RPS Command Library v2023.11

alan.sharp · January 28, 2024, 7:12pm

RPS Command Library v2023.11 Update (April 15th 2024)

We are pleased to announce the release of the RPS Command Library v2023.11. This release has new commands, improved commands and further enhancements to the Hot Keys functionality.

RPS Command Library v2023.11 Download Link - Click Here

Important Information

In the past we have recommended the use of PDF Vectors on Demand over the auto vectorizing of PDF files, with this release, the use of the new Isolate Layers command and Smart Edit means that you can now take vectorized linework, isolate several layers, join, relayer and elevate the lines in a single step - ideal for Pads and Contours. For 3D variable height lines you can use Smart Edit to join and relayer the lines and then use Adjust Linestring Elevation to Elevate them. On some of our test projects this has increased productivity by a further 15 to 20%.

New Commands

QA Notebook Command

Hot Key - CTRL Q

As part of our continuous efforts to provide you with advanced QA tools for your projects, we are pleased to add another great QA tool to the command library.

Track all of your project assumptions, RFIs, Errors and Omissions, Project Notes inside the TBC project and create georeferenced markups that can be filtered and reported to PDF and Excel. The QA Notes information is stored in the project, allowing you to pass on information to downstream users of the project e.g. when you move from Takeoff to Construction after a successful bid. Project teams working in sub projects can intelligently merge note records from other team members so that they can review all notes in their project.

Isolate Layer(s) Command

Hot Key - CTRL 1

Provides the ability to Isolate / Un-Isolate one or more TBC layers through selection of objects and a single key stroke / menu button. The command remembers the layer settings at the time of isolation so that when you un-isolate the project views are reset to their prior state. The isolate function allows you to isolate a selection of object layers quickly while retaining the background PDF and Ortho Image visibility as well as surface visibility as required. When combined with the latest version of Smart Edit, the combined commands provide an extremely fast way to convert extract PDF Vectors into sorted / layered, cleaned, joined and 3D linework for Takeoff workflows.

Updated Commands

Smart Edit / Smart Edit 3D Improvements

Hot Key - CTRL E

The Smart Edit command has been significantly enhanced in this release to provide 3D editing and the following new capabilities

Join Mode

Leveraging the benefits of the Smart Join Command (2D) the Join Mode of Smart Edit allows

Joining lines in 3D (with 3D Edit Styles to manage how lines are elevated when joined) - for example if you join two 3D lines that have different slopes there are several possible elevations for the point at which the lines are joined - Highest, Lowest, Mean, Elevation from line 1 slope, elevation from line 2 slope, user defined elevation value etc. The style manager allows you to define different styles that manage different join scenarios in different ways, to ensure that you get the elevations that you want at the join location.

Join, Relayer and Elevate lines in a single step ideal for processing PDF vectors or CAD linework representing Existing and Design Contours, Pads, 2D Lines or 3D Variable Height Lines (e.g. curb or sidewalk). Once a line has been joined, starting a new line will trigger the elevate and relayer controls on the line being edited prior to starting a new line.
Join - Contour mode provides the traditional increment / decrement and hot key controls for elevating existing and design contours
Join - Pad mode provides the ability to create an offset line (elevation and offset deltas) as well as elevating the pad line itself.

When combined with the new Isolate Layers command, users can now isolate imported vector PDF layers, join lines together manually or automatically and assign the joined lines a layer and elevation in a single process step, thereby providing a faster, easier way to process PDF vector data into 3D model objects.

Trim / Extend Mode

3D Edit has now been enabled for Trim / Extend mode using 3D edit styles to control how elevations are computed where the process requires definition e.g. when trimmed / extended lines will be joined

When Join lines is enabled, the 3D edit styles will control how the elevation of the joined line at the join location will be computed (Highest, Lowest, Mean, Slope from Line 1, Slope from Line 2, User Entered Value etc.)
Trim / Extend to Surface - you can now select one or more lines and trim / extend those lines to a selected target surface. If the lines are multi segment lines, only the first and last segments of the lines are considered. This command is ideal for calculating the intersection of piles, wick drains, ground anchors etc. with target surfaces, or for computing where a corridor cross section line truly intersects a ground surface model.

