Smart Model
COMMAND LICENSING AND DEFAULT MENU LOCATIONS
- The Smart Model command is part of the RPS All Tools Command Library and one of the key commands of the RPS Smart Suite package.
- The command is located on the Modeling and Smart Suite macros menu ribbon.
- The command is located in the Surface menu group (Modeling Menu) or the Model menu group (Smart Suite Menu).
COMMAND DESCRIPTION
Provides the ability to create and manage your TBC surfaces and Cut / Fill Maps. The command integrates TBC capabilities, including surface creation, adding/removing surface members, trimming surface edges, and adding surface edge breaklines and boundaries, into a single seamless process. Surfaces and Cut / Fill Maps generate reports that are linked to the selected surface so that you can see and report all surface properties and calculated volumes directly.
DOCUMENTATION LINKS
Smart Model - Cut Fill Maps Command documentation - Click Here
RPS Settings - Smart Model documentation - Click Here
COMMAND HISTORY
- July 7, 2025 - Version 2 with Cut Fill Maps and other capabilities
- April 1, 2025 - Version 1 released
SETUP AND CONFIGURATION
Command Interface Description
The Smart Model command dialog looks as follows:
Surface Type Filter
In TBC, there are a number of surface types available to you depending on the type of work that you are doing. The Surface Type filters provide the ability to reduce the number of surfaces and surface groups that are displayed in the Surface Manager window (see below).
Surfaces have been logically grouped into three main groups:
- Normal Surfaces
- Takeoff Surfaces
- Other Surfaces
Normal Surfaces include standard surface models, planar surface models, corridor surface models, trench surface models, and difference or cut/fill models.
Takeoff Surfaces include all of the surfaces created using the Takeoff work processes, including Original ground, Finished design, topsoil stripped and topsoil respread removed surfaces, strata surfaces (rock, soil, etc.), subgrade adjusted and demolition surfaces, and overexcavation surfaces.
Other Surfaces are specialized surface types, including composite surfaces, projection surfaces, radial surfaces, and tunnel surfaces.
In the Filter area of the command dialog, you can switch the filters on/off using the checkboxes beside each surface type or at the Surface Type group level.
When one or more surface types are disabled in the filter, they cannot be displayed in the Surface Manager window or in the Plan or 3D graphics pane.
Note:
Because Smart Model cannot control the overall behavior of TBC, it is possible still to control surface visibility using the view filter manager. While Smart Model is running and is the active command, or when it is started up, it controls the graphics and will override the view filter manager automatically provided that the View Filter in use is an unlocked view filter (like MyFilter) i.e. locked view filters (All or other locked view filters) override Smart Model and control object / layer visibility the current view.
Surface Manager
The Surface Manager window will display surface groups and surfaces that are enabled in the Surface Type filter above. You can turn surfaces on and off at the surface or surface group level within the Surface Manager by checking or unchecking the checkbox next to the surface model or surface group.
You can increase or decrease the height of the Surface Manager window by right-clicking your mouse in the window and dragging up or down.
If you click a surface in the Surface Manager, that surface is activated, and you can control the surface parameters, members, edits, boundaries, etc., in the section below. You can also review surface information or, for Cut / Fill type surfaces, review the computed volumes and other related information in the Results pane of the dialog.
When a surface is activated, you can right-click the surface name and select one of the following options:
- Properties - Opens the properties pane for the selected surface)
- Reassign Group - Moves a surface from one group in the surface manager tree to another group in the tree (or to a group that is not currently in the tree view)
- Delete Surface - Deletes the selected surface
- Duplicate TIN surface - Creates a copy of the TIN surface without any dependent object relationships - suitable for machine operations
- Capture view to clipboard - Copies the active view to the clipboard so that it can be pasted onto a drawing sheet in sheet view using RPS Paste
- View only this surface - Switches off all surfaces except the selected surface
- View all surfaces - Switches all surface models on
Properties
Triggers the display of the surface properties in the TBC Properties pane. If the Properties pane is not open, it will open when requested.
Note that the Results pane of the Smart Model command will also provide a detailed list of surface properties or Cut Fill Map properties when the surface is selected in the Surface Manager window. The Parameters tab of the section below will also show the key parameters of the surface properties, e.g., Surface Group, Surface Style, Rebuild Methods, etc.
Reassign Group
Provides the ability to select a surface group from a list of surface groups and move the selected surface into that group in the Surface Manager tree. You can also drag and drop a surface from one group to another in the Surface Manager tree.
