Matrix Copy Command

RPS Command Library (Info Only) RPS Data Prep Toolbox
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D_MatrixCopy_600ppi   Matrix Copy Command

Command Licensing and Default Menu Location
The Matrix Copy command is part of the RPS Data Prep Toolbox
The command is located on the Data Prep macros menu ribbon
Command is located in the Create / Edit menu group

Command Description
A copy command that provides the ability to multi copy selected objects into a 3D array. User can define the origin, orientation / skew angle, inclination and spacing of the three grid axes. The command is great for creating parking bay striping, site mass haul grids, building piers, stairways and other repetitive patterns on a regular 2D or 3D grid

Command Interface Description
The Matrix Copy dialog looks as follows

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Select objects:
Select the objects that you wish to copy into the matrix array. the objects can be any TBC object including points, lines, rectangles, circles, polygons, blocks, text etc.

From:
Select the “Copy From” location, this will be a point location, typically within the data that you selected to copy e.g. a centroid point or corner location of a polygon or line, the insertion point for a piece of text etc.

To:
Select the “Copy To” location, this can either be the same point as the Copy From location (if the first set of objects to be created lie at the same location, or can be a different location altogether. Note the orientation of the objects selected is not changed by the matrix copy process

Columns

  • Bearing - Enter the bearing for the axis direction along which the columns will be spaced out
  • VA - If you want to place the start point of each column on a slope from the origin point, you can enter a vertical angle from horizontal (0) to calculate the slope / vertical separation between the columns
  • Number - Enter the number of columns that you wish to create
  • Spacing - Enter the spacing between the columns. Note that for an object 5' wide in the column direction and a required spacing of 10' between objects you would enter a column spacing of 15'

Rows

  • Bearing - Enter the bearing for the axis direction along which the rows will be spaced out
  • VA - If you want to place the start point of each row on a slope from the origin point, you can enter a vertical angle from horizontal (0) to calculate the slope / vertical separation between the rows e.g. for a staircase you could enter 45 degrees.
  • Number - Enter the number of rows that you wish to create
  • Spacing - Enter the spacing between the rows. Note that for an object 5' wide in the row direction and a required spacing of 10' between objects you would enter a row spacing of 15'

Note that when using the vertical angle function, remember that vertical faces cannot be supported in a surface model, so you should offset vertically separated lines by at least 1mm / 0.01’ to keep vertical faces from being formed.

Note that Rows and columns do not have to be orthogonal to each other, you can set the orientation of each independently.

Levels
Levels are the 3rd dimension of the matrix array, you can use this to create the top and bottom of piers for example, or for creating layers of rebar in a rebar cage.

  • Number - Enter the number of levels that yo require. A typical use case will be 1 level only, however 2 would be common and more is acceptable.
  • Spacing - Enter the spacing between the levels. Note that for an object 5' high in the level direction and a required spacing of 10' between objects you would enter a level spacing of 15'

Note, if you are creating the top and bottom of a rectangular or other shaped object, the top surface would need to be fractionally smaller than the bottom face so as to not create vertical faces in any surface model that you create. If all of the object heights are the same, we would recommend creating the top and bottom shaped faces first, and then using the top and bottom faces as the selected objects for the matrix copy, that way the top face can be offset by 0.01’ or 0.001m in the source data for the matrix copy process.

Apply
When you tap apply, the matrix array will be created and the command will ready itself for another selection set and repeat process execution. If you do not want to make a second selection and repeat the process tap Close to finish the process.

Close
Closes the command without further execution.

Video Demonstration
The following video shows how to utilize the Matrix Copy command

Use Case Videos
The following videos show the use of the Matrix Copy command in a work process context

Here is a good example of a user request to create a set of 3D equilateral triangle faces over a measured surface with side lengths of a specified value. The Matrix copy is a perfect tool for this and it does an awesome job

Feedback / Enhancement Requests
If you would like to provide feedback on the use of the XXX command or to request enhancements or improvements to the command please Click Here

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