Trim / Extend by Distance - you can now select any number of lines and trim / extend the line lengths by a distance. The extension / trim distance can now be a slope distance, a horizontal distance or a vertical distance to handle different 3D scenarios.
When you select lines to be trimmed / extended, you can also now filter line vertices on e.g. 2D lines automatically where many segments are used to define a straight line. This reduces the line to a minimum number of segments and ensures that the trim / Extend functions are handled more effectively.
General Trim / Extend improvements have been made to increase the robustness of the tool in different scenarios.

Break Mode

3D Edit has now been enabled for the Break mode using 3D edit styles to control how elevations are computed where the process requires definition e.g. how to handle breaks in vertical curve geometry

New Break at surface mode, allows you to break a line where it intersects a target surface model, this handles single or multiple segment lines, and will break the line at each point where it passes through the target surface model.

You can now break any 3D linestring, where the linestring has vertical curves, the break point can be at the start, the end or anywhere within the vertical curve and the command computes the new curve geometry for the two halves of the vertical curve so that the pre / post geometry is correct.

You can now convert all VPIs (except those defined as a vertical curve) to 3D nodes so that there is no likelihood of the VPIs moving along the line after any type of edit. Note that VPIs defined using Inbound Slope, Outbound Slope, Slope Intersection, Line Intersection or Offset Slope will be converted to 3D nodes in this process.
You can now filter the line vertices of the source lines to reduce the number of segments that make up straight lines during the edit process.

Adjust Linestring Elevation

The adjust linestring elevation command has been updated to allow

Elevating building pads and applying subgrade or basement adjustments automatically
Elevating building pads using elevation text inside the pad boundaries

RPS Copy

The command has been updated to allow

Copy TBC objects from an active reference file

RPS Paste

The command has been updated to allow

Paste of data from a reference file
When pasting TBC data from the clipboard, you can now also assign a new layer for the copied data - this provides an effective means of copying data from e.g. a second TBC project where you may have imported a DWG file and you want to copy e.g. curb lines from the CAD Layer onto your FG - Curbs layer in your working project.

Takeoff Lines

Vector Snaps disabled when in Elevation field of dialog so you can snap more easily to 3D objects and text items

Create Slope Indicators

The command has been further enhanced to further support for surface slope improvement applications - the slope lines that are created now have the override segment length property set automatically to the value used for the intervals between the slope lines, this means that when the slope lines are added to a surface they are auto densified to that level in the model created. The algorithm used o compute the slope lines has been further enhanced to create improved slope lines for ponds and other similar slope areas where there are varying radii and source lines that are closed, further improving the use of the command.

Slope Designer

Hot Key controls have been added to the Slope Designer command.

CAD Cleanup

Step 3 of the CAD Cleanup command has been enhanced with a style that splits vector PDF data into 4 Layer Groups - Solid Lines, Dashed Lines, Fills and Text layers. The command can now be used on vectorized PDF data to separate layers into Layer Groups for further editing with Smart Edit and Adjust Linestring Elevation.

General Improvements

In the PDF Vectors on Demand command, when the cursor focus is in the Elevation data field of the dialog, we suppress the vector pdf snaps so that you can click a 3D object or text item easily to extract an elevation. We have now implemented this feature into the Takeoff Lines command also.
Header Bar commands now all include RPS Key Commands including Smart Edit, Adjust Linestring Elevation, Takeoff Lines as well as RPS Settings and Command Help

Bugs and Defects

In the Takeoff Lines and Insert Line Segment commands, the letter G was implemented to activate and deactivate the Rock Grips functionality. In Takeoff Lines, the implementation stopped users from entering the letter G into Line Names for lines that were being created. This has been fixed in this update.
Point Cloud Processor - if you ran the command in a project that did not have a project sub folder (Support - Options - Project Management) the command would fail to work. This has been addressed.
Point Detail Report - Now fully supports Station Equations
Smart Join / Smart Edit - Now fully support Station Equations
Volumes Manager - Was reporting balance volumes with positive and negative signs incorrectly
PDF Vectors on Demand and Takeoff Lines - The way that Vector Snaps were being used has been enhanced so that it is automatically deactivated when in an Elevation select control - this means that the 2D vector snap location cannot be selected over and above a 3D node that exists at that location. This improves digitizing and vectorizing processes.