RPS Explode Solids
COMMAND LICENSING AND DEFAULT MENU LOCATIONS
- The RPS Explode Solids 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 Cleanup menu group.
COMMAND DESCRIPTION
Imported IFC data, component mesh (DGN), polyface mesh (DWG), Solids (DWG), 3D Solids (DWG), and 3D faces from CAD DWG and DXF files. Can be exploded into component lines and points using this command. The command handles 3D solids by breaking them into top, bottom, and vertical (side) objects on separate layers so that they can be used as source data for surface models. 3D linear features can be recreated using the Filter by Alignment command. The command also deduplicates linework created along adjacent face edges, except where the face edge forms the boundary between the Top (Up) and Side (Vertical) or Bottom (Down) and Side (Vertical) edges.
The command determines the top and bottom elements by analyzing the point order around the faces. Top faces are typically defined in a clockwise order and bottom faces are defined in an anticlockwise order when viewed from above. All faces are also analyzed for verticality within a defined tolerance value to determine what makes a side (vertical) element.
COMMAND HISTORY
Last updated: September 6, 2022
AutoCAD solids can have three or four points. When they have four points, they are not drawn in a standard clockwise order. The point order is 1, 2, 4, 3 when viewed as a normal four-sided polygon. This is now handled correctly during the explode process. We also added the ability to delete the source data after it has been exploded. If data is selected when starting the command, the selection is maintained unless you decide to reselect data.
Last Updated: June 29, 2022
We have added the AutoCAD object type Solid to the object classes supported by the command. An AutoCAD Solid is a three- or four-point face object that can have a lineweight, fill, and transparency. AutoCAD users utilize these for things like arrowheads on annotation arrows or for creating whiteouts behind text or linework to obscure objects behind the text or linework. They use the view controls to control visibility priorities, etc.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
The following video shows how to utilize the RPS Explode Solids command to:
- Explode a solid object pavement model into top, bottom, and sides.
- Use the Filter by Alignment command to extract linear features and cross-section lines from the exploded data.
- Explode IFC Shell Surface Models and 3D Face Models into 3D linework.
- Explode IFC Shell Buildings into 3D linework and how to use that to create building floor plans.
SETUP AND CONFIGURATION
Command Interface Description
The RPS Explode Solids command dialog looks as follows:
Select Mesh or 3D Faces:
The command requires that you select IFC shell or 3D Face objects that you wish to explode into points and lines that can be used for surface modeling purposes. Select the imported IFC shells or 3D faces here.
TBC creates IFC Shell objects from imported IFC files as well as imported DWG and DGN files where the designers have created component mesh, surface mesh, or solids in their model.
Up layer checkbox:
The command creates a layer for the Up or Top surface face linework using the source object layer name {L} and then suffixing it with a user-defined suffix value; the default is “-UP.” You can select the color for the layer to be created from the list of available colors. Check the checkbox if you wish to create this layer.
Down Layer checkbox:
The command creates a layer for the Down or Bottom surface face linework using the source object layer name {L} and then suffixing it with a user-defined suffix value; the default is “-DOWN.” You can select the color for the layer to be created from the list of available colors. Check the checkbox if you wish to create this layer.
EXECUTE
Vertical Layer checkbox:
The command creates a layer for the Vertical or Side surface face linework using the source object layer name {L} and then suffixing it with a user-defined suffix value; the default is “-VERTICAL”. You can select the color for the layer to be created from the list of available colors. Check the checkbox if you wish to create this layer.
Vertical tolerance:
If you select the Vertical option, you can define the vertical tolerance value that will be used to determine which faces are placed in this group of objects. The tolerance value is the number of degrees of arc from vertical that the faces need to be before they are not considered vertical, e.g., ±5 degrees.
Faces layer and color:
When you select the objects to explode, you can elect to split the faces into the Up, Down, and Vertical layers or you can place the faces on a faces layer selected here. The faces layer using the syntax {L}-FACES will place the created objects on a layer in the same group as the source layer using the source layer name with the layer name suffix -FACES. The color of the objects created on that layer will be set to ByLayer and the ByLayer color is defined here using the color selector.
Create CAD Points checkbox:
If you wish to generate CAD points at the ends of all the exploded lines, check this checkbox. This is not typically necessary depending on what you are trying to achieve. If you select this option, the 3D lines that are created will be dependent on the CAD points that are created. That is, to edit the lines you will need to move the points in order to move the endpoints of the lines. If you do not check the checkbox, no points will be created and the 3D lines created will be normal coordinate-based linestrings that can be edited more easily.
The advantages of creating points is that if you need to change the elevation of a single node in a surface model made up of the points and lines, the single point can be adjusted, which will, in turn, affect all connected lines and all surface triangles in one simple edit.
The disadvantages of creating points and lines are (a) more data to manage and (b) edits generally require changes to the point data unless the edits are simple line additions and deletions.
Delete original checkbox:
Check the checkbox if you wish to delete the source data objects after they have been exploded. If you leave the checkbox unchecked, the source data will be preserved after the explode process is completed.
OK BUTTON
When you tap OK, the selected IFC Shell / Mesh Objects will be exploded and the command will prepare itself for another selection set and another process execution. If you do not want to make a second selection and repeat the process, tap Close to finish the process.
CLOSE BUTTON
Closes the command without further execution.
USE CASE VIDEOS
The following videos show the use of the RPS Explode Solids command in a workflow context:
Use Case 1
In some cases, the engineering software is inconsistent in the way that it draws the faces of the mesh objects, making it hard to determine which faces are Top (Up) and which are Bottom (Down). It will split the tops and bottoms, but in some cases, the top and bottom may be inverted as per the example below.
The video below shows how to rectify this using the Relayer command and how to combine the data into “Combined Surfaces” so that you can model all the top areas as one surface and all the bottom areas as one surface.
FEEDBACK AND ENHANCEMENT REQUESTS
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