Pier Designer
Complete user manual for placing bridge piers at precise stations along Corridors, Civil 3D Alignments, or 3D PolyLines — with a rich library of parametric pier shapes.
What is the Pier Designer?
The Pier Designer is a module inside AutoBRIDGE that automatically places bridge piers into your Revit model at precisely defined stations (chainage) along a bridge corridor. Each pier is placed as a Revit Adaptive Component Family with two placement points:
- Top point — bearing seat / deck soffit level (driven by the top alignment/profile)
- Bottom point — pile cap or footing top (driven by one of three bottom-level modes)
The tool reads the 3D geometry of your alignment, interpolates X/Y/Z at each pier's station, and orients the family correctly — including a skew angle that you define per pier.
AutoBRIDGE Corridor
Uses a corridor polyline layer already linked in the Revit model. Best for projects designed natively in AutoBRIDGE.
Civil 3D Alignment
Links directly to an open Civil 3D document, choosing an Alignment and a Profile for precise 3D positioning.
3D PolyLine
Uses any 3D PolyLine on a selected CAD layer imported into Revit as a lightweight source.
Full Form Layout
The Pier Designer is a custom 1300 × 880 px borderless window with four horizontal zones. Below is a full annotated reconstruction of the entire form as it appears when opened.
Type: Standard
Zone Summary
| Zone | Height | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| A — Source Bar | 32 px | Alignment source selector + sub-controls (changes with selection) |
| B — Views + Pier Panel | 55 % | Plan/Elevation TabView (80 %) · Pier list + Bottom Level (20 %) |
| C — Params + Preview | 38 % | Detect button + Parametric inputs (50 %) · Shape selector + 3D preview (50 %) |
| D — Run Bar | 7 % | Status hint · PLACE button |
Choose the Alignment Source
The top-left combo box in the source bar sets where the form reads the pier's top-level 3D geometry — i.e. where the top reference point of each pier lands in space.
Open the Source dropdown
Click the leftmost combo box in the source bar. Three options appear: ▸ Corridor, ▸ Civil 3D Alignment, ▸ 3D PolyLine. The rest of the source bar changes instantly to show the relevant sub-controls.
Select the specific source item
Corridor mode: Pick the corridor polyline layer from the right combo.
Civil 3D mode: Choose the Civil 3D document → Alignment → Profile (three linked combos).
3D PolyLine mode: Choose the CAD layer then the specific PolyLine index.
Watch the Plan View update
As soon as a valid source is selected, the Plan View canvas draws the alignment path in blue (■) and any existing pier markers in cyan (■). The Elevation View also plots the elevation profile.
Reading the Plan & Elevation Views
Zone B contains a TabControl with two views. Both are interactive GDI+ canvases that give you real-time visual feedback as you configure piers.
Tab 1 — Plan View
Tab 2 — Elevation View
| Interaction | Plan View | Elevation View |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll wheel | Zoom in/out around centre | Zoom in/out |
| Left-drag | Pan the view | Pan the view |
| Double-click | Reset zoom & pan | Reset zoom & pan |
Defining the Pier Schedule
The right panel (PIERS section) is where you define how many piers exist, their stations, and their skew angles. The compact DataGridView shows a quick summary; the full editor is opened via the Config button.
Column Definitions
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| ✓ (checkbox) | Enable/disable this pier for the current placement run. Unchecked piers are skipped but remain in the schedule. |
| Pier | Auto-assigned label P1, P2, P3 … (read-only; renumbers automatically after adding/removing rows). |
| Ch (m) | Station along the alignment in metres measured from the alignment start. Edit directly in the grid or in the full Config editor. |
| Skew (°) | Rotation of the pier family about the top reference point in degrees. Positive = counter-clockwise. The plan view shows the skewed orientation visually. |
Config. ▸ Edit Pier Schedule (Popup)
Clicking Config. ▸ Edit Pier Schedule opens a full-screen popup with a resizable table and + Add Row / − Remove Row toolbar. Changes are committed when you click Apply.
