All text displays should be automatically programmed within the TxDOT Workspace for Open Roads Designer (ORD). If that is not the case, display all text with the applicable Text Style from the Text Style library within the TxDOT Workspace. Note the Normal Text Styles in the Workspace use font type Engineering.

Exception: special fonts on Title Sheet as discussed in

Section 3.1.1.1

Show all text with a line style of solid.

Use the Annotation Scale to proportion text size to the scale of the sheet using civil production tools. For information only – and show sheet text sizes and sheet dimensions.

Avoid clutter; pull annotation away from the picture.

Line up annotation and avoid unclear abbreviations.

Break leader lines at conflicts only where readability would be improved.

Employ uniform leader lines at the same angle for neatness (i.e., 15°, 30°, etc.).

Use a circular arc for curved leaders.

Minimize mixing of curved and straight leaders on the same page.

Include only the annotation required for construction.

Exception: hydraulic calculations

.

Additional designer’s notes may be placed outside the sheet boundary in CADD files.

Place annotation in the “Default Model” or “Drawing Model,” not the “Sheet Model.” An “Annotation DGN” can also be used to place annotations.

Minimize clip masking by employing better text location.

Complete all design in one or more master design files, instead of individual sheets. Attach master design file(s) to a “Container File” that is used to populate named boundaries to create sheets. To avoid problems, do not copy files. This enables drafting modifications and/or updates to be performed in a single file rather than multiple sheet files.

Avoid attaching reference file with save full path.

All master design files should be delivered unrotated and full scale. All mapping products should be referenced to two standard coordinate systems: the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) for horizontal positions and ellipsoid heights, and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) for orthometric heights. Surveys are referenced to these datums through measurements to control points of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). All control coordinates will be provided in surface using surface adjustment factors posted in the TxDOT Surveyors’ Toolkit. An adjustment was done in Texas using Global Positioning System (GPS), which resulted in the 1993 High Accuracy Reference Network (HARN). The network was extended to nearly all old, conventionally surveyed federal monumentation. Projects should be referenced to the published HARN coordinates of NGS monumentation.

Multiple master design files (for TOPO, ROADWAY, DRAINAGE, BRIDGE, etc.) allow several designers to work on different parts of the project at the same time while referencing each other's work.

In keeping with Bentley’s file separation Best Practices, save all geometric linework in a separate file from the Corridor Models.

Place all features at exact coordinates using Civil AccuDraw. Since some features may be used by designers for other calculations or details, features should be placed by exact coordinates to avoid errors and not approximated.

Avoid working in Survey base files due to the hazard of overwriting or corrupting the original file. Always keep good backups.

Attach PE's seal to sheet border as a reference file. Do not place a cell. This will provide better control of the PE's seal.

Consider having a reference file for the preliminary seal and a different reference file for the final seal. This best practice allows the designer to change the name of the reference file instead of detaching and reattaching it.

Feature Definitions and level names from the TxDOT DGN Libraries will be used to differentiate features within the overall design.

The TxDOT DGN libraries are supplied to establish a standard drafting scheme. This scheme should be used as delivered without modification.

Use File Symbology Overrides for reference files when referenced into individual sheets. This will allow the user to change the look of the linework in specific sheet files without changing the original base files.

Scale of each drawing/sheet should be clearly shown, including not-to-scale (NTS) items.

Keep all files (graphics, notes, PS&E, etc.) for a project in subfolders of a single folder tree.

Avoid using long path names.

Share (do not copy) files for more than one person to work on; this prevents duplicate file conflicts.

When a project is completed, archive all files/data according to TxDOT’s

Using the current TxDOT workspace, select the desired pre-loaded driver (e.g., “TxDOT PDF-BW”).

The scale of the sheets is applied during the creation of the sheet, thus when printing the “Sheet Model,” the scale will say 0.08333:1. This is normal.