble Office / Alignment Planning /
Quantm User Guide.
Sources of related information include the following:
Help the software has a help system that lets you quickly find the information you need. Access
it from the Help menu.
Release notes the release notes describe new features of the product, information not included
in the manuals, and any changes to the manuals. They are provided as a .pdf file on the
installation CD.
Technical Support
If you have a problem and cannot find the information you need in the product documentation,
contact your local dealer. Else, go to the Support area of the Trimble website
(www.trimble.com/support.shtml). Select the product you need information on. Product updates,
documentation, and any support issues are available for download.
In this chapter:
Installation procedure
Quantm products
Getting the best performance
Installation procedure
Hardware and software requirements
Alignment Visualisation
For Full 3D rendering, Trimble recommends graphics cards with 512 MB or more of memory and
DirectX 9 or later compatibility.
When you load the Quantm Software CD, the Trimble Quantm dialog appears:
B Tip If you do not see this screen, launch the startup screen manually. To do this, use Windows
Explorer to browse to the CD directory. Double-click .
To install the Quantm software:
1. Select the Install tab.
2. Select Quantm Desktop from the Install list:
The Quantm software requires version 4.0 or later of the Microsoft .NET framework and DirectX
version 9 or later. The Microsoft components are included on the installation CD and are
automatically installed if required.
Note If you want to view the .NET system messages for a language other than English, install
the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 SP1 Language Pack available from the Microsoft website.
Note The installation of the Windows system components of .NET and DirectX may take several
minutes to install. You will be able to see the progress of the installation on the install screen.
Once these components have been installed, the Quantm installation process will begin.
The DirectX Setup dialog appears:
3. Click Yes when you have read the license agreement and are ready to accept the terms.
The installation wizard will now review your system and if DirectX 9 or the .NET 4 framework is
required, they will be installed.
Note For installations on computers and servers that are non-Western European language, the
regional settings for non-Unicode programs must be set to the support Unicode characters (that
is, Chinese and Cyrillic characters).
After the installation, the Quantm Setup screen appears. The wizard will guide you through the
installation process:
5. When you have read the License Agreement and are ready to accept the terms, select the I
accept the terms in the License Agreement option. Click Next. The Choose Setup type screen
appears:
The default installation path for the Quantm software is C:\Program Files\Trimble\Alignment
Planning. The default installation path for the sample data and the Quantm projects directory is:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\.
Note The default installation path may be different depending on the operating system. If it is
different then please refer to the different location throughout this tutorial when prompted.
Use this data to familiarize yourself with the Quantm system. The data should be used in
conjunction with the Quantm Getting Started Guide for the greatest benefits.
Note Trimble recommends saving the sample data to a location that is publicly accessible to all
users.
6. Select the type of installation you want to use (Typical or Custom). To use the default settings,
click Typical and proceed to Step 7.
Note The Typical option will install all program features identically to the Complete option.
To alter either of these directories, or the components installed on your computer, click Custom.
The Custom Setup screen appears:
a. To change the location of the Quantm software, in the list select the Quantm folder. The
default location is written in the Location field. Click Browse. Navigate to the new directory.
Click OK.
b. To change the location of the Quantm projects and sample data, in the list select the Samples
folder. The default location is written in the location field. Click Browse. Navigate to the new
directory. Click OK.
Note Install the sample data in a directory that is accessible to all users.
c. If you do not want to install any of the following, expand the Executable list, click and
then select Entire feature will be unavailable.
Submitters
Exporters
Importers
Visualiser
Manuals
Note If you require additional Chinese export formats, these can be installed from the Custom
setup option. See Chinese export formats, page 14.
7. Click Next.
8. Continue through the installation wizard.
Note During installation, a User Account Control message may appear asking you if you
want to allow the Quantm install to make changes to your computer. Click Yes. If appears in
the taskbar, the User Account Control dialog is waiting for you to confirm that you want the
Trimble software installed.
When the installation is complete, the following screen appears:
C CAUTION For users that install HASP Network keys for the Pathfinder software they should not be
installed on to laptops.
Language settings
The format selected in the region and language settings in the Control Panel determines the
language displayed during the installation of the Quantm software and also in the Quantm software.
Quantm products
The Quantm software requires a software key to operate. To view a list of the available features and
to manage the licensing information, open the License Manager:
1. Click Help / About Quantm. The About Quantm dialog appears.
2. Click Products on Key. The License Manager dialog appears:
B manager
Tip To view the License Manager dialog from the Quantm Pathfinder software, use the License
switch. For more information on switches, refer to Appendix D, Quantm Pathfinder in
the Quantm Software User Guide.
Use the License Manager to:
select the search type used to find your license.
view both licensed and unlicensed features, and the status of licensed features.
view your warranty expiration date.
upgrade/extend a license installed on your hardware key.
For other Trimble products, you can also use the License Manager dialog to:
Enter the location of your license on the network.
Upgrade a single-user software license installed on your computer.
If you attempt to open the Quantm software without a security key, the following message appears:
Insert the software key into the USB port and click Retry.
For information on resolving security issues, refer to Appendix F, Resolving Security Issues and
Renewing or Upgrading Licenses in the Quantm Software User Guide.
Creating a project
Note Quantm Professional does not let you create projects. If you are running Quantm Professional,
please read Chapter 4, Quantm User Interface through Chapter 5, Data Entry to familiarise yourself
with elements of the Quantm interface; start at Chapter 5.
In this section you will learn how to create a Quantm project. When you are finished this example
you will be familiar with:
creating a project
assigning a DTM to the project
project preference settings
project scenarios
To create a new project:
1. Select File / Create Project. The Create New Project dialog appears:
For DTMs in ASC format, the ESRI Importer Options dialog appears:
Note The dialog that appears here depends on the format of the DTM file.
10. In the Source Data Horizontal Units list, ensure that Meters(m) is selected.
11. In the Source Data Vertical Units list, ensure that Meters(m) is selected.
12. Click OK.
The DTM defines the study area for the project. For more information on supported DTM files
and importing DTM surfaces, refer to Chapter 3, Get Familar with the Interface, of the Quantm
Software User Guide.
The terrain image is generated and the Scenario view appears:
A project can have many scenarios. Scenarios are used to explore the affect of different data on
the generated alignments. When a project is created an initial scenario is created with the name
New. The project name, Example and the scenario name, New appear in the title bar of the
Scenario view window. You will get familiar with the Scenario view later in this tutorial.
Each project is automatically given a unique numeric identifier known as the project ID. A new
project directory has been created in the Quantm Projects directory called Example-project ID.
Example is the name you entered for the project and project ID is the unique numeric identifier
given to your project. For example: If the ID generated for your project is 9999, the project
directory will be named Example-9999.
13. Click File / Preference Settings. The Preference Settings dialog appears. To view the settings, click
the tabs. Maintain the default settings for this example.
This message displays whenever you close a scenario and have not saved changes to the
scenario.
16. Click Yes to save the DTM data in the scenario.
The scenario closes however the project Example remains open and the Project view displays.
The Quantm software has two major views, the Project view and the Scenario view. Please keep this
window open to learn about the Quantm views in the next chapter.
Project view
The Project view displays when you have opened a project and you have not loaded any scenarios.
You are currently viewing the Project view. The user interface for the Project view includes:
Project Explorer
Menus
When you have completed this section, you will be familiar with the:
Project view
Project Explorer
Menus available in the Project view
a closed gray folder indicates that the scenario is locked and cannot be edited.
an open gray folder indicates that the scenario is locked and cannot be edited, however there are
results that have not yet been viewed. The name of the scenario will also be shown in bold text
when there are results that have not been viewed.
A scenario is locked when you generate alignments for the scenario. You can not add new data to a
locked scenario. The scenario New is unlocked and displayed as a closed yellow folder because you
have not generated alignments for this scenario.
The scenario New has four data files: DTM file , Geometry data , Cost data and
Objects data . These data files can be viewed, renamed, replaced, and duplicated. The DTM data
file shows that the Example DTM is specified for the scenario New. The geometry data files and the
cost data files contain the default settings as you have not edited this data yet. The objects data
includes existing roads, waterways and other linear features as well as defined areas that have
special requirements (zones). You have not entered any objects data for the New scenario.
The Project Explorer window is used to:
create projects.
set project preferences.
manage scenarios and data files.
load scenarios.
load results.
For more information on the Project Explorer window, refer to Chapter 3, Get Familiar with the
Interface, of the Quantm Software User Guide.
Menus
The following menus are available from the Project view:
File
View
Help
The different menus and their functions are described below.
