Labeling Point Cut and Fill Values in Decimal Inches

TBC Work Processes (Info Only) TBC Drafting, Plotting & Deliverable Work Process
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These types of request come in periodically for a fast way to label a bunch of points with their Cut and Fill values but in something other than standard units.

In this case the user wanted to label ~2200 points with the cut / fill values to a surface but the labels were required in decimal inches not decimal feet. This basically is a math requirement to multiply all of the cut fill values by 12 to convert them from decimal feet into decimal inches.

I have logged the request to improve our Label Points routine so that we could add math functions in a label after the value code so we could have DZ: {Value Code} {*12} in as a label value which would then label the points with the CF value computed in feet and multiply it by 12 in this case to create what is needed here - however this is a way that you can do this today if you need to do it

  1. Create the points
  2. Create the reference surface
  3. Run the RPS Label Points command and label the points with DZ (point to surface) but also output a CSV file of the values. The CSV will have P,N,E,Z and DZ values in it
  4. Open the CSV file in Excel
  5. create a column of values that are the DZ values multiplied by 12
  6. Copy the new column of values and paste as Values to remove the formula - you have to do this because we are going to delete the source data for the formula
  7. Delete the Z and DZ and Formula based values leaving P,N,E and the DZ*12 values
  8. Delete the header row
  9. Save the file
  10. import the file back into TBC as a CSV file in format P,N,E,Z,D
  11. Run label points on these points and use a label that looks as follows DZ: {Elevation Value Code}" or C/F: {Elevation Value Code} in or similar

Notes:
In the current label points you need to select either a Ref Line or a Ref Surface as it will not label points without one of those selected - that is fixed in the update due out shortly

When you import the points from the CSV file they will have the same Point IDs as the originals, they will be flagged however because the Z values are very different - you can ignore the flags, delete the source point data, or renumber the points in Excel etc. to stop that from happening

In TBC Project Settings, Label Points for Elevations is using the settings of the Coordinate Units to add the Units Suffix to the labels - Go into Project Settings, Units and Suffix to disable the display of the suffix if you want to replace it with in or " in the text that you create here.

While a multistep process - it is way less than creating 2200 point labels manually and can be done in a couple of minutes.

Video Shows How

Alan

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