Radial Points (Script)
Command Licensing and Default Menu Location
- The Radial Points (Script) command is part of the RPS Data Prep Toolbox
- The command is located on the Data Prep macros menu ribbon
- The command is located in the Create / Edit menu group
Command Description
Creates irregular point sequences along multiple radius lines using scripted polar coordinate geometry calculations. Ideal for complex layout of circular structures. Created scripts can be saved and reused, ideal for large tank or silo farms.
Command Interface Description
The Radial Points (Script) command dialog looks as follows
Default Layer:
Select the default layer for the points to be created from the layer list selector. Note that each script instruction can define its own layer for the set of points that it creates or the instruction can use the default layer defined here.
Center point:
Select the center point / origin for the radial array computations
Elevation:
Enter the default elevation for the radial array. Each instruction in the script can define how the point elevations are derived using the default elevation or a slope or delta elevation to the value entered here.
Start bearing:
The start bearing is used by each script instruction as the origin bearing for the script instruction calculations. Each instruction can define a rotation angle from the start bearing. Typically enter 0 degrees here and let each scrip instruction then define its start bearing individually as needed.
Point ID:
Enter the start point number for the first point to be created by the first instruction in the script. All subsequent points will be numbered in increments of 1 from the number entered here.
Script:
A script is made up of a number of instructions. You can define the instructions using the Manage Instructions button below. The script is named and then a number of instructions are assigned to the script. On execution, each instruction is executed in sequence, creating the required array of points. Select the script that you wish to use from the list of scripts that have been created.
Manage Scripts:
Click this button to Manage your scripts for this project. Managing a script entails assigning instructions to a named script. The dialog for the management of scripts looks as follows.
Scripts:
Select the script that you wish to manage from the list of scripts presented here.
Instructions:
The list of instructions that have been created is presented on the right side of the dialog. You can select an instruction and then click the left arrows to move the instructions from the list into the currently selected script.
You can remove an instruction from the script by selecting it and clicking the right arrow to move it back into the instruction list.
New:
Click this button if you want to create a new script.
Copy:
Click this button if you want to create a new script using an existing script as the basis for the new script.
Rename:
Click this button if you wish to rename the currently selected script.
Delete:
Click this button if you wish to delete the currently selected script.
Manage Instructions:
This opens the instruction manager dialog - see below.
OK:
Click OK when you have completed your script management activity.
Cancel:
Click Cancel to close the dialog without saving the changes made to your scripts.
Manage Instructions:
Click this button to manage or create new instructions. You can create any number of instructions. An instruction is a single pattern definition that creates a number of points based on a set of defined parameters. a number of instructions can be compiled into a script for single pass execution. Each instruction is processed individually. Instructions are used to create a set of points that can be derived from a single set of parameters i.e. they will have a common radius and interval value and can be created over a defined angular range.
The Manage Instructions dialog looks as follows
Each line of the table represents a single instruction. You can see the main values defined for the instruction.
If you double click an instruction, the instruction editor will open.
Copy, Edit, Delete:
If you single click an instruction line, it will be highlighted and you can then use the copy, edit or delete buttons to make a copy of the instruction, edit the instruction or delete the instruction. On clicking Copy or Edit or New the instruction editor will open.
New:
If you click on New, it will create a new instruction and open the instruction editor.
OK:
Click the OK button to save the additions or changes that you have made and close the manage instructions dialog.
Cancel:
Click the Cancel button to close the manage instructions dialog without saving the additions or changes that you have made.
Instruction Editor
The instruction editor is used to create the instructions. You can create a new instruction, copy and edit an existing instruction or edit an instruction using this tool. The instruction Editor dialog looks as follows
Name:
Enter the name for the instruction. We recommend that you be descriptive here so that you can easily relate to the instruction later on.
Point ID:
Enter the starting point number for the points to be created by this instruction. To troubleshhot a script, we recommend that you use a unique numbering scheme for each instruction e.g. A1, B1, C1 so that you can easily see which points were created by each instruction. You may want to use the same Alpha character in the name of the instruction e.g. C-15 Degree Spacing at 6.5’ Radius and then number the points C1 to CXX so that they correlate.
Feature Code:
Enter a Feature Code for the points to be created by this instruction.
Description:
Enter a Description for the points to be created by this instruction.
Layer:
You can click either the Default or Specify radio button to elect how the layer for the points created by this instruction will be defined.
- Default - this will use the default layer defined in the main command dialog
- Specify - this allows you to override the default value and select a layer from the layer list for the points created by this instruction.
Radius:
Enter the radius value for the array. If the plans describe the radius in feet and inches, you can enter e.g. 6’ 3" and it will convert it to 6.25’. If you were provided the diameter and you need the radius you can enter e.g. 10.5/2 or 10’6"/2 and it will compute 5.25 for you.
Rotation from Start Bearing:
All points are computed in a clockwise direction. Compute or determine the start bearing for the array of points being created by this instruction. Compute the angle between the Start bearing defined in the master dialog for the command and the value required here and enter the appropriate rotation angle. You can use math in this data field to compute the rotation angle if needed. If you are provided the angles in decimal degrees, enter the values as 123.2D for 123 degrees and 12 minutes. If you are provided the angular values in degrees, minutes and seconds enter the value as 123 12 00 for 123 degrees, 12 minutes and 0 seconds.
Elevation:
The elevation value for each instruction can be derived using the default value entered in the master dialog for the command or through applying a delta elevation, a specific elevation or a slope value from the default elevation defined in the master dialog for the command as required. Note that the elevation of the Origin point has no influence on the computations. It would normally have an elevation equal to the default elevation defined in the master dialog for the command.
- Specified - Enter a specific elevation value that will be applied to all points created by this instruction
- Delta - Enter a delta elevation to add or subtract from the default elevation defined in the master dialog
- Slope - Enter a slope value that will be used to compute the elevations of the points based on their distance from the origin point and the elevation default defined in the master dialog for the command.
Point Computation Mode:
There are three parameters that define the placement of points. Any two of the three define the required values, and will compute the third value automatically. The three parameters are
- Incremental Angle - this is the angular spacing between the points subtended at the origin of the array
- Total deflection angle - this is the total angle between the first and last points created by the instruction subtended at the origin of the array
- Number of points - This is the number of points in the array created by this instruction
For example for a Total deflection angle of 100 degrees, and an incremental angle of 10 degrees, there would be 11 points created.
You can determine from the plans, which two values you have to work with and select from the following three options
- Incremental angle, total deflection angle
- Number of points, total deflection angle
- Number of points, Incremental angle
Create radial lines checkbox:
Check this checkbox to create lines that connect the origin point to each point created by the instruction.
Connect radial points:
Select the option that you require for the connection between points created by the instruction. The options are
- None - Do not draw a line between the points
- Line - Draw a straight line between adjacent points in the array created by the instruction
- Arc - Draw an arc between adjacent points created by the instruction
OK:
Click OK to save the changes and close the instruction editor
Cancel:
Click Cancel to close the instruction editor without saving any changes made
Apply
When you tap apply, the radial points will be created through execution of the nest of instructions within the defined script. The command will ready itself for another set of parameters 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.
Note: The instructions and scripts that have been created through this process are stored in a file called RadialPointsEx.rps. The file can be found in the root projects folder and can be used for any open project s a result.
Video Demonstration
The following video shows how to utilize the Radial Points (Script) command
Use Case Videos
The following videos show the use of the Radial Points (Script) command in a work process context
Feedback and Enhancement Requests
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