File menu
Item Function
Create Project... Create a new project and specify a DTM
Open Project... Open an existing project
Close Project Close a project
Preference Settings... Set or change preference settings for the project
Exit Exit Quantm software
View menu
Item Function
Status Bar View or hide the Status Bar
Help menu
Item Function
Contents Open the Quantm help
How to Use Help
Technical Tips... Open the Tip of the day dialog
Technical Support Send an email to Technical support
Quantm Online Link to the Trimble website
EULA View the End User License Agreement
About Quantm View the version number of the Quantm software
Scenario view
In this section you will continue to learn about the Quantm User Interface. When you have
completed this section, you will be familiar with the:
Scenario view.
Plan View window.
menus and toolbars available in the Scenario view.
Scenario Explorer window.
Feature Properties window.
View Finder window.
status bar.
Legend window.
The Scenario view appears after you load a scenario.
To load a scenario:
1. Right-click the scenario New in the Project Explorer window to access the shortcut menu.
2. Select Load Scenario. The Scenario view appears:
The user interface for the Scenario view includes the following:
The Menu gives you access to available commands.
The toolbars give you quick access to the most commonly used commands using icons.
The Plan View window shows a plan view of the study area.
The Scenario Explorer contains tabs for the scenario notes and layer views. The Scenario Notes tab
lists the data files used in the currently loaded scenario, as well as the notes for the scenario,
while the Layer View tab lists the objects used within the scenario.
The View Finder is a small graphical representation of the study area which displays a box
reflecting the current zoom and display level of the Plan View window. This allows for easy
navigation of the Plan View window when zooming in on small areas.
The Feature Properties window displays the features (such as crossing constraints) for a selected
object.
The Legend window describes the colors and patterns used to display features of the study area.
The Status Bar displays a variety of information and is located at the bottom of the application
window.
The Submission window appears when an alignment is being optimized.
These menus, views and windows are explained below.
When you view alignments the following windows are also available:
The Alignment Properties window displays the parameters of the selected alignment.
The Profile View window displays the profile for the alignment. Mass haul can also be viewed
from this window.
The Cross Section window displays a cross section of the alignment.
These windows are explained later in the tutorial.
File menu
Item Button Function
Create Project... Create a new project and specify a DTM.
Open Project... Open an existing project.
Close Project Close a project.
Close Scenario Close a scenario and revert to Project view.
View menu
Item Button Function
DTM Info... Display the dimensions and number of points in the DTM.
Scenario History... Display the current data files for the scenario and any notes
associated with these files.
Labels View object labels in the Plan View window.
Grid Show or hide a Grid in the Plan View for coordinate reference.
Zoom menu
Item Button Function
Zoom Full Extent Zoom full extent of the Plan View window.
Zoom In Zoom in in the Plan or Profile View window. Click the image, to
increase the magnification by a factor of 1.414.
Zoom Out Zoom out in the Plan or Profile View window. Click the image to
reduce the magnification by a factor of 0.707.
Zoom Selected Objects Zoom to fit the selected objects in the Plan View window.
Pan Pan around the display by drag and drop. An alternative to using the
scroll bars.
Previous Zoom Step back through Previous zoom.
Data menu
Item Button Function
Template Editor... Edit Templates.
New Layer
Image Layer Create a new image layer.
Object Layer Create a new object layer.
New Object
Point Add a waystation, rail station (for rail scenarios) or fixed section (for
road scenarios) or symbol to the scenario.
Feature Add a line feature to the scenario. Linear features include road, rail,
river, other, power, cable and pipe.
Zone Add a zone to the scenario. Zones include avoid, crossing, water, local
defaults, earthwork limits, area cost, linear cost, cadastral and study
area.
Global Zone Add a zone that will apply to the entire study area.
Global Crossing Zone Add a crossing zone that will apply to the entire study area.
Global Earthwork Add a global earthwork limit zone that will apply to the entire study
Limits Zone area.
Global Area Cost Zone Add a global area cost zone that will apply to the entire study area.
Global Linear Cost Add a global linear cost zone that will apply to the entire study area.
Zone
Multiple Feature Selection A dropdown list appears beside the cursor when there is a left mouse
click in the Plan View area. The list displays all the features occurring
at that location and the user can select from that list which item to
select. Non-visible features are listed but greyed out.
Lock Feature Points Lock data and prevent editing.
Break Linear Feature Split a feature into two. Use this to change the width or crossing
requirements of a feature part way along its length.
Join Linear Feature Combine two features together.
Clip to Area Delete all feature data except data that is overlapping or contained
within a defined area.
Undo Undo last change (can be repeated indefinitely to last save).
Data Validation Check to see if there are any errors in the data.
Optimization menu
Item Button Function
Create Alignment Manually create a geometric alignment.
Evaluation menu
Item Button, if Function
present
Alignment Review... Review alignments generated for the scenario.
Selected Alignment(s) Display the selected alignments in the Plan View window.
Mass Haul Display the mass haul in the Profile window for the selected
alignment.
Link Bar Link the Plan View, Profile View, and Cross section view windows.
Warnings
Item Button, if Function
present
Horizontal Radius Display Horizontal Radius warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Vertical Curve Display Vertical Curve warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Horizontal Straight Display Horizontal Straight warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Vertical Straight Display Vertical Straight warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Horizontal Transition Display Horizontal Transition warnings in the Plan View window
and Profile View window.
Design Grade Display Design Grade warnings in the Plan View window and Profile
View window.
Sustained Grade Display Sustained grade warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Horizontal Crossing Display Horizontal Crossing warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Vertical Crossing Display Vertical Crossing clearance warnings in the Plan View
window and Profile View window.
Bridge Height Display Bridge Height warnings in the Plan View
window and Profile View window.
Bridge Length Display Bridge Length warnings in the Plan View
window and Profile View window.
Tunnel Depth Display Tunnel Depth warnings in the Plan View
window and Profile View window.
Tunnel Length Display Tunnel Length warnings in the Plan View
window and Profile View window.
Off DTM Display Off DTM warnings in the Plan View window and Profile
View window.
Bearing Mismatch Display Bearing Mismatch warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Grade Mismatch Display Grade Mismatch warnings in the Plan View window and
Profile View window.
Drainage Display Drainage warnings in the Plan View window and Profile
View window.
Alignments menu
Item Button Function
View Alignment View the properties of the alignment.
Properties
Re-cost Route Re-cost a route after editing the alignment.
Duplicate as Editable Creates a new alignment with geometric parameters. This new
Alignment alignment can be edited.
Duplicate with Creates a new alignment with editable bridges, tunnels, and walls.
Customizable Structures
Save as... Save the selected alignments and specify a new file name.
Save Save the selected alignments.
Append to.... Add an alignment to list of currently viewed alignments.
Export Selected Export the selected alignments in a supported format.
Alignments
Merge Selected Merge selected alignments to a single alignment.
Alignments
Visualiser Display DTM and alignment in 3D.
Utilities menu
Item Button Function
Import GIS/CAD Data... Import GIS/CAD Data from external sources.
Import Reference Import a reference alignment from an external source. (For rail
Alignment... scenarios only.)
Generate Corridor... Generate a corridor zone.
Help menu
Item Button Function
Contents Open the Quantm help.
How to Use Help
Technical Tips... Open the Tip of the day dialog.
Technical Support Send an email to Technical support.
Quantm Online Link to the Trimble website.
EULA Displays the End User License Agreement.
About Quantm Displays the version number of the Quantm software.
Toolbars
The following toolbars are available:
Standard
Data
Utility
Zoom
Alignment (only available when you are viewing an alignment)
Warnings (only available when you are viewing an alignment)
Legend window
The Legend Window describes how data is represented graphically in the Plan View window and the
Profile View window.
To view the Legend window:
Click View / Legend. The Legend window appears. The items in the Legend window will depend
on the data in your scenario. Currently you have only entered DTM data in your scenario, so your
Legend window only displays the elevation ranges for your DTM. When you have entered more
data and you are viewing an alignment, your legend window will look similar to the Legend
window below:
You can move the Legend window anywhere in the Scenario view. The Legend window is sized
automatically to fit the data it is displaying.
Status bar
The status bar is at the bottom of the application window:
End Points Contain the start and finish points of the alignment to be optimized.
Contours... Contains the generated contours based on the digital terrain model.
Note The DTM layer and End Points layer can currently be seen in the Layer View tab. The DTM and
End Points layer cannot be deleted or have additional features attached to them.
The layers in a scenario are drawn in the order in which they appear in the Layer View.
To help you become familiar with the Layer View tab, this section will show you how to create a new
layer and add an environmentally sensitive area to the layer. When you have completed this section,
you will know how to:
create a new layer
rename a layer
modify the appearance of data from the Layer View tab
The new zone can be viewed in the Layer View tab, in the Environmental Zone layer.
