RPS Settings - QA Notebook Settings

D_RPSsettings_600ppi  RPS Settings - QA Notebook Settings


Command Licensing and Default Menu Location

  • The RPS Settings command is part of the RPS Core Tools Toolbox
  • The command is located on the Tool Shed macros menu ribbon
  • The command is located in the Core menu group
  • The command can also be found in the header bar commands of all RPS commands


Return to QA Notebook Help Document - Click Here


QA Notebook Settings

The QA Notebook command is managed using QA Notebook Settings which are accessed using RPS Settings from the command header bar icons or from the Tool Shed menu - Core group of commands.

The RPS Settings dialog for QA Notebook command looks as follows

Note style:

As in other RPS commands, the settings for QA Notebook are managed using styles. The style defines a set of settings for different types of note record. You can create as many different types of note styles that you think you may require. Each note style acts as a filter in the overall notes list, providing a fast way to access specific types of note that you have recorded.

Examples of note styles include

  • Project Notes (Capture Project Details like Units, Coordinate System, Location, Engineer of Record)

  • RFIs (Requests for Information to the Engineers)

  • Assumptions (Assumptions made during the Takeoff or Modeling process)

  • Errors and Omissions (Issues identified in the plans)

  • Cloud Markups (General markups)

  • Field Notes (Notes for field crews, supervisors, surveyors and grade checkers)

  • Issues (Issues identified or that require resolution)

  • Machine Notes (Notes for machine operators)

  • Other (Miscellaneous notes and comments)

You can also use the QA Notes to create graphical annotations and markups for e.g. Takeoff quantities like lengths and type of pipe, curb cross slopes, areas and material volumes etc.

To create, copy, save and delete a Note style click the appropriate button in the Note styles toolbar image

You can copy an existing note style and then modify its name and style settings to quickly create new styles. When you copy it copies the currently selected note style.

When you have finished editing a note style, click the Save button to complete the note style and save it to your RPS Settings file for the command. The settings are stored in your RPS Settings folder in a file called RPSQANotebookSettings.rps. You can share that file with other users to fast track their use of QA Notebook and to drive consistency across a work group, team or company.

An example settings file can be downloaded below

RPSQANotebookSettings.rps (4.5 KB)

To delete a note style, select the note style and click the delete button.

Description:

Enter a description for your note style to provide users with more detail regarding the purpose of the note style.

ID code:

Enter a unique ID code e.g. ERR, RFI, ASS, FLD, MC etc. for each note style that you create. Each note record will be prefixed with the ID code, followed by a hyphen, followed by the Project ID (a unique ID number assigned to each TBC project that is used to track the source of each note when merge records has been used to bring notes from multiple TBC projects together), followed by a unique note number e.g. an errors and omissions note record may have an identifier ERR - 0287 - 001.

Layer:

Select a layer for the note style. We recommend that each note style gets its own layer and that you place all of the note layers in a common layer group. Prefix the layers with e.g. QA - and place them in the default Layer Group 99 - QA NOTEBOOK. You can create layers using the New Layer control. We recommend that you add QA to your Layer Filter settings in the LayerFilters.RPS file in your RPS Settings folder (an example settings file can be downloaded below)

LayerFilters.rps (43 Bytes)

Line and Text settings:

The note records will create a graphical object in the TBC project. The graphical object contains a text object containing the note description (single or multi line text with text wrapping applied), a border line around the text and an optional leader line that connects the text to the note record location (2D or 3D location.

Line Settings:

Use the settings below to define the text borders and leader lines and their properties

Line style:

Select the linestyle that you wish to use for the border objects that are drawn around the graphical text objects that represent the note record. For example you can select a cloud markup linestyle for cloud markup note records. Note that leader lines are always drawn with a solid linestyle.

Line weight:

Select the lineweight that you wish to use for the border lines around the text objects.

Line scale:

Select the line scale that you wish to use for the border lines around the text objects. Note that the line repeat patterns and size of the repeat objects will be defined by the plot scale that is currently being applied (defined in Project Settings under Display - Plan View) at the time the note records are created e.g. 50 scale. Line scales will vary automatically with changes in plot scale.

Color:

Select the color that you wish to use for the text, border and leader lines that represent this note record type e.g. you may want to use Black / White for Project Notes, Magenta for Cloud Markups, Green for Field Notes, Orange for Machine Notes, Red for Errors and Omissions, Cyan for Assumptions and so on. Using color and linestyle helps you quickly identify note records of different types on your drawings / models.

Leader Type:

Select the leader type that you wish to use by default for this type of note record. Options include

  • None (No Leader)

  • Line with arrow

  • Line with no arrow

  • Spline with arrow

  • Spline with no arrow

We do not recommend the use of Leader Lines with Note Records that have the fixed width checkbox enabled in the Text settings. The leader line is connected to the end of the text object, and in a fixed width field the text may not fill the full field width, and this creates the leader line inside the text border box which is not the graphical intent when using leader lines.

Graphic style:

The note record text that is placed in the graphics can be bounded by a Lozenge or Rectangle border. Select the type of border that you require for this type of note record.

image

Rectangular fixed width Project Note records

Lozenge variable width Note records with varying linestyles and leader lines

Text settings:

Use the settings below to define the note record text properties

3D Note checkbox:

Check this checkbox if you want to place this type of note record in 3D. When placed in 3D, the text, leader and border lines are drawn in 3D at the elevation defined for the note location or for the tip of the arrow head / leader line. If the location selected is 2D then the note record will have no elevation.

Text style:

Select the Text Style that you wish to use for this type of note record. We recommend that you have a text style defined specifically for not records e.g. RPS - QA Notes. Text Styles are defined using the TBC or RPS Text Style Manager commands.

Color:

Select the color for the text that will be placed at the note record location.

Max character in line:

Enter the maximum number of text characters that you require width wise in the note record text. If this number is exceeded, the text will be wrapped inside the text border and the border will be expanded to house all of the wrapped text.

Fix width checkbox:

For some note records e.g. Project Notes, you may place these on the drawing in a stack without leader lines and want each record to be center justified within a rectangle border and all of the same width. In that case check this checkbox and set the Max character in line value to an appropriate number e.g. 50 characters.

OK
Completes the settings, updates the settings file and closes the RPS Settings command.

Cancel
Closes the command without further changes to RPS Settings.


Return to QA Notebook Help Document - Click Here


Video Demonstration

The following video shows how to utilize the RPS Settings command for the QA Notebook command


Feedback and Enhancement Requests

If you would like to provide feedback on the use of the RPS Settings command or to request enhancements or improvements to the command please click Reply below