Delete Surface
Deletes the surface from the TBC project file. It will then also disappear from the Surface Manager window.
Duplicate TIN surface
Creates a simple TIN model copy of the selected surface that has no dependent objects. The created surface is well suited for use in machine control or surveying systems and can be selected and exported as a VCL, TTM, SVD/SVL, or DSZ file for use in Trimble construction systems (Siteworks, Earthworks, GCS900, SCS900, etc.).
Capture view to clipboard
This captures the currently active view, e.g., 3D View or Plan View, to the clipboard as an image. The image can then be pasted into the Plan or a Sheet View for drawing purposes. Note that the size of the graphics window and the resolution of the screen on which the window is displayed dictate the resolution of the captured image. Alternatively, you can use the Windows Snipping Tool, Snagit, or ShareX as screen capture tools that also place the image on the clipboard so that you can use RPS Paste to place the image in the desired location.
View only this surface
This switches off all surfaces except the one that you have selected in the currently active view so that you can review only that surface model on screen.
View all surfaces
This switches on all surfaces in the currently active view.
Note:
Currently, the view controls do not have full control over multi-window TBC projects, e.g., multiple Plan and 3D Views where each view can have a different locked/unlocked View Filter. We still have some work to do to improve the way Smart Model interacts with multiple views and multiple locked or unlocked View Filters.
Surface Groups
Surface Groups are defined in RPS Settings and are stored in an RPS Settings file, which is not part of the TBC project. The same Surface Groups and Surface Styles can be used from project to project. See RPS Settings - Surface Groups and RPS Settings - Surface Styles below for more details.
A number of standard Surface Groups have already been defined for you. You can rename them, change their definitions as you see fit, or create new ones as needed for your desired project structure. Surface Groups are simply a way to group surfaces together for better and faster visibility controls and better organization, making them easier to locate and manage on larger projects.
Examples of how to group surfaces could include any of the following methods:
- Group by surface type i.e. Original Ground, Finished Design, Work In Progress, As Builts, Utility Trench etc.
- Group by project phase i.e. Phase 1 surfaces, Phase 2 surfaces, Phase 3 surfaces etc.
- Group by surface use case i.e. Main Line surfaces, Ramp Surfaces, Pond Surfaces etc.
- Group by surface type i.e. Normal Surfaces, Cut Fill Maps, Takeoff Surfaces etc.
- Group by revision i.e. Rev 1 Surfaces, Rev 2 Surfaces, Rev 3 Surfaces etc.
There is some degree of loose coupling applied by the Smart Model command between surface type, surface classification, surface group, and surface style. These are mostly user-definable and can be overridden by the user as needed. Takeoff surfaces are hard-coded to match the default behavior of TBC Takeoff processes so that they are 100% consistent.
A surface can be moved between Surface Groups at any time, so you can use Surface Groups to hold surfaces in one group while you are working with them and then move them to a different group when they are completed. Surface Groups have been provided to store simple TIN models for machine control and surfaces under review, providing a starting point as you determine how best to utilize the tools within the command.
See RPS Settings - Surface Groups below for more details.
Surface Styles
Surface Styles are defined in RPS Settings and are stored in an RPS Settings file, which is not part of the TBC project. The same Surface Groups and Surface Styles can be used from project to project. See RPS Settings - Surface Groups and RPS Settings - Surface Styles below for more details.
A number of standard Surface Styles have already been defined for you. You can rename them, change them as you see fit, or create new ones as needed for your desired project structure. Surface Styles are a simple and fast way to set the surface properties for display in Plan or 3D Views, set the default surface build properties such as maximum edge angle and adjustment of flat triangles, and enable/disable the automated creation of quick contours. Some properties of a surface, such as Maximum Edge Length, are not tied to the Surface Style so that they can be controlled at the individual surface level.
A Surface Style can be changed at any time. This will trigger a change in the display of the surface in the Plan and 3D Views and an update to the surface properties. When you change a Surface Style, the selected style does not automatically override all of the current display properties. To apply those properties, click the “red flag” button that appears to the right of the Surface Style selector when you change the Surface Style.
To change a Surface Style, pull down the list of available Surface Styles and select the desired style, then click Save to implement the change. When the change has been implemented, the red flag button will appear. Click it to apply the display changes associated with the newly selected style.