◈ Ref. Intersection → All Piers
This button automatically calculates the pier stations from existing reference geometry — such as where span centre lines intersect the alignment — and populates the schedule. It is a one-click shortcut when the reference lines are already drawn in the model.
Setting the Bottom Level
Every pier needs a bottom reference point in addition to the top. The BOTTOM LEVEL section (lower half of the right panel) gives you three strategies:
Mode 1 — Fixed Pier Height (default)
Enter a constant height in millimetres. The bottom reference point Z = top Z − (height ÷ 1000). Every pier in the run gets the same height. This is the quickest setting when ground is approximately flat.
Mode 2 — Fixed Bottom Elevation
Enter a constant project elevation in metres. All pier bottoms sit at this absolute elevation regardless of their station. Useful for river crossings where the pile cap level is controlled by scour depth.
Mode 3 — Bottom Profile
Uses a second alignment source (Corridor / Civil 3D / PolyLine) to define the bottom Z at each station. When selected, a sub-panel expands with the same three source-type sub-controls as the main source bar. An additional Profile Offset (m) numeric is an additive Z offset applied to every bottom elevation interpolated from the profile.
| Mode | Control | Unit | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Height | NumericUpDown (5 000 default) | mm | Uniform flat ground |
| Fixed Elevation | NumericUpDown (0.000 default) | m | River / sea-crossing constant scour level |
| Bottom Profile | Source selector + Offset NUD | m (+offset) | Variable ground / riverbed profile |
Selecting a Pier Shape
The right half of Zone C holds the shape selector and a live Revit 3D preview. Clicking ◈ Select Pier Shape opens a file-browser dialog pointed at the AutoBRIDGE Pier Library folder.
Library Folder
The default library path is:
The folder browser lets you navigate to any custom location. Each .rfa file in the folder becomes available as a pier shape option.
How Family Types Work
Each .rfa family may contain multiple types. After selecting the file, a type picker appears. The selected type's parameters are loaded into the Pier Parameters tab (Zone C left). The 3D preview refreshes to show the chosen type rendered in Revit's preview engine.
Configuring Pier Parameters
The left half of Zone C shows the parameter control area. It has two parts: a Detect button at the top, and a Tab control with parameter input fields below.
Pier Parameters Tab (Preferred List)
This tab shows only the preferred parameters — the most commonly adjusted values for pier geometry. They are divided into three groups:
| Parameter | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
Pier_Length | mm | Column/shaft length parallel to the bridge axis |
Pier_Width | mm | Column/shaft dimension perpendicular to bridge axis |
Pier_Chanfer | mm | Corner chamfer on the pier column |
Top_PierHead_Offset | mm | Distance from top reference point down to the top of the pier head — critical for bearing seat alignment |
PierHead_Length | mm | Length of the pier cap / crosshead |
PierHead_Width | mm | Width of the pier cap |
PierHead_Height | mm | Depth of the pier cap |
PierHead_Plan_Chanfer | mm | Plan corner cut on pier cap ends |
Bottom_Offset | mm | Additive Z shift at the bottom reference point |
Bearing_Height | mm | Height of each bearing pad |
Bearing_Width | mm | Plan size of bearing pads |
Bearing_X-Spacing | mm | Along-bridge spacing between bearings |
Bearing_Y-Spacing | mm | Cross-bridge spacing between bearings |
Bearing Number Option | integer | Number of bearing pads (family option) |
All Parameters Tab
Switches to a full list of every parameter found in the loaded family type — including geometry, materials, and visibility settings. Useful for advanced customisation.
⬡ Detect Deck Soffit → Top_PierHead_Offset
This special button automatically calculates Top_PierHead_Offset by reading the vertical distance from the top reference point (alignment Z) down to the underside of any deck element already placed in the model at the same station. It only becomes enabled once both a source and a shape are loaded. Use it to instantly set the bearing seat level without manual measurement.