Title Bar
The check box in the Active column shows the zone is active and a generated alignment will attempt
to avoid this area. The check box in the Visible column shows the zone is visible in the Plan View
window. Properties of a layer or objects in the layer can be modified in the Layer View tab.
In the next step, you will deactivate the Protected species habitat zone in the Layer View tab. You will
then turn off the label for the zone.
To deactivate the Protected species habitat zone, clear the Active check box for the Protected Species
habitat zone. The Active check box is in the column A...
C CAUTION An active layer can influence the positions of alignments during the optimization process.
Invisible layers may still be active.
B Tip To hide the Layer view and the Scenario Notes tab, toggle the menu options on and off
from the View menu.
By default, the Scenario Notes tab is docked with the Layer view tab. To separate them, drag the tab
away from the docked position.
Click the Scenario Notes tab in the Scenario Explorer window. The upper view window lists the names
of the:
scenario
terrain model (DTM)
geometry data
cost data
object data (geographic features)
When alignments are generated, the Scenario Notes tab also displays the alignment results
generated for the scenario.
The lower view window contains notes that you enter manually. These notes provide a coherent
record of what was done, when, and why.
5. Click OK.
The notes display in the Scenario Notes window when the data icon is selected. The note is stamped
with the time and date.
View Finder
Window
The zone displays at a larger scale in the Plan View window. The black rectangle in the View
Finder window shows the extent of the area displayed in the Plan View window.
3. On the Data toolbar, click to return to select mode.
4. Drag the black box in the View Finder window to view a different area in the Plan View window
at the same scale.
In this chapter: The second lesson shows you how to use the
software to generate alignments between two
Tutorial tasks Lesson 2 points and choose a suitable alignment that will
Tutorial tasks Data entry serve as the starting point for design in a CAD
package.
Opening a project
Duplicating a scenario
Planning is an iterative process. The first plans
are usually conceptual and based on coarse data
Loading a scenario and assumed parameters and constraints. At the
Creating templates pre feasibility stage, the Quantm software can
be used as a tool to aid decision making
Entering geometry data
determining the viability of road or rail corridor
Entering cost parameters options.
Entering object data When a preferred corridor is identified, planning
becomes more focused and requires more
detailed and accurate information. The Quantm
software identifies new alignments using this
detailed data. Throughout the planning process
new constraints can be added and alignments
refined. The tutorial takes you through one
iteration of data entry.
This chapter shows how to enter different types
of data into your scenario.
Opening a project
To open the project for Lesson 2:
1. Click File / Open Project.
2. The Open Project dialog displays. The Example Project created in the previous chapter is in the
Project Name list. You can add as many projects to the list providing they have a unique project
ID.
3. Click Add to add the tutorial project to the list.
To find the tutorial project, go to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\Quantm Example Dataset
4. Click Project_147440081.mdb.
5. Click Open. Quantm Example Dataset is added to the Project Name list.
6. Click the Quantm Example Dataset project.
7. Click OK. The Quantm Example Dataset project opens in the Project view.
The project has four groups; Training, Road, Freight Rail, and High Speed Rail.
This tutorial uses a scenario in the Training group. The Training group has two scenarios, Training
and Example 02. This section uses a duplicate of the Training scenario.
Duplicating a scenario
To duplicate the Training scenario:
1. In the Project Explorer window, right-click the Training scenario to access the shortcut menu.
2. Select Duplicate. The Duplicate scenario dialog appears:
this case, the Training scenario was duplicated to preserve the original state of the scenario, you
do not want the data sets to be synchronized. In addition to duplicating the scenario, you need to
duplicate the data files.
To duplicate the scenarios data files:
1. In the Example 01 scenario, right-click Training to access the shortcut menu. This is the
geometry data file.
2. Select Duplicate as. The Duplicate Dataset As dialog appears.
3. Enter Example 01 Geometry data in the Geometry field.
4. Click OK.
5. Repeat the process for the Costs data file and the Objects data file , entering the
filenames Example 01 Costs data and Example 01 Objects data respectively.
Note You can replace the DTM data file for a scenario but you can not duplicate this type of
data file.
Loading a scenario
To load the Example 01 scenario:
1. Right-click the Example 01 scenario to access the shortcut menu.
2. Select Load Scenario. The Scenario view appears. You will now enter some data into the scenario.
Creating templates
A default template file is created when you create a project. This template file can be edited in the
Template Editor. When you have completed this section, you will be familiar with:
opening the Template Editor
creating a new library
creating a road template
creating a dual-road template
Create a template
To create a template:
1. Make sure the Example_Road library is selected.
2. Click Insert...
3. Select New Templates... / Road.
A template is created in the Example_Road library with the name Road_1.
When you create a road template, you can enter any combination or multiples of the following
elements:
Safety Berm
Ditch
Median
Pavement
Shoulder
Subgrade
4. Click on the Road_1 template.
5. Click Insert.
6. Select Pavement.
Width m 6
Thickness m 0.4
Slope % -2
Super Elevate Select to apply superelevation to the pavement
Cut Parameters are used when the shoulder is in cut and fill parameters are used when the
shoulder is in fill.
11. Enter the following values for the shoulder:
Drop m 0.5
Slope (%) 2
Back Slope (%) 55
Super Elevate Make sure this check box is clear so superelevation is not applied to the
subgrade.
Note Multiple subgrade elements can be used in a project however they are layered on top of
one another rather than allowing for specific sections to have a subgrade.
15. Insert a second subgrade layer with the same values as above.
16. Click on the Road_1 template.
17. Click Insert.
18. Select Ditch.
Depth m 0.5
Slope (%) 100
Base Width m 0.5
Note The order of the elements in the list under the template name in the template view is the
order they will be used, with the top item the closest to the centre and the bottom item the last
element drawn.
22. The right side of the template is displayed in the view window. Click Left in the Flip View group to
view the left side of the template, or Both to view the complete template.
23. Slide the slider bar on the right of the view window to view an exaggerated effect of
superelevation on the road surface.
24. Zoom in and out using the scroll button on the mouse or click and drag to pan.
Enable Median Override for Structures allows a different set of median values to be used for
structures.
Option Description
Width 5
Depth 0.5
Base Width 1
Note The 'Width' value is the length required to drop down the 'Depth' value. In this example
we're saying over 5 metres drop 0.5 metres. The 'Base Width' value is then added in addition to
the 'Width' value, so in this example we have an overall median width of 6 metres.
4. Enable median override for structures will remain unchecked and then click OK.
The template is saved, but will not be used for a generated alignment until you have specified it in
the scenarios geometry settings. You will do this in the next section.
For more information on the Template Editor, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm
Software User Guide.
11. While the 4 lane 100km/hr geometry type is selected, enter the values that appear in the
Curve Limits and Superelevation groups below:
Note A desired value does not need to be entered. However, if it is defined the system will try to
stick to that value when calculating the best radius to use.
B Tip Make sure that the horizontal curve will fit in the study area.
12. Enter the values that appear in the Transition and Straights groups below.
Note A desired and/or maximum value does not need to be entered. However if it is defined the
system will meet those constraints rather than just the minimum.
Once the horizontal parameters are defined, select the vertical tab and enter the vertical
parameters:
1. Enter the values that appear in the Curves group below:
Note A desired value does not need to be entered. However, if it is defined the system will try to
stick to that value when calculating the best radius to use.
2. Enter the values that appear in the Straights and Coordination groups below:
Note A desired and/or maximum value does not need to be entered. However if it is defined the
system will meet those constraints rather than just the minimum.
Note For Rail projects coordination will change to compensation values.
The final set of values required to define the geometry are the grades:
3. Enter the values in the Downhill and Uphill fields:
Note Multiple grade ranges can be defined here if desired. If more than one is defined the
maximum desired value is used to define the maximum desired grade, with the maximum
number of exceptions used to define how many times the system will exceed this value.
Once all the geometry is defined, apply the templates to the geometry:
1. Click the Template tab. The Template tab appears:
This is where the cross section template created in the previous section is specified.
2. In the Left list, expand the Example_Road library.
3. Select the Dual Road_1 template.
4. In the Right list, expand the Example_Road library.
5. Select the DualRoad_1 template.
6. Click OK.
WARNING Edits are saved to the geometry type selected in the Geometry type list. If you have more
C than one geometry type, make sure you have selected the geometry type you want to edit.
For more information on Geometric Parameters, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm
Software User Guide.
Global costs
Global costs are applied everywhere in the study area, and include:
Earth movement costs
Fill costs
Note Global costs cannot be varied locally.
Make sure your Global costs match the Cost Parameters dialog below:
When the alignment is in fill the embankment slope will be 55 %. For every 6 meters in height, a
2 meter step will be inserted.
For more information on the global cost fields, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm
Software User Guide.
Material costs
1. Click the Material tab.
In the Material tab you can define the different geological material types that are to be
encountered within the study area. There are currently three material types defined for the
scenario. The Broken rock material type indicates:
the material can be left in place under fill and if excavated, some or all can be used as fill.
the cost to excavate the material is $7.00 per m3
the side slope required when cutting into this material is 100%
100% of the material that is excavated can be reused as fill
the volume of the material when used as fill is 10% larger than the original volume
2. For the Broken rock material type, click the Compaction field.
3. Change the compaction to 1.0. This indicates that the rock can be compacted to the same
volume when used as fill.
4. Press [Enter].
5. Make sure the values in the Material tab match the dialog below:
For more information on the Materials tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm
Software User Guide.
Geology costs
1. Click the Geology tab.
The Geology type defines the actual layers of material (type and thickness) within the study area
and the vertical separation and width of benches when cutting into the specified geology.
Currently there is one geology type called Default geology. This geology type has three layers:
0.15 m of Top soil
7.00 m Soil
Broken rock
B Tip To use a material in the geology type you must first define it in the Materials tab.
When cutting into ground with this geology type a step height of 6 and a step width of 2 is
required.
2. Click the name Default geology to change the name of the Geology type.
3. Enter Valley floor.
4. Make sure the values in the Geology tab match the values in the dialog below:
For more information on the Geology tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm
Software User Guide.
Make sure the costs in the $ field match the dialog below:
The Template field is automatically populated with the elements defined in the Template Editor,
i.e. each pavement, ballast, rail or subgrade layer/s. The Material and Unit of Measure fields are
not editable and simply define the element type. The Type field is where the template element is
mapped to a specific cost. In this exercise the previously defined Road_1 and Dual Road_1
templates have Undefined types, simply click in the corresponding type field to activate a drop
down menu of the template materials and select the appropriate material. Make sure the
materials in the Type field match the dialog below:
Bridge costs
1. Click the Bridge tab.
2. Click the Name Default_bridge to change the name of the bridge type. Enter Concrete deck.
3. Press [Enter].
4. Click the Abutment slope (%) field.
5. Enter 50.00.
6. Press [Enter].
Note The slope entered in the Abutment slope field affects the amount of pavement required at
either end of the bridge.
The Quantm software enables you to define a varying cost per unit area of deck depending on
the height of the bridge to be constructed. For example, a 10 m high concrete deck bridge will
cost less to construct than a 20 m high concrete deck of the same span. The list on the right of
the Bridge tab shows the varying costs for bridge construction at the defined vertical heights.
Currently, there is only one cost for the construction of the concrete bridge regardless of height.
The Deck option here is to specify if the median is considered or not in the construction of the
bridge:
Single The median is constructed and a single deck bridge is constructed.
Dual The median is not constructed and two separate decks are constructed.
For this example we will use single. Next, you will add varying bridge costs depending on
construction height.
7. Click in the varying height cost cell in the Max height (m) column.
8. Enter 5.00.
9. Press [Enter].
10. Click the Max Length cell and then enter 100.
11. Press [Enter].
12. Click the Area cost cell and then enter 2500.
With this current definition, bridges can be constructed up to a height of 5 m, have a maximum
length of 100 m, and will cost $2,500 per square meter to construct.
13. Press [Enter].
B Tip To insert new rows into the table, right-click in the Max height column to access the
shortcut menu and then select New. A new varying height cost is added to the list.
14. Repeat Step 9 to Step 12 entering three more varying height costs, matching the values shown:
For more information on the Bridge tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Note The largest maximum height value will define the maximum length a bridge can be
constructed.
Note Both the maximum length and the maximum height needs to be larger than the values in the
previous row.
Tunnel costs
1. Click the Tunnel tab.
To cost tunnels, the Quantm software assumes a varying cost per unit distance. The varying cost
enables you to increase the construction costs for longer tunnels as opposed to shorter ones. In
addition, a fixed cost for portals is included which also covers setup costs. Currently the Tunnel
tab defines one tunnel type for the scenario called Default tunnel, with a portal cost of $320,000
and a portal area of 50 m2. A tunnel of 500m in length or less costs $50,000 per meter and a
tunnel between 5,000 and 10,000 meters in length costs $100,000 per meter. Currently, the
maximum depth is set to 9999 allowing each type to be constructed to any depth however this
can be changed to stop a certain tunnel type to be constructed too deeply.
Note As with bridges, a maximum tunnel length can be defined to stop long tunnels from being
constructed.
2. Click the Name Default tunnel to change the name of the Tunnel type.
3. Enter 2-lane soft rock.
4. Press [Enter].
5. Make sure the values in the Tunnel tab match the following values:
For more information on the Tunnel tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Wall costs
To enter or edit the costs associated with a retaining wall, select the Wall tab:
Retaining walls are defined as a name, cost $/m2 or $/ft2, slope (%), and height in m or ft.
Quantm will still put retaining walls in to reduce long sections of cut and fill when the cost of cut and
fill is greater than the cost of the construction of the retaining wall.
Note When retaining walls other than the default are defined, the lowest retaining wall may be
resized to a lower height if a retaining wall lower than its specified height is needed. In this case the
retaining wall will be placed all the way to the natural surface.
When a local default zone uses a retaining wall definition, the defined wall type will be the highest
wall that is used other than the one with the 9999 definition.
To edit an existing entry, click the cell that you want to change. To add or remove an item, or to
change the default, right-click the table and then make your selection.
1. Click the Wall tab.
A wall type has a cost per m2, a slope (%) and a height (m) defined. A sky blue check mark is used
to define the wall type that is used for any instance that the Quantm software needs to, such as:
a tunnel entrance
where the alignment abuts a high priority avoid zone, where the software tries to stop
materials from entering the zone
any place where it is cheaper to place a retaining wall than to insert cut or fill, and there is
no other retaining wall definition with a height that would fit instead.
This wall type must have a height definition of 9999 to allow it to be used at any height. At least
one retaining wall of this type must be defined for a scenario.
Retaining walls of other heights and cost can be defined however each height must be unique.
When retaining walls of different heights are defined and a retaining wall is used by the system to
stop long sections of cut and fill, the closest retaining wall below the height of cut and fill will be
used and the remainder will be benched using the geology definition.
In this exercise one retaining wall is defined.
2. Click the name Default wall to change the name of the Wall type.
Culvert costs
1. Click the Culvert tab.
2. Click the name Default Culvert to change the name of the culvert type. Enter 900mm Concrete.
3. In the Weighting field, enter 90%. The slide bar will adjust to show 90% when you click in another
field. This weighting means that the culvert will be close to a straight line between the two
portals. A lower weighting here would mean the culvert would have more bends but try and
follow the water course.
4. Make sure the Culvert costs match the Cost Parameters dialog below:
For more information on the Culvert tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Area costs
Area costs can reflect the cost of acquiring or clearing a particular class of land.
1. Click the Area tab.
2. Right-click to access the shortcut menu.
3. Select New.
4. Click the New... Area Cost type.
C CAUTION Area costs are only applied when Area cost types are specified in a Area cost zone.
For more information on the Area tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Linear costs
Linear costs increase the cost of construction to account for items that are proportional to the length
of the route.
1. Click the Linear tab.
2. Right-click to access the shortcut menu.
3. Select New.
4. Click the New... Linear Cost type.
5. Enter Line marking and roadside furniture.
6. Click in the $/m column for the Linear Cost type Line marking and roadside furniture.
7. Enter 100. (The cost per linear meter to mark the roads and place furniture.)
8. Right-click to access the shortcut menu, then select New.
9. Click the New... Linear Cost type.
10. Enter Lighting.
11. Click in the $/m column for the Linear Cost type Lighting.
C CAUTION Linear costs are only applied when they are specified in a Linear cost zone.
For more information on the Linear tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Fixed costs
Fixed costs do not affect the alignment optimization but are included to ensure that the final cost
estimates do not omit significant cost items.
1. Click the Fixed tab.
2. Right-click in the Fixed Cost list to access the shortcut menu. Select New.
3. Click the name New... in the Fixed Cost list.
4. Enter EIS consultants.
5. Click in the $ column for the fixed cost EIS consultants.
6. Enter 330000 (The fixed cost for the consultants).
7. Right-click to access the shortcut menu, select New.
8. Click the name New... in the Fixed Cost list.
9. Enter Traffic Control.
10. Click in the $ column for the fixed cost Traffic Control.
11. Enter 165000.
For more information on the Fixed tab, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Saving data
You have completed entering geometry and cost data for the scenario.