The red flag button indicates that the current surface properties do not match the selected Surface Style. Clicking the button forces the surface properties to change to those defined by the Surface Style. Leaving the flag button unchanged leaves the properties as they are for now but warns you that they do not match the selected style.
If a Surface Style includes the creation of quick contours, the quick contours will be generated and placed on a layer named “Surface Name - Contours” and in a Layer Group called 99 - SURFACE CONTOURS.
When you change a Surface Style from one that has contours to one that does not have contours, the surface contours and the associated layer and/or Layer Group will be automatically removed or added as needed.
See RPS Settings - Surface Styles below for more details.
Surface Manager Button Controls
Below the Surface Manager window, you will see the bank of control buttons as follows:
The buttons control the following functions from left to right:
Create a new surface
Delete the selected surface
Refresh the Surface Manager window
Expand all surface groups
Collapse all surface groups
EXECUTE
Surface Properties Dialog Area
The surface properties area of the dialog looks as follows and is used to either create new surfaces or edit existing surfaces.
When you select a surface in the Surface Manager window, this area of the dialog is populated with information relating to the selected surface.
When you click the 
button to create a new surface, this dialog area becomes the area in which you define the parameters, members, etc., of the new surface.
The dialog area is broken into a set of tabs. Each tab represents a process step in the creation of a new surface or provides the ability to review the parameters of the selected surface. The process steps are defined in workflow order when the command dialog pane is wide enough to display the steps in a single line from left to right, as shown above.
To widen the command pane, hover your mouse over the left edge of the dialog. When the pane-widening icon appears, click your left mouse button and drag the edge to the left or right to widen the pane.
The process of building a new surface requires the following key steps:
Parameters
In this tab, you will create the main properties of the surface, including:
- Type - This is the surface type. Options include Surface (Normal TIN), Takeoff / Layer Surface, and Planar Surface. Note that Takeoff / Layer surfaces are unique in that they are created automatically if you have “categorized” layers for Takeoff, i.e., for Original ground or Finished design surfaces. The other Takeoff surfaces include topsoil (strip/respread), subgrade (demolition/subgrade), strata (soil/rock), and overexcavation surfaces and are created by the Takeoff process and cannot be created here.
- Name - Name the surface that you are creating.
- Style - Set the display style for the surface that you are creating. Surface Styles are defined in RPS Settings. You can access RPS Settings from the Header Bar commands or by clicking the Styles / Groups button.
- Group - Set the Surface Group for the surface that you are creating. Surface Groups are defined in RPS Settings. You can access RPS Settings from the Header Bar commands or by clicking the Styles / Groups button.
- Classification - Classify the surface you are creating. Surface classification ensures that cut/fill quantities are always determined the correct way around, and it is good practice to assign the classification here as you create the surface.
- Date / Time - The Date and Time further assist in determining Cut / Fill when you run a volume calculation between two surfaces that have the same classification, e.g., between two Work In Progress surfaces. The Date and Time then determine which surface is earlier or later in the sequence to determine the cut or fill values.
- Color - The color of the surface is defined by the selected Surface Style and is displayed here for reference only.
- Rebuild method - Set the rebuild method for the surface that you are working on. Auto will rebuild non-Takeoff surfaces automatically after any surface member change. By User will rebuild surfaces only when requested. Show Empty will retain the surface container and selected members but prohibit the formation/display of the surface until it is reset to Auto or By User. Use By User when you want to make a number of surface changes before rebuilding the surface. Use Show Empty to temporarily disable the rebuilding of, e.g., Cut Fill Maps while you are making changes to the source surface models, saving rebuild time after each set of edits.
- Max Edge Length - This is not defined as part of the Surface Style; you define it here for each surface that you create. The setting is somewhat unique to each surface in a project. It limits the length of triangle sides in the surface, especially around the surface edges, to mitigate the amount of surface edge trimming that may be required.
In this step, you have defined the container for the surface. The surface members will be selected in the following step of the process. Surface members can be selected in a couple of different ways, which is why they are handled in a separate process step.
Save
When you have entered all of the surface parameters in the Parameters tab of the Surface Properties dialog area, click the Save button to create the surface and refresh the Surface Manager before proceeding to the subsequent steps of the surface creation process.
Refresh
The Refresh button will compare the parameters of the surface as they are currently defined against the properties of the surface as defined in the Properties pane. If there are differences between the two, the red flag button will appear to the right of the Style selector, allowing you to match the properties to the currently defined surface parameters with a single click.
