Smart Edit Command

Smart Edit Command

COMMAND LICENSING AND DEFAULT MENU LOCATIONS
  • The Smart Edit command is part of the RPS Data Prep Toolbox.
  • The command is located on the Data Prep menu ribbon.
  • The command is located in the Create / Edit menu group.
COMMAND DESCRIPTION

The Smart Edit command provides the ability to break, trim, extend, join, fillet, and chamfer lines in a variety of ways in 2D or 3D within a single integrated command, increasing both the versatility and productivity of these processes.

Key functions

  • While breaking lines, you can edit one or multiple lines at the same time, utilize a reference line for stationing break locations, and apply a clip width around break locations as the breaks are applied. You can also break lines at a crossing line, a crossing defined by two points, intervals along a line or reference line, an offset to a line, a surface crossing, and more.

  • While trimming/extending lines, you can also trim to an intersection and join the lines at the same time. You can trim single or multiple lines to bounding lines and, where appropriate, trim both ends to a common boundary line in a single step.

  • While joining lines, you can also elevate and relayer the lines at the same time. Elevating lines offers a number of methods, including Contour, Pad, 2D, Variable Elevation, etc., providing dedicated workflows for converting imported PDF Vectors or CAD Linework into 3D lines on the correct layer.

  • With the new 3D Edit functions added in the April 2024 release, you can also trim/extend lines to a surface, trim/extend lines by a distance (horizontal, vertical, or slope distance), break lines at a surface, trim/extend and join lines in 3D with user-selectable elevations at the intersection point, and more.

  • New hotkey configurations allow you to navigate the command dialog without having to move focus away from the graphics area.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

Video Demonstrations for each key function of the Smart Edit command can be found in the appropriate documentation section (see links below). The following video provides a quick overview of the command and the workflows that it supports.

SETUP AND CONFIGURATION

Command interface description

The Smart Edit command dialog looks as follows:

Edit Modes

There are currently four primary edit modes supported by the Smart Edit command:

  • Break
  • Trim / Extend
  • Join
  • Fillet / Chamfer

Select the mode that you want to use.

You can toggle between Break, Trim/Extend, Join, and Fillet/Chamfer modes using the following hotkeys:

  • B = Break
  • T = Trim/Extend
  • J = Join
  • F = Fillet / Chamfer

Enable 3D edit checkbox

Check the checkbox if you want to enable 3D editing. Note that enabling 3D edit can make some mass computations slower than they would be if 3D edit mode were not enabled. If you are working with 2D data (undefined elevation) or lines with a constant elevation of 0 (including elevations close to 0), enabling 3D edit will make little difference in computation times. 3D editing on lines with variable elevations will take the longest to compute when large numbers of lines are selected.

3D edit rule:

Select the ruleset that you wish to apply to the 3D edits you are making. The rulesets are defined using RPS Settings - 3D Edit Settings. You can access the RPS Settings command from the header bar icons.

The 3D Ruleset editor is described in the RPS Settings - 3D Edit Settings documentation. Click Here to access the documentation.

Options

The options displayed provide different methods of breaking, trimming/extending, joining, filleting, or chamfering lines, depending on the Edit Mode selected above. Once an option is selected, there may also be Break, Trim/Extend, or Join modes within that option. See below.

You can change options using the up and down arrow keys on your keyboard.

You can change modes using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.

EXECUTE

Break options

When Edit Mode is set to Break, the following options are available:

  • Break - Simple
  • Break - Two point crossing
  • Break - Intersect line
  • Break - Intervals
  • Break - At offset
  • Break - At surface

Break modes

When Break - Simple is selected, the following Break Modes are available:

  • Break - Single - Once
  • Break - Single - Often
  • Break - Multiple - Once
  • Break - Multiple - Often
  • Remove segment(s) between two points

Trim / Extend options

When Edit Mode is set to Trim/Extend, the following options are available:

  • Trim/Extend - Simple
  • Trim/Extend - Multiple
  • Trim/Extend - Intersect line
  • Trim/Extend - Distance
  • Trim/Extend - To surface

Trim/Extend modes

When Trim/Extend - Simple, Trim/Extend - Multiple, or Trim/Extend - Distance is selected, the following Trim/Extend Modes are available:

Trim/Extend - simple edit modes

  • Shortest end trim/extend
  • Longest end trim/extend
  • Both ends trim/extend
  • Selected end trim/extend
  • Forced trim
  • Forced extend

Trim/Extend - multiple edit modes

  • Shortest end trim/extend
  • Longest end trim/extend
  • Both ends trim/extend
  • Forced trim
  • Forced extend

Trim/Extend - distance edit modes

  • Trim
  • Extend

Both ends checkbox:

Check this checkbox to trim or extend both ends of the selected line by the nominated distance.