1. Click OK.
The Cost Parameters dialog closes.
B Tip A message appears when you click OK in the Cost Parameters dialog if the Quantm
software detects any errors in the cost data. You should resolve these errors before continuing.
2. Click File / Save Scenario to save the geometry and cost data.
B Tip Entering data in stages helps you view the effect of the data on the alignments.
4. Select Start.
The Start Point is displayed in the Feature Properties window.
5. In the Feature Properties window, enter the X,Y, Z coordinates for the start point:
a. Enter 474390.630 in the X (m) field.
b. Enter 5950557.114, in the Y (m) field.
c. Enter 222.324 in the Z (m) field.
6. In the Feature Properties window, enter 346.5 degrees in the Bearing field. This determines the
initial direction of the alignment.
7. In the Feature Properties window, enter 0% in the Grade field. This determines the initial grade of
the alignment.
The grade is left as 0 here because the average terrain heading in a direction of 346.5 degrees
from the start point is flat. If the start point was on a hill you should enter a start grade that
reflects the terrain in the direction of the start bearing.
8. In the Layer View tab, select Finish.
The Finish point is displayed in the Feature Properties window.
9. In the Feature Properties window, enter the X,Y, Z coordinates for the finish point:
B Tip You can also graphically edit the end points, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data, of the
Quantm Software User Guide.
C CAUTION The endpoints arrows point in the direction the alignment is moving. When you edit the
position of the finish point the grade is computed automatically based on the terrain.
5. Click next to the Clearance field. The Crossing Clearance dialog appears:
2. Enlarge the Feature Properties window to view all features of Oak Creek.
3. In the Width field, enter 15.0.
To specify that the river should be crossed using a bridge 6m above the river edit the crossing
features.
4. Make sure Natural Surface is selected in the Ref. alt. (Reference Altitude) list. The 6m clearance
will be measured from the natural surface.
5. In the Crossing Type field, select Bridge from the list to specify that you want the river crossed
using a bridge. The Crossing Type dialog appears:
Adding zones
Zones are defined as any closed shape, where the important aspect is the area within the enclosed
shape. In this section you will learn how to add the following zones:
Avoid zones - specify where the alignments shouldnt pass
Crossing zones - specify how an alignment crosses an area
Local default zones - define a localized area where the geometry values are different to the
system defaults.
Global Earthwork limits - define the max height of fill and depth of cut before structures are
added. This limits the scars in the landscape.
Cost zones - define an extra cost for passing through the area
Zones can be imported from a file or created graphically in the Plan View window.
The first zone you will enter will define the Blackwood township. This is an area that you want the
generated alignments to avoid.
To create an avoid zone:
1. On the Data toolbar, click .
2. Select Avoid. The Avoid dialog appears:
B Tip The priority indicates how important it is for an alignment to avoid the area. If you wanted
to determine the cost of avoiding an area, you could create two scenarios; one with a high
priority avoid zone and another with a low priority avoid. You would then compare the cost of
the alignments generated for both scenarios.
6. Click OK.
The create zone cursor displays in the Plan View window.
7. In the Plan View window find the town in the satellite imagery. The approximate coordinates are
475460 E 5954600 N.
8. Click on one corner of the town to start the zone and trace around the edge of the town area,
clicking to position each vertex.
9. To close the zone double click on the last point. This will join the last point and the first point.
10. Press [Esc].
WARNING If one or multiple High Priority avoid zone(s) block the ability for alignments to run
C between the start and finish point on a DTM, the scenario will not process.
There is an environmentally sensitive area on the left of the DTM. Ideally this area should be avoided
either by entering an avoid zone or crossing the area so that the area remains untouched. In this
section you will enter a Crossing Zone specifying that the road needs to tunnel underneath it.
To create a Crossing Zone:
1. On the Data toolbar, select . The Import GIS/CAD Data dialog appears.
2. In the Data format list, select Autodesk DWG, DXF.
3. Click next to the Dataset field.
The Open Source Data File dialog appears.
4. To find the zone data, go to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\Quantm Example
Dataset\Feature Data\
5. Select Crossing zone.dxf.
6. Click Open.
7. Click OK. The DWG/DXF Import Settings dialog appears.
8. Make sure Meters (m) is selected in the Select units field.
9. Select OK.
The Feature Importer Layer Selector dialog appears. The Crossing zone you are importing is called
EPA Zone. It is important that a zone is imported as a closed area.
10. In the Closed loop features list, select the Treat as zone check box.
11. Make sure Crossing is selected in the Zone Type list.
12. Click OK. The message Data has been successfully imported appears.
13. Click OK. A layer is created called Crossing zone - EPA Zone.
14. In the Layer View tab, click the Crossing zone - EPA Zone layer.
15. Click the Crossing zone - EPA Zone layer a second time to enter edit mode.
16. Enter Crossing Zone and then press [Enter].
17. In the Layer View tab, expand the Crossing Zone layer.
18. Click the Crossing zone_21 zone.
19. Click the Crossing zone_21 zone a second time to enter edit mode.
20. Enter EPA zone and then press [Enter].
21. Select the Availability check box for the EPA zone.
The properties of the EPA zone are displayed in the Feature Properties window.
22. In the Feature Properties window, click the Crossing type field.
23. Click to expand the list.
B Tip If you are entering a zone that could be crossed by either a tunnel or a bridge you would
select Structure (zone) from the Crossing type list. If you just want to define a height that the
road crosses a zone (for example, a flood zone) and you are not concerned with how the zone is
crossed you would select Unspecified. The alignment will find the cheapest way to cross the
zone at the specified height.
24. Select Tunnel from the Crossing type list. The Crossing Type dialog appears:
25. In the Reference altitude list, ensure that the Natural Surface option is selected.
26. Click next to the Clearance (m) field. The Crossing Clearance dialog appears:
For this EPA zone, the tunnel needs to 6 meters below the Natural surface.
27. In the Reference: Natural surface (m) group, select the Below option. This is the fourth option
from the top.
28. Enter -8 in the Below field. This means the tunnel will be 8 meters below the natural surface.
4. In the Geometry type list, select New... The Geometric Parameters dialog appears:
These values allow the road to have smaller radius and steeper grades, which are more suitable
for the terrain.
16. Click the Grade tab.
17. In the Downhill section, enter -10 for Grade (%) and 800 for Max Length (m).
18. In the Uphill section, enter 8 for Grade (%) and 600 for Max Length (m)
19. Select the Templates tab.
20. In the left list, expand the Example_Road Library.
21. Select the Road_1 template.
22. In the right list, expand the Example_Road Library.
23. Select the Road_1 template.
24. In the Geometry type list, select New.
25. Enter 2 lane 60km/h and then click OK. The Local Defaults dialog appears.
26. Back in the Geometry type list, select the new geometry type; 2 lane 60 km/h.
27. Click OK.
The create zone cursor appears in the Plan View window.
28. Trace a path around the mountain range at the top of the DTM. Click to add a vertex, double-click
on the last vertex to close the shape.
B Tip To change the shape of the zone, refer to Chapter 5, Managing Data in the Quantm
Software User Guide.
29. Press [Esc] to exit the create zone mode.
30. Select File / Save scenario.
Sometimes there are costs associated with particular tasks that need to be performed within a
specific area or the entire study area. In this section, you will create:
an area cost zone that defines an area where there are forest clearing costs.
a global area cost zone that includes the costs of acquiring and clearing land.
To create an Area Cost zone:
1. On the Data toolbar, click and then select Area Cost. The Area Cost Zone dialog appears:
B Tip If there are errors in data that you enter or edit the data error flag will appear in the status
bar. To view the errors associated with the data click the flag or select Data / Data validation.
For more information on data errors, see Appendix C, Error Messages in the Quantm Software
User Guide.
In this chapter: When all available data has been entered into
your scenario you are ready to perform free to
Tutorial tasks Corridor and route identification roam optimization. A Free to Roam
Opening a scenario optimization searches the entire study area.
Results from the optimization help you to
Creating a Free to Roam submission
identify corridors and suitable alignments.
Reviewing results
This chapter shows you how to submit a
scenario, perform a free to roam optimization
and determine alignments that may be suitable
for your study area.
Opening a scenario
Scenario Example 02 has data similar to what you created in the last chapter and some additional
zones and features. You will use this scenario in this chapter. Make sure the Quantm Example Dataset
project is open and the Project view is displayed.
To open the Example 02 scenario:
1. In the Training group, right-click the Example 02 scenario to access the shortcut menu.
2. Select Load Scenario. The Scenario view appears.
a 1 to indicate this is the first Free to Roam submission for the scenario.
Note When further free to roam optimizations are performed in the same scenario the number
automatically increments. You can change the naming convention by entering in your preferred
name in the Job name field. For this example you will use the default.
3. In the Notes field, enter Free to Roam - initial investigation.
It is good practise to use the Notes section to describe what you are investigating with the
submission. This is particularly useful when you are re-optimizing after slight changes to the
data. For example, you have entered an avoid zone or changed the minimum radius.
4. Make sure Local Processor is selected in the Submit By list.
The local processor comes with the Quantm Desktop software and processes results up to a
certain length on the computer that the Quantm software is installed on. The other form of
processing is manual, which comes with Quantm Professional and Quantm Enterprise and
creates files to be processed on Enterprise servers or by Trimble Planning Solutions.
5. Click Submit. The Notes Information dialog appears:
This dialog shows the notes entered for the scenario, the four data files and the job. Use this
window to make sure you are submitting the correct scenario for optimization.
6. Click OK.
Note Once a submission is created the scenario becomes locked. Any changes to the project
data at this stage would need to be made in a new scenario and alignments would need to be
regenerated.
7. The Submissions window appears after you submit a scenario for optimization. To view the
Submissions window, click View / Submissions.
It will be empty because a scenario has not been submitted. The submission window will be
discussed later in the tutorial. For more information on the Submission window, refer to Chapter
3, Get Familiar with the Interface, of the Quantm Software User Guide.
The Submissions window is project specific. It shows the status of the job that is processing, jobs
waiting to be processed and any jobs processed in the same session. The percentage complete
value is displayed under Job.
The larger the distance and more complex the submission, the longer the processing will take.
Expect this free to roam optimization to take up to an hour to process. For the tutorial you can:
stop processing and use alignments already processed for this scenario. Go to Step 8.
continue processing. Wait until the New alignment file message appears. Go to Step 10.
8. To stop processing click . The current job will stop processing and any alignments returned will
be recorded in a results file.
9. Go to Reviewing results, page 98.
WARNING Jobs cannot be restarted or continued if processing stops, a new submission needs to be
C made to process again.
The Submissions window indicates the optimization is completed and displays the name of the
results file.
Reviewing results
In this section you will become familiar with the Quantm tools that you can use to view and analyze
the optimized alignments.
The Example 02 folder icon is now gray indicating the scenario is locked.
2. Make sure the scenario folder is expanded.
The data files associated with the scenario are also locked (gray).
When the scenario name is bold it indicates there are results to view for the scenario. The results
file is shown in the Example 02 folder. If you cancelled the processing before
any alignments were generated in Creating a Free to Roam submission, page 95, the results file
icon will look like . This indicates the job has been submitted but there are no results yet.
Due to the nature of the Quantm optimizer, results from two free to roam optimizations will
never be identical however the potential corridors you identify from the results will be similar.
For this reason, in this tutorial you will load a set of results previously processed for the scenario
Example 02.
C CAUTION It is good practice to always load results from the Scenario Notes tab in the Scenario view or
the Jobs/Results folder in the Project view. This ensures that the results were processed with the
current data constraints. To load results from the Scenario Notes tab, right-click on the result file to
access the shortcut menu and then select Review Result. To load results from the Project view, right-
click on the results file in the Jobs/Results folder to access the shortcut menu and then select Load.
For this tutorial you will load data stored in the Results folder created in your sample project
directory.
3. On the Standard toolbar, click . The Open alignment file dialog appears.
4. To find the Results folder, go to: C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample
Data\Quantm Example Dataset\Results.
5. Select Example 02_FR_1.
6. Click Open.
The alignment results are loaded and the Alignment Review dialog appears:
The number of alignments returned is based on the user-defined number in the optimization
dialogs. The system suggests a number by default and this is based on the straight line distance
between the start and finish points. The breakdown is the following:
Under 10 km
5 Seeded and 25 free to roam alignments are returned
10-100 km
10 Seeded and 50 free to roam alignments are returned
100-300 km
15 Seeded and 80 free to roam alignments are returned
300-500 km
20 Seeded and 110 free to roam alignments are returned
Over 500 km
25 Seeded and 150 free to roam alignments are returned
Results are originally displayed in order of cheapest to most expensive. Alignments are named
with the result file name (Example 02_FR_1) and then the number of the alignment. For
example, Example 02_FR_1_01.
7. Make sure all the alignments are selected in the Select column.
For more information on the Alignment Review dialog, refer to Chapter 7, Reviewing Results, of
the Quantm Software User Guide.
8. Click View to display the selected alignments in the Plan View window.
Identifying corridors
Initially all alignments are displayed. Look at the spread of alignments. In this situation the
alignments are well spread over the flat terrain but the majority of the alignments converge and
follow a common corridor up the mountain. The dominant corridors are represented by the dark and
light blue alignments.
Tip To change the color of alignments, select the alignment in the Alignment Comparison
B dialog, click on the color and select a new color from the color palette.
In addition to the dark and light blue corridors, there are a few other corridors between the start and
end point. All corridors should be investigated as the cheapest alignment is not necessarily the
optimal solution. Longer more expensive alignments may meet the criteria of the project while less
expensive alignments may violate some of the projects criteria.
To determine the most optimal alignment in each corridor you should create a corridor and
reoptimize. Creating a corridor and completing another free to roam optimization allows you to look
at all potential alignments in that corridor.
Corridors can be entered as avoid zones or you can use the Create Corridor tool with a single
alignment selected and edit the generated corridor. For more information on the Create Corridor
tool, refer to the Chapter 9, Utility Tools, in the Quantm Software User Guide.
C CAUTION The minimum width corridor required for a Free to Roam Submission is 100 m or 325 ft.
Anything less than this significantly increases the chances of the submission failing to process.
Figure 6.1 shows how a corridor for the dark blue alignments would look.
Reoptimizing with this corridor would force the alignments to take the dark blue route up the
mountain but would help you identify the best route to take on the flat terrain. Repeating this
process for all corridors would give you a selection of alignments in each corridor.
In this tutorial you will not create a corridor. You will investigate some of the alignments from the
free to roam results and select one alignment to use as a seed for a more refined optimization.
Comparing alignments
If the Alignment Comparison dialog is not displayed, on the Alignment toolbar, click . The
Alignment Comparison dialog appears:
The Alignment Comparison dialog lists the alignments selected in the Alignment Review dialog. In the
Alignment Comparison dialog, you can:
alter the color of the alignment.
sort the alignments by cost, length, alignment name, color or warnings.
select an alignment. The selected alignment is displayed in the Profile View window and the
Alignment Summary dialog.
compare costs, lengths and warnings on the alignments.
remove alignments from the Plan View window.
set an alignment as a benchmark and view other alignments in relation to the benchmark
alignment.
export alignments.
For more information on the Alignment Comparison window, refer to Chapter 7, Reviewing Results in
the Quantm Software User Guide.
Currently the alignments are color coded with respect to cost. Alignment Example 02_FR_1_01 is the
cheapest alignment and alignment Example 02_FR_1_25 is the most expensive. The length of the
alignments range from 9,316 m - 12,305 m.
In the next section, you will use the Alignment Comparison dialog to:
view the placement of bridges in an alignment.
view warnings on alignments.
The Alignment Summary dialog displays the details of the selected alignment.
3. In the Alignment Summary dialog, click Bridge (m) in the Item list to view the bridge report. The
Bridge Report dialog appears:
B Tip In the Alignment Summary dialog, you can click on any of the hypertext headings in the
Item list to review reports on these items.
4. There is a large bridge at a chainage of 9,620.
5. On the Alignment toolbar, click . Only the selected alignment is displayed in the Plan View
window.
6. On the Alignment toolbar, click . Chainage (station) markers display in the Plan View
window.
7. Use the zoom tools to zoom in on the alignment at a chainage of 9,620.
While this bridge is long it is clear from the DTM that a valley is being crossed. This bridge is
considered acceptable for the terrain and constraints of the project. The global earthworks limits
set for the project requests that a bridge is used when fill exceeds 20 meters.
Viewing warnings
In this section you will investigate some warnings on the generated alignment.
1. In the Alignment Summary dialog click Warnings. The Warning Report window appears:
The Warning Report lists when the alignment does not comply with the project constraints. The
warnings mean that the particular characteristic under scrutiny needs to be investigated at the
nominated location. Warnings are not the definitive answer as to whether the route is
acceptable or unacceptable. Alignment Example M 02_U_1_05 has one minor horizontal straight
warning where the horizontal straight is inappropriate for the geometry. It also has two minor
horizontal transition warnings where the length is too short and one vertical crossing warning.