Placing Piers in the Model
The PLACE button in Zone D executes the placement operation. It is only enabled when all required inputs are valid (source loaded + shape selected).
Status bar confirmation
The status line updates to show the active source, shape name and type, and the count of enabled piers. Verify everything is correct before clicking PLACE.
Revit transaction begins
AutoBRIDGE opens a Revit transaction. For each enabled pier row, it interpolates X/Y/Z on the top source at the given station, calculates the bottom Z from the chosen Bottom Level mode, then calls AdaptiveComponentInstanceUtils.SetAdaptiveComponentPoints() with two reference points.
Parameters are applied
After instance creation, every parameter shown in the Pier Parameters tab (and any modified value in All Parameters) is written to the new family instance using the Revit API Parameter.Set() call.
Skew rotation is applied
If the pier has a non-zero skew angle, the instance is rotated about its top reference point axis by the specified degrees before the transaction is committed.
Transaction committed
All piers are placed in a single Revit undo transaction named "AutoBRIDGE — Place Piers". A summary message confirms how many instances were created. You can Ctrl+Z to undo the entire placement in one step.
End-to-End Workflow
Open AutoBRIDGE → Pier Designer
In Revit, launch AutoBRIDGE from the Add-Ins tab. Select Pier Designer from the module list. The form opens centred on screen.
Choose alignment source type
Use the top-left combo: Corridor (AutoBRIDGE polyline), Civil 3D Alignment (live link), or 3D PolyLine (CAD layer). Fill in sub-controls for the chosen type.
Verify the Plan + Elevation views
The alignment path must appear in the Plan View. Switch to Elevation View to see the profile. Scroll/zoom to inspect the geometry.
Define pier stations in the schedule
Click Config. ▸ Edit Pier Schedule. Add rows for each pier, enter the station in metres, and set the skew angle. Click Apply.
Set the Bottom Level mode
Choose Fixed Height, Fixed Elevation, or Bottom Profile. Enter the relevant value. Watch the Elevation View update to show pier sticks at the correct height.
Select pier shape
Click ◈ Select Pier Shape. Browse to the Piers library folder, pick an .rfa file, then choose a type. The 3D preview loads.
Adjust parameters
Edit values in the Pier Parameters tab. Use ⬡ Detect Deck Soffit to auto-fill Top_PierHead_Offset if a deck is already placed.
Click PLACE
Verify the status bar, then click the cyan PLACE button. AutoBRIDGE places all enabled piers in a single Revit transaction.
Keyboard & Mouse Reference
| Action | Control | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom in / out | Scroll ↑↓ on Plan or Elevation view | Scales view ×1.15 or ×0.87 per step |
| Pan | Left-drag on Plan or Elevation view | Shifts the viewport offset |
| Reset view | Double-click on Plan or Elevation view | Returns to scale = 1, offset = 0 |
| Move window | Left-drag on title bar or form background | Drags the borderless window (WinAPI caption drag) |
| Commit grid cell | Click away or Tab | Fires CellValueChanged → refreshes both views |
| Undo all piers | Ctrl+Z in Revit | Reverts the entire "AutoBRIDGE — Place Piers" transaction |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Plan View is blank after selecting source | No polylines on selected layer, or corridor not linked | Check the corridor link in Revit Manage Links; verify the CAD layer name matches |
| Civil 3D combos are empty | Civil 3D document not open | Open the DWG in the AutoCAD session before launching the form |
| PLACE button is greyed out | Source not loaded or shape not selected | Both source and family must be valid before the button enables |
| Pier appears at wrong elevation | Top_PierHead_Offset not set | Use the Detect button or manually enter the bearing seat drop in mm |
| 3D preview panel is empty | Family doc failed to open | Check that the .rfa is a valid Adaptive Component with 2 points |
| Skew looks wrong | Angle sign convention | Positive = CCW when looking down. Try ±value if rotated the wrong way |