The Horizontal Alignment Widget (replacing Follow Path) in Novorender provides tools to visualize, analyze, and measure road and infrastructure alignments.
It allows you to navigate along alignment profiles, inspect curvature and station intervals, and perform detailed cross-section analysis.
The feature is supported for IFC4x3 with IfcAlignment and LandXML Virtual Machine. Centerline has to be a part of the export.
1. Accessing the Horizontal Alignment Widget
Open the Horizontal Alignment Widget from the interface, Clipping > Horizontal Alignment.
A list of available alignments is displayed.
Select an alignment by:
Clicking it in the list, or
Clicking the alignment directly in the 3D view.
2. Alignment Overview
When selecting an alignment:
Ticks indicate station intervals.
Curvature points are displayed along the alignment.
Length and curvature representations.
Controls work like the 2D view:
Zoom with the mouse wheel.
Pan/Move by holding a mouse button.
When you click on the alignment, you fly to that part of the alignment.
3. Station and Interval Controls
Select Station: Click along the alignment to jump to a specific station.
Step Size: The distance you move along the alignment when you click the + or - symbols in the cross section of the model.
Station Interval: Adjust how frequently ticks and station numbers appear.
Recenter: Moves the camera automatically along with the station profile.
Vertical Clipping
On: All cross sections of the model will be vertical
Off: All cross sections of the model will be perpendicular to the slope of the alignment, meaning not vertical when there is a slope in the alignment.
3D: Switch to 3D view of the alignment.
Cross Section: Switch to cross section view of the alignment.
Top-Down View: Switch to a 2D orthographic view of the alignment.
4. Cross-Section Analysis
Clicking on the alignment section twice creates a cross-section view.
Cross-section controls include:
Navigation arrows (+ / –) to move along the alignment.
5. Tracer Functionality in Cross-Sections
The Tracer Tool enhances cross-section analysis:
Measures distances between lines and layers in the road.
Automatically aligns perpendicular to the closest line or layer.
Example: Distance between pavement and base layer.
Perpendicular Mode: Distance measured perpendicular to the nearest layer.
Vertical Mode: Forces tracer to always measure vertically, regardless of geometry.
6. Alignment Display Options
Choose which elements to show/hide:
Alignment
Color Changes: If you should get unique colors for lines, curves and clothoids.
Curvatures: View the radius of curves and clothoids.
Points: View a point between the alignment elements, eg. between a line and a curve.
Names: View the names of the alignments.
Segment vertical: View the start and end station of the selected vertical alignment segment.
Curvature: View the radius of the selected vertical alignment segment.
Elevation: View the elevation start and end station of the selected vertical alignment segment.
Length: View the length of the selected vertical alignment segment.
Slope: View the average slope of the selected vertical alignment segment.
Segment horizontal: View the start and end station of the selected horizontal alignment segment.
Curvature: View the radius of the selected alignment segment.
Elevation: View the elevation start and end station of the selected alignment segment.
Length: View the length of the selected alignment segment.
Stations
Elevation: View the elevation for the visible stations in the alignment.
Slope: View the slope for the visible stations in the alignment.