When trimming or extending a line by a distance, the slope of the line influences the trim or extend amount. You can select whether the entered trim/extend distance is a:

  • Horizontal distance - Extends the line by a slope distance in the plane of the first or last segment of the line, computed using the slope angle and the entered horizontal distance.
  • Vertical distance - Extends the line by a slope distance in the plane of the first or last segment of the line, computed using the slope angle and the entered vertical distance.
  • Slope distance - Extends the line in the plane of the slope of the first or last segment of the selected line by the entered slope distance.

Join options

When Edit Mode is set to Join, the following options are available:

  • Join - Simple
  • Join - Keep First
  • Join - Keep Second
  • Join - Mean
  • Join - Keep Shortest
  • Join - At Intersect
  • Join - Overlap

Join modes

In all of the above options, the following Join Modes are available:

  • Manual
  • Single
  • Multiple

Note that Multiple is not typically applicable in the Join - Overlap mode.

Fillet / Chamfer options

When Edit Mode is set to Fillet / Chamfer, the following options are available:

  • Fillet
  • Chamfer

Trim object checkbox:

In both modes, you can elect to trim the source object to the ends of the fillet or chamfer.

Apply whole line checkbox

In both modes, you can elect to apply the same fillet or chamfer to all angle points of the selected line or only to the angle point between two segments of the line.

COMMAND DETAILS ON SMART EDIT MODES

The following links provide access to the full documentation for each mode of Smart Edit:

Break Mode
Join Mode
Trim / Extend Mode
Fillet / Chamfer Mode

HEADER BAR COMMANDS

The following commands are enabled in the header of the RPS Smart Edit command:

  • Help
  • RPS Settings
  • Takeoff Lines
  • Adjust Linestring Elevation
  • Convert to Linestring
  • Quick Line
  • Multi - Offset Line
  • Insert Line Segment
  • Delete Segment
  • Clip Lines
  • Offset Line
  • Reverse Line
  • Profile Viewer
HOT KEYS

The following keyboard shortcuts are available for use with this command:

Edit mode hot keys

  • B = Break Mode selection
  • J = Join Mode selection
  • T = Trim/Extend Mode selection
  • F = Fillet/Chamfer Mode selection
  • Up and Down Arrows = Change the Options control
  • Left and Right Arrows = Change the Sub Mode control

New process loop hot key

  • N = Start a new loop process (return to start of execution sequence)

General hot keys

  • Enter = Apply in most scenarios, note that Enter will not work in multi station data entry controls
  • Tab / Shift Tab = Move between fields in the dialog
  • F1 = Help
  • WASD = Pan Screen Up, Left, Down, Right
  • Q and E = Rotate screen clockwise / anticlockwise by 15 degrees
  • Shift Q and Shift E = Rotate screen clockwise / anticlockwise by 30 degrees
  • Ctrl Alt Q or Ctrl Alt E = Reset Screen Rotation to North up

Elevate - contour mode - hot keys

  • Z = Decrease by 1x Delta
  • C = Increase by 1x Delta
  • Shift Z = Change to Decrease and reduce current Z by 2x Delta
  • Shift C = Change to Increase and increase current Z by 2x Delta
  • Shift X = Pop up dialog to define a new elevation and optionally change increase / decrease direction

Menu pop up hot key

  • Shift M = Pop up Menu to access common line editing and review functions
NEW BUTTON

Starts a new loop process, i.e., returns you to the first step of the command execution loop.

APPLY BUTTON

Apply is used primarily for the Multiple Method of working. When you tap Apply, the multiple line segments selected will be joined together, 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. The Enter key also functions as Apply.

CLOSE BUTTON

Closes the command without further execution.

USE CASE VIDEOS

The following videos show the use of the Smart Edit command in a workflow context:

FEEDBACK AND ENHANCEMENT REQUESTS

If you would like to provide feedback on the use of the Smart Edit command or to request enhancements or improvements to the command, please click Reply below.

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