You should expect some warning however if there are large errors in all alignments it can be a
sign that you have unrealistic constraints on the project. You may need to adjust the geometric
inputs or relax the feature constraints to reduce or eliminate the warnings. Alternatively it may
be other constraints in your project that are restricting the available corridors for the alignment.
If the errors are not excessive familiarize yourself with the area where the errors are occurring,
and continue with the optimization process.
For more information on the warnings in the warning report, refer to Chapter 7, Reviewing
Results, of the Quantm Software User Guide.
The Warning Report dialog shows you that the transition warnings are between chainages 260 m
and 340 m and 7,900 m and 9,080 m.
2. On the Alignment toolbar, click .
The error is displayed in red in the Plan View window at the specified position on the alignment.
3. Use the Zoom tools if you cannot see the error.
4. On the Zoom toolbar, click , then click in the Plan View window to zoom to the extents of
the project area.
5. To compare the cheapest alignment with an alignment without errors, in the Alignment
Comparison dialog click Example 02_FR_1_01. Press and hold [Ctrl] and select Example
02_FR_1_07. Release [Ctrl].
Balignments
Tip To obtain the most optimal alignment for the project you would also investigate
in the other corridors.
4. In the Cross Section window, click to increase the number in the Factor field. This increases
the scale that the cross sections are drawn at.
B window
Tip You can freeze the link bar to closely investigate a cross section. Right-click in the Plan View
to access the shortcut menu. Select Freeze link bar.
6. In the Profile View window click and drag a box around the alignment at chainage 7,000 meters.
centerline elevation
for Hawthorn Highway2 road to at grade or unspecified. You would then perform another free to
roam optimization and investigate if the alignment is able to cross this road at grade or if the
geometry parameters prevent it from doing this. (The vertical curve may be too tight and the
alignment may not be able to reach grade in the given distance). You would then make a decision
on the best way to cross Hawthorn Highway2. For the tutorial, we will continue to cross
Hawthorn Highway2 with a clearance of greater than 4 m or less than -5 m.
B Tip Minor rivers and roads should be unspecified for the first free to roam optimization. You
can then see the optimal method of crossing these features and enter the crossing details
accordingly. Make sure you do another free to roam optimization after any data changes.
4. In the Please enter alignment file name field, enter Example 02_FR_1_Corridor.
5. Click OK.
The results file is displayed in the Scenario Notes tab in the Scenario Explorer window.
Seeded optimizations
Seeded optimizations take an existing alignment, either processed in Quantm software, or an
imported alignment or imported feature, and uses it as the starting location for which results are
based around. By default seeded submissions have horizontal and vertical movement along the
entire seed. There are options however, that allow the restriction of movement to vertical
movement only and/or limit movement within a certain area along the alignment holding the rest of
the alignment constant.
This is done in a two-step process: First is an exploration optimization (see Exploration optimization
below) to identify the optimal number of IPs for a corridor; second is a refinement optimization (see
Refinement optimization, page 119) which uses those IPs to identify the best location within that
corridor for an alignment to be placed.
Exploration optimization
An exploration optimization helps investigate the optimal number of horizontal and vertical IPs for
an alignment through a corridor. Quantm software has several options in the exploration
optimization that can help construct an alignment with the desired number of IPs.
There are three options that help define the number of IPs that are returned in results.
Unspecified gives a range of horizontal and vertical IP options in the results.
Specified allows a specified number of horizontal and vertical IPs.
Modify allows the number of IPs in the seed to be increased or decreased via a slider.
The movement in results can then be restricted to be within a certain range and or vertical
movement only.
1. In the Example 02 scenario, select the Scenario Notes tab in the Scenario Explorer window.
2. Right-click the results file Example 02_FR_1 to access the shortcut menu. Select Review Result.
The Alignment Review dialog then appears with the alignments listed.
3. Select View.
4. In the Alignment Comparison dialog, select Example 02_FR_1_01.
Note In this tutorial we will investigate one alignment however any number of alignments can be
investigated in this manner.
B Tip You can continue viewing the alignments and select the Append option to view more than
one result file at a time.
2. Click Open. The Open alignment file dialog appears.
3. To find the results file for the Seeded Exploration optimization, go to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\Quantm Example
Dataset\Results
4. Select Example 02_Ex_Training.
5. Click Open.
C CAUTION If you see the message This alignment file was generated using a
different scenario when you load results make sure the results file was processed using exactly
the same constraints as the existing scenario. Always loading results from the Scenario Notes tab in the
Scenario view or the Jobs/Results folder in the Project view will make sure results were processed with
the current data constraints.
The Alignment Review dialog appears and lists the five new results from the Seeded Exploration
optimization and the seed alignment.
6. Click View.
7. The new alignments display in the Plan View window.
This shows the warnings that are associated with this alignment, where results have had to
exceed the parameters set in the scenario for some reason. When looking at the warnings it is
good to compare the Actual value of the warning which is where the alignment is located to the
Limit value which is where the parameters of the scenario have tried to limit the alignment to.
7. On the Alignment toolbar, click to display the position of the horizontal transition error in the
Plan View window.
This highlights in red, where the alignment exceeds the parameters set in the scenario. This can
be fixed by possibly reprocessing or manually editing via a duplicated editable alignment, or it
may be determined that the actual geometric constraints in the scenario may need to be
changed in order to allow this sized straight.
As this is an Exploration submission we wont worry too much about the warnings in this
scenario at this stage.
In the next section you will perform a refinement and a vertical optimization on this alignment.
Do not end the alignment review.
Reviewing results
The Quantm software does not choose the best alignment for your project. Instead it provides you
with objective data to make your decision. You need to examine the results and decide on the best
alignment for your project. You may decide the curve in alignment Example 02_Ex_Training_01 is
satisfactory but you should explore other alternatives before making this decision. You may decide
another alignment is best for your project based on your own preference.
Alternatively, you may decide on a totally different corridor. As the project evolves the importance of
avoiding a zone may decrease in which case you would remove the zone or down grade the priority
of the zone and re-optimize with free to roam optimization. This may in turn produce alternative
corridors to investigate.
The least expensive alignment is not always the best. An alignment may be the least expensive and
comply with project constraints however it may be more practical to build a more expensive
alignment that has more bridges but less earthworks. The most optimal result will be achieved when
all corridors have been explored and all factors affecting the project are considered.
Refinement optimization
Once the desired number of IPs have been identified in an exploration optimization, a refinement
optimization should be done to get the most out the IP location along the alignment. The options to
process within a certain area and/or to have vertical movement only are available here as well.
1. Make sure the Example 02_Ex_Training results are loaded.
2. In the Alignment Comparison dialog, select Example 02_Ex_Training_01.
We will use this alignment as it has the optimal number of IPs and falls in a desired location.
To create a refinement optimization submission:
3. On the Standard toolbar, select . The Seeded Submission dialog appears:
Reviewing results
For the tutorial you will load a set of results that have been previously processed for this scenario.
1. On the Standard toolbar, select . The Alignment Review dialog displays with the alignments
currently being viewed.
2. Click Open. The Open alignment file dialog appears.
3. To find the results file for the Refinement optimization, go to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\Quantm Example
Dataset\Results
4. Select Example 02_Rf_Training.
5. Click Open.
The Alignment Review dialog appears and lists the five new results from the Refinement
optimization and the seed alignment.
6. Click View.
7. The new alignments display in the Plan View window.
The Refinement results are different to the Exploration results as they all have the same number of
IPs as the seed. Another thing to note here is that as Tight was selected as the spread the results are
not moving far away from the seed.
Three of the results have come in cheaper than the seed and have either improved or are similar
with respect to the intensity of the warnings.
3. To find the results file for the Vertical optimization, go to the following:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\Quantm Example
Dataset\Results
4. Select Example 02_RfV_Training.
5. Click Open.
6. Click OK. The Alignment Review dialog appears and lists the five new results from the Vertical
optimization and the seed alignment.
7. Click View. The new alignments display in the Plan View window.
As can be seen with the previous Refinement optimization the results have the same number of VIP
and HIP as the seed. In this optimization however there is no horizontal movement and there is only
one alignment shown in plan view.
Selecting each of the alignments in the Alignment Comparison window however shows that there is
a vertical movement which has resulted in the cost differences. In this case we have seen a further
$700,000 in savings from the seed. In order to achieve these savings the alignment was unable to
improve on the warning in the seed. This warning can be manually edited later to get rid of it without
changing the whole alignment.
Mass haul
This section introduces you to the mass haul diagram and earthworks management in the Quantm
software. For a detailed explanation on managing earthworks in the system, refer to Appendix F,
Earth Moving, of the Quantm Software User Guide.