Properties
The Properties button will trigger the display of the surface properties in the Properties pane.
Selecting Surface Members
epending on the type of surface being created (Normal Surface or Takeoff / Layer Surface), the options will vary as shown below. Note that for Normal Surfaces, Smart Model allows you to select members using a Layer Group. This is a non-standard TBC function and collates the members for a surface from 3D objects located on layers in the selected Layer Group(s). Because this is not a native TBC surface type, you have to use Smart Model to rebuild the surface if you:
- Add new layers and 3D objects to the Layer Group after the surface has been created.
- Add new TBC objects to the layers of a Layer Group after the surface has been created.
Categorize Layers - Takeoff / Layer Surfaces Only
This option will be available only when creating Takeoff Surfaces, i.e., Original ground or Finished design surfaces.
These surfaces are created using layers of data that have been categorized as Original or Design surface-related. Typically, the categorization of layers can be managed by your Project Template and modified for each project to allow for data variations encountered. In Smart Model, you can now perform the layer selection and categorization for Original ground and Finished design surfaces for Takeoff within this process step.
If your Project Template has layers already categorized for Takeoff, they will be detected and displayed in this tab for review, as shown below:
Layer Groups
If the categorization of layers collates layers from different Layer Groups, this will display Mixed to indicate that layers from more than one Layer Group are being used to make the surface. If the layers come from a single Layer Group, that Layer Group will be displayed here.
When building a surface from scratch with no pre-categorization of layers, selecting a Layer Group from the list will display all of the layers from that Layer Group in the section below.
Layer List
The list of layers will be populated. For each layer in the list, you can select whether lines on the layer will act as:
- Surface Boundary - Either an External or Interior Boundary line. Note that this will create a surface area limited by an external boundary and/or holes in the surface (interior boundary) or islands in the surface (several external boundaries), etc.
- Contains SIs - SI = Site Improvement. This means that lines on the layer will act as a boundary for the placement of Site Improvements/Materials that will be used to create demolition adjustments (Original ground) or subgrade adjustments (Finished design).
- Site Improvement - When the Contains SIs checkbox is enabled, you can optionally select a Site Improvement that will be automatically applied to all closed areas defined by lines on the selected layer. This could be used, for example, for subdivisions where there may be many building pads on a layer that all have the same Site Improvement treatment. Typically, layers that contain open lines, data that represents only one or two areas of the same type, or areas that have different Site Improvement treatments will not be automatically assigned a Site Improvement here; you will assign those manually in a later Takeoff step.
Apply Button
When you have completed the categorization for the selected layers, click Apply to activate the changes for the selected Takeoff surface.
Refresh Button
You can refresh this list if you change anything using the Categorize Layers command so that the information matches correctly. Click the Refresh button to update the table.
MSI Library Button
You can access the MSI (Materials and Site Improvement Library) to define or modify materials or Site Improvements that you are using. Click the MSI Library button.
New Layer Button
If you wish to create a new layer and set the layer categorization and Site Improvement properties, click the New Layer button.
Layer Groups - Normal Surfaces Only
TBC does not natively support the creation of Normal Surfaces using members selected by Layer Group(s). It is clear, however, that many users create layers in a Layer Group with the intent of using 3D objects on those layers to create a surface model. For this reason, we have created this method of surface creation. We are still improving the method, but it is already highly functional in v1.0 of the command.
In this method, you can select a Layer Group. Once selected, the layers of that Layer Group will be listed in table form below the Layer Group selector.
Within the layer table, you can check the boxes associated with each layer to indicate that 3D objects on the layer can be used to:
- Create a surface boundary or boundaries. A surface can have one or more surface boundaries that constrain where triangles can be formed. A boundary can act as an external boundary (creates an island) or an internal boundary (creates a hole in the surface, e.g., for a wetland area, protected tree copse, or similar area). You can have any number of external boundaries that create multiple islands in the surface. You can also have any number of internal boundaries within each external boundary that create one or more holes in the surface islands. While it is possible to have boundaries inside holes, etc., that is less common. If encountered, they will become islands within the holes, and this Island - Hole - Island - Hole sequence will repeat if boundaries are found inside other boundaries. If you create multiple closed lines on a layer in a selected Layer Group, they will behave in this manner to constrain the surface. Note that surface boundaries can be 2D or 3D lines and can be polylