April 1 2025
No Joke - we released an RPS Version on April 1 2025!
We are pleased to release the latest version of the RPS Command Library for TBC today, following on from our inaugural Power Users Conference in Colorado during March, where attendees had a chance to receive a preview version of the release and an opportunity to provide valuable feedback on improvements and minor enhancements.
Download the latest installer package - Click Here
This release incorporates New Commands plus a host of enhancements to existing commands in line with the provided feedback, and I want to thank the RPS Development Team for their hard work to fix an deliver requested enhancements to the latest tools package.
New Commands include
Smart Model
Smart Model is an all new way to create and manage surfaces in your projects. * The command provides a filterable tree view that allows you to restrict the surface types that you are working with e.g. Normal surfaces, Difference surfaces / Cut Fill maps, Takeoff surfaces or Specialty surfaces (Projection, Radial, Tunnel surfaces etc.).
- The tree view allows you to group surfaces into user defined groups, and that allows you to switch surfaces on and off as a group or individually.
- Click on a surface to review its properties, add add / remove surface members, trim surface edges, add surface edge breaklines, add / remove images to surfaces, add / remove surface boundaries.
- Surface display properties in Plan or 3D views are controlled by “Styles” that include the way that the surfaces are created, displayed, and whether or not you want them to display quick contours. A change in style can change the way that the surfaces are displayed, instantly displaying them the way you want to see them.
- Surfaces can be created from scratch for both Takeoff and Normal surface types.
- Normal surfaces can now be built from members or from 3D objects in layers defined by selection of a parent Layer Group.
- Takeoff surfaces can also be created using layers that have been categorized, or auto created through selection of layers in a defined layer group.
- Selected layers can be displayed, and site improvement / surface boundary attributes added quickly and easily.
QA Floor Command
The new QA Floors command provides the ability t provide ASTM 1155 standard reports for Floor Flatness and Floor Levelness from precision scanner point cloud data. Simply scan the floor, define your boundaries and 2 foot offset zones, define your computation method i.e. Grid, Walk or Line modes, and your FF and FL target values and specifications, and run your analysis / generate your reports including all charts and tables as defined by the ASTM 1155 standard. The command double checks your work against the ASTM standard, ensuring that you provide the correct level of coverage, measure the correct number of sampling points, and allows you to run many check calculations to ensure that your entire floor is checked and analyzed to the letter of the standard.
Export LAS Command
The Export LAS command provides the ability to batch export any number of point cloud regions into individual LAS files for transfer to other software packages. No need to repeatedly run an export command to deliver one file at a time to the LAS format.
Label Lines Command
The new Label Lines command provides a templated method for labeling lines with or without reference to reference lines or alignments, reference surfaces.
- Labeling options are extensive and can be applied manually or fully automatically to one or many lines in a single process.
- The label templates can incorporate math functions e.g. to offset a selected line elevation vertically to allow for e.g. pipe diameter or wall thickness, or to adjust elevations e.g. for Top of Curb and Flow lines derived from the same feature line.
- The labels can be defined at intervals or at key locations along the line i.e. Start, End, Nodes, PC, PT, VPC, VPT, PI, VPI, CS, SC locations etc.
- Where labeling multiple lines close together is likely to cause overlapping text labels, labels can be staggered so that they do not overwrite.
- Labels that are generated can also be reported into an external csv / excel file.
- Labels can be defined e.g. for depth of cover for underground utilities or clearance to overhead cables between selected lines and surface models.
- Labels can be defined to provide full curve geometry tables for alignments including curve deltas, curve deflections, radius, length etc. parameters.
Example of staggered line labeling for a highways project
Whether you are drafting final drawing deliverables, or creating labeled linework for machine guidance, curb and gutter operations or field survey applications, or carrying out QA on your final models, Label lines is an indispensable tool for high production drafting.
ADA Ramp Designer Command
The ADA Ramp designer tool takes provided 2D CAD data for ADA ramps - single or double style ramps, a 3D curb line and a style based parameter definition that indicates the ideal slopes, min and max slopes for ramps, landing pads and cross slopes, and automatically elevates the AD linework to a 3D model that conforms to ADA standards. If the ramp design fails, the user can adjust the style definition or select an alternative style and try again. The tool takes an arduous task of trial and error down to a precision tool that completes each ramp in just a few seconds. The tool automatically labels the slopes and elevations of all of the lines to display the final result of the calculations.
Style based settings controls
Execution dialog and Result
Cloud Services (Pre Release Beta - Providing Experimental Use)
The new RPS Cloud Services command provides you with the ability to harness the power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and connect it to Trimble Business Center for the purposes of smart queries, automated data processing and complex problem solving.
Ask Rocky …
The Ask Rocky command provides the ability to write an AI script and provide Rocky with a file of data, an image of a coordinate table and ask it to process the information into something usable e.g. an Alignment, a set of coordinate points, a set of station and offset points, a point cloud. The script can provide restructuring instructions allowing you to restructure data into a form that is consumable by TBC.
Object Creators
We are steadily adding object creators for different TBC object types. We have already supported coordinate points, station offset points, alignments and point clouds and more will be provided in time. This allows you to run an AI script, create an input form of data (in a csv / spreadsheet format, and then automatically create the TBC objects from the data.
The processors have an output and review step, allowing you to check the results prior to committing them to TBC objects.
Object Writers
We are steadily providing the ability to select TBC object types and send them to the cloud services for processing into other forms, for example our GPX exporter creates layered data for use in Google MyMaps directly from TBC points and lines, and handles the coordinate system conversions required for My Maps. This allows you to take quality TBC data out to the field on smart phones and tablets, and to connect your field users to the office through the MyMaps environment. Field users can collect point and line data with photos, automatically add those to layers in MyMaps that can then be imported back into TBC for review of site issues, model issues, as built or work in progress information including the photos.
AI Generated Python Code
Each script that is written can generate Python code that allows you to execute your tasks off line, without then need to utilize the AI services, and allowing you to process unlimited amounts of data (otherwise restricted by the AI services). This provides an unprecedented array of possibilities, we can deploy those “programs” on the cloud services server for you, and make them an integrated command, or you can deploy the programs yourself, allowing to reuse the solutions that you create over and over.
AI is getting massive support and funding internationally, it will be a part of your future, and now is a good time to start working with practical AI based solutions inside TBC as your working environment. It is early days but we have already solved a huge number of technical problems using this technology, and our integration makes it both possible and easy for you to adopt and take advantage of work that has already been completed using the technology.
Example - Georgia DOT - Bentley Alignment Report
Customer on a major highway project was provided ~40 alignments in a text file alignment report rather than a LandXML file
Input text file
Script Screen
Created Alignment
The script was written in ~1 hour and that same script was used to create the 40 alignments for the project. The time taken to solve the problem was less time than it would have taken to input the data for the longest of the alignments, providing a massive increase in productivity, and a solution that anyone can create - you do not have to be a developer to use this tool!
Improved Commands
PDF Manager
New features and functions of PDF Manager include
- Ability to disable or re enable vector snaps for any sheet that has been georeferenced - this can save ~84% of file size related to PDF pages that have been georeferenced into the project.
- Dimming and transparency of sheets prior to placement and post placement has been addressed
- Mid 2 Point mode has been added to multipoint georeferencing method
- Update georeference has been modified to allow the movement of CAD objects only, using the multipoint method, providing a Move, Rotate, Scale using Multiple points to transform data from one coordinate reference to another.
Smart Select Command
The Smart Select Command has been enhanced with the following capabilities
- Addition of Standard Selection methods (rectangle and polygon select modes are now also linked to the Smart Select Actions including Relayer, Delete and new Copy to Layer and can be used with TBC objects or point cloud data.
- Improvements to selection methods and selection process speeds making it faster to select point cloud data and create new point cloud regions, section or profile lines etc.
Smart Edit
Minor improvements with regard to graphics handling, flashing or regeneration issues have been addressed in this update.
Smart Draw
Minor improvements with regard to drawing arcs when elevations are placed mid arc have been made to improve performance. Some changes to the way Rock Grips were being handled in certain situations have also been improved.
Smart Elevate Command
- Added the ability to relayer objects that are being elevated in the same way that we implements the relayer and elevate controls to the smart edit - join command.
- Added the ability to apply the “display zero elevation objects in alternate color” or the “display non zero elevation objects in alternate color” to RPS Settings - Global settings controls. This allows Smart Elevate to activate and deactivate this control from within the command dialog
- Added the ability to hide the target layer for relayered objects from within the command dialog so that as the selected objects are elevated and relayered they disappear from view (because the layer is hidden)
- Added the ability to either Relayer data while elevating lines or copy the selected line to a selected layer while elevating - this then allows the original 2D line to remain on the current layer and the elevaed 3D version of the line to be placed on the target layer.
Command dialog - Relayer Mode
Command dialog - Copy to layer mode
RPS Settings dialog
- The following modes of the command also had some improvements - Spot, At Intersect, Simple to remove defects or command shortfalls.