The Mass Haul diagram is used to graphically represent the amount of material that will be cut
and used for fill. It is also useful in determining the most economical distribution of material.
The Quantm system aims to deliver alignments that have balanced cut and fill and minimize the
importing and exporting of usable material.
When the green line is above the black line the alignment is in surplus. When the green line is
below the black line the alignment is in deficit. The Mass Haul diagram for alignment Example
02_RfV_Training_01 shows the alignment swaps between surplus and deficit for most of the
alignment. Close to the finish point the alignment climbs the mountain and begins to cut into the
natural surface and the deficit is reduced. At the end of the alignment the usable earthworks is
zero, showing that all usable earthworks has been used to build the alignment.
Note In the Quantm software you can enter barriers, import and export sites and borrow and
dump pits.
3. In the Alignment toolbar, click to hide mass haul details.
Reporting
To create a summary report:
1. In the Alignment Comparison dialog, select alignment Example 02_RfV_Training_01.
2. Make sure that the Alignment Summary window is open.
3. At the top of the Alignment Summary window select .
4. In the File name field, the name is automatically set to the alignment name followed by Alignment
Summary Report.
5. Click Save. A summary report opens in Excel that shows the breakdown of earthworks and costs
on each of the tabs of the spreadsheet.
For information on creating reports, refer to Chapter 7, Reviewing Results, of the Quantm Software
User Guide.
Editable alignments
You can use the editable alignment function to move the horizontal and vertical alignment and to
edit structures in the alignment. You may want to investigate how small changes in the alignment
affects the cost of the alignment. This function can also convert an imported curvilinear alignment to
a geometric alignment so that the alignment can be exported to a CAD package and the design
process completed.
To continue with this section we will load a previously created set of results.
1. On the Standard toolbar, select . The Alignment Review dialog appears displaying the
alignments currently being viewed.
2. Click Open. The Open alignment file dialog appears.
3. To find the results file for the final alignment, go to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Quantm Projects\Sample Data\Quantm Example Dataset\
4. Select "Final Alignment".
5. Click Open.
The Alignment Review dialog appears and lists the Final Alignment.
6. Click View. The new alignment is displayed in the Plan View window.
a. Click on a red node. The node will change to a white node with a gray handle and a green circle
attached.
b. The white node allows you to move the location of the IP of the current horizontal curve, while
the green handle allows you to increase or decrease the horizontal radius of the curve. Aspects
of the alignment will change immediately such as the items in the Alignment Summary and
the overall cost of the alignment.
8. To change the vertical aspect of the alignment, alter this in the Profile View window.
a. Click on a blue node. The node will change to a white node with a gray handle and a green
circle attached.
b. The white node allows you to move the location of the IP of the current vertical curve, while
the green handle allows you to increase or decrease the vertical radius of the curve. Aspects of
the alignment will change immediately such as the items in the Alignment Summary and the
overall cost of the alignment.
Note While moving the location of the selected IP (white node) you are only able to move the node
to locations which meet the overall geometric design constraints of the entire alignment.
B Tip If you wish to move the IP beyond the geometric design constraints press and hold [Shift],
then select the node and move it to the desired position. To delete an IP, press and hold [Ctrl], and
then move the mouse to the IP you want to delete. The delete cursor appears, left mouse click
to delete. Similarly if you want to insert an IP along the alignment, press and hold [Ctrl], and then
move the mouse to the point on the alignment you want to insert the IP. The insert cursor
appears, left mouse click to insert.
9. In the Alignment Comparison window, the new editable alignment is named E_Example
02_RfV_Training_01: E indicates that the alignment is editable; Example 02_RfV_Training_01 is
the name of the original alignment. The icon to the left of the alignment name indicates the
alignment is editable.
10. Go ahead and edit the editable alignment in the horizontal and vertical planes.
Customizable structures
Duplicating an alignment with customizable structures lets you move, delete or insert any tunnels,
walls and bridges in the alignment. You should take care when editing structures not to violate
constraints. In this section you will increase the distance between the bridge abutments where the
alignment crosses Upper Wattle River.
To edit structures in the alignment:
1. Make sure the final edited alignment, E_Example 02_RfV_Training_01, is still selected from the
previous section.
2. On the Alignment toolbar, click .
An alignment is created called S_E_Example 02_RfV_Training_01 and structure labels display in
the Plan and Profile View window.
If labels do not display, on the Evaluation menu select Construction Labels.
3. On the Zoom toolbar, click .
4. In the Plan View window zoom in on Bridge 1.
5. On the Data toolbar, click .
6. In the Plan View window click Bridge 2.
Yellow nodes display at each end of the structure.
7. Click and drag a yellow node along the alignment to increase the size of the bridge.
Note Warnings will display when a structure is dragged into an adjoining structure.
B Tip You can also edit the bridge manually via editing the fields in the Customized Structures
dialog.
For more information on editing structures, refer to Chapter 8, Customized Alignments in the
Quantm Software Getting Started Guide.
Visualising alignments
The Quantm software has a 3D Visualiser that enables the alignment to be displayed in 3D, cut into
the terrain. This tool allows free roam movement around the DTM and also fly-thrus along the
alignment. Along with this objects and vehicles from the SketchUp 3D modeling tool library can be
imported to make the scene more vibrant and relevant. Images of a particular location and video
capture of part or all of a drive through of the alignment can also be made from here.
Note To open the Quantm Visualiser, an alignment must be loaded.
1. Load the Final Edited Alignment result file, and then select Alignments / Visualiser, or click .
The Settings window of the Visualiser appears:
There are options to limit the amount of data being loaded into the Visualiser for viewing to
improve the handling of lone projects, dense and large DTMs, high-resolution imagery and
projects that contain a large amount of GIS data.
Option Description
Crop DTM Enables the DTM to be cut back to a set distance either side of the alignment
centerline.
Restrict Chainage Enables you to select a specific start chainage and finish chainage so you can
Range visualize only a section of the alignment.
Ignore GIS Data Does not load any GIS data into the Visualiser.
2. For this example, ensure that the Crop DTM option, the Restrict Chainage Range option, and the
Ignore GIS Data option are not selected. Click OK.
When the Visualiser loads it will be in free to roam mode to enable free movement around the
DTM. To control the camera:
To do this
pan the camera view. left-click drag
zoom in and out. scroll in and out
B Tip Hold [Shift] and scroll to speed the zoom. Hold [Ctrl] and scroll to
slow the zoom.
hold the pointer location on the DTM and rotate around it. scroll button, click drag
rotate the camera holding the camera position right-click drag
raise and lower the camera right and left-click drag
B Tip If the Visualiser is slow to load the DTM because of the size of the DTM, close the
Visualiser, and reopen it with the Crop DTM distance selected and a value of 2500 m set in the
crop distance.
B Tip If aerial imagery is loaded in your scenario before loading the Visualiser, then the imagery
will be draped on the Terrain model and visible in the Visualiser.
The Controls tab becomes active when the Visualiser loads.
3. Click the Draw Distance Terrain slider and drag it to the right to reduce the draw distance, then
back to the default position of 25 km.
Note The Features slider drops in relation to the Terrain slider and will need to be independently
returned to the default position.
4. Select the Drive-Thru tab.
Select the Enable drive thru check box to change into Drive Thru mode. This changes the view to
reference the alignment; the controls will change slightly:
To do this
shift the camera left and right of the current chainage. left-click drag
increase the speed and decrease the speed. Click in the Speed (kph) field and
scroll in and out
reset the view double-scroll button click
raise and lower the camera right and left-click drag
14. Click Record video. The record settings for the video recorder appears:
15. Click OK to capture a fly-thru video of the alignment from start to finish.
Note You must keep the Visualiser open to capture the video.
Once the visualiser has completed capturing the video proceed to the next chapter.
5. Select the Attempt to auto resolve check box at the top of this window. Otherwise you can
manually shift the model around so that the center of the model is in the center of the axis plane
as shown below.
6. Once the model is in the correct location select Add Model to add the model to the list.
7. Select OK in the Model Configuration window. Now the model has been added to the Library we
can add it to the view.
8. Select Add Mapping. A model is added to the list.
9. In the Feature field there is a drop down list of all the features in the project that you can assign
the model to.
10. From the list select the Left XS Edge.
11. In the Model field make sure the Tree model is selected in the drop down list.
12. In the Distribution field select either Regular or Random.
13. In the Spacing (m) field leave the default at 100.
14. Click Update.
The trees are now populated along the left cross section edge of the alignment.
Note To add vehicle models, select the Vehicle Models tab and then follow Step 3 to Step 7 above.