GEOPAK COGO: Back to

Basics And Beyond

Frank Nelson Burns & McDonnell

Objective
Back to Basics - provide the nuts and
bolts of Coordinate Geometry (COGO), the
basic building block of entire GEOPAK
program.
And Beyond - provide COGO tips, tricks,
and tools that the presenter has learned,
discovered, or stumbled across during his
going-on 10 years of using GEOPAK

COGO = Coordinate Geometry

XYZ Coordinates
Store Geometric
Elements
Points
Lines
Curves & Spirals
Chains
Profiles

Coordinate System

Y = Northing (N)
X = Easting (E)
Z = Elevation (ELEV)
Users Be aware of
the coord. system of
the data & the
system GEOPAK is
using

Points
Stored from set of coord.s
X & Y, maybe Z coord.s
Alpha-numeric names w/
1 number at end
Pt. from other pt. =
distance + direction
Pt. by Offset
Pt. by Math Function

Lines & Line Segments

Line = location point
+ direction
Infinite in length
Line Segment =
portion of line w/
beginning & ending
pt.s

Curves
Curve = Segment
of Circular Arc
Arc Method or
Chord Definition
Key points of
curve shown in
diagram

Spirals
Spiral = transitional
curve
Transition from
Tangent to specified
radius defined by curve
Or
2 specified radii
defined by 2 curves

Key points of spiral

shown in diagram

Chains
Combination of other horizontal
elements

Points
Lines
Curves & Spirals
Chains

Horizontal alignment
Have stationing
Station equation

Profiles
Vertical alignments
defined by stations &
elevations
Associated w/ horizontal
chain
Profiles w/o curves =
existing ground profile or
ditch profile
Profile w/ vert. curve =
prop. alignment profile

Lets Get COGOing

COGO Icon or In Project
Manager, Pick Coordinate
Geometry
Start-Up Dialog Box
Project Name
Job Number
Operator Code
Subject
If Proj. Mgr.used, 1st 3 filled

COGO Dialog Box

Tool Bar pull down
menus & icons
Command Key
typed-in commands
& drop down
command history
Output Window =
Results

File Commands

Append (input files only)

Catalog
Delete
Load
Output to *.ooc for print
Print

Restore ASCII to *.inp

Save to *.ioc
Export Survey Files
Import Survey Files
Exit

Edit Commands

Clear empties memory

w/o saving
Delete deletes command
lines
Editor opens Geopak
COGO Command Editor

Insert add a command line

Modify change word in
command line
Read process output buffer
Type displays current input file
content

Point Pull-Down Menu

Cell
Copy
Delete
Elevation
Equate
List/Print

Store
Transformation
Compare Points
to TIN
Set Elevation
from TIN

Store Point Dialog Box

Curve Pull-Down Menu

Copy
Data calculates
parameters
Delete
List/Print names/data

Segment new curves

Station
Store (Next Slide)
Transpose reverses
curve direction

Store Curve Dialog Boxes

Store Curve from Tangents

Store Curve from PC & PT

Store Concentric Curves

Chain Pull-Down Menu

Area calc.s area of closed

chain
Delete
Layout Offset computes
station & offset of pt. or chain
on a given chain

Describe/List/Print
displays chain info
Stationing stationing &
restationing
Station Equation
Store (Next Slide)

Store Chain Dialog Boxes

Store Chain From Elements

Store
Transition
Chain

Store Offset Chain

Profile Pull-Down Menu

Delete
Elevation
Station
Even Station
Incremental Stations

List/Print
Offset new profile at
given vert. offset

Profile Generator
Icon on Horiz. & Vert.
Geometry Toolbar
Not In Accessible from
COGO Dialog Box
Icon Opens Settings
Dialog Box

After Filling in Settings &

Drawing Profile Cell, Click
OK
Profile Generator Opens

Tools Commands Pull-Down Menu

Intersect
Locate
Superelevation
Inverse
Navigator
Best Fit

Translation & Rotation

Map Check parcel edit
Roadway Intersection
Cul-de-sacs
Redraw Visualized Elements
Clear Vis. Elements (Temp.)
Clear Vis. Elements (All)

LocateTool Pull-Down Menu

Ext/Int Tangent
On Element

Traverse

By Angle

Point On Curve
Along Element
Elevations By Profile

COGO Navigator
Tool to view & edit COGO data

Navigator Dialog Box

Access by Navigator Icon

or Tools Pull Down Menu

Elements

Added
Deleted
Modified
Identified
Visualized
Printed
Selected

Navigator Selection Menu

Access by Navigator Icon
or Tools Pull Down Menu

Select All
Invert Selection
Clear Selection
Selection Set
Fit View (Selection
Set)
Show Selected
Elements Only
Show All Elements

Navigator Tool Menu & Icons

Add Element
Delete Element
Edit Element
Identify Element
Visualize Element
Print/Describe Element
Tools Pull Down Menu

Graphical COGO
Graphical COGO Stores or
Modifies Elements by Key-In or
Mouse Click
Accessed by Icon
or Application>>Geopak
Road>>Geometry>>Graphical
Coordinate Geometry
Graphical COGO Dialog Box

Graphical COGO Dialog Boxes

Four Toolboxes
Store Elements
Modify Elements
Manipulate Elements
Groups

Store Elements Tools 1

Store Point
Store Equally Spaced Points
Locate Point
Store Line
Store Line by 2 Points
Store Tangent Line

Store Elements Tools 2

Store Curve by 3 Points

Store Curve by Center
Store Tangent Curve Constrained
Store Tangent Curve Unconstrained
Store Tangent Spiral

Modify Elements Tools 1

Partial Delete
Extend Plan View Element
Trim Elements
Intersect Elements
Extend Element to Intersection

Modify Elements Tools 2

Extend Elements to Intersection

Construct Circular Fillet
Construct Chamfer
Cut Element

Manipulate Elements &

Groups Tools
Manipulate Elements
Move Plan View Element
Rotate Plan View Element
Copy Parallel
Delete Element

Groups
Store Chain
Store Parcel

Questions?

Thanks!

GEOPAK COGO: Back to

Basics And Beyond
Frank Nelson Burns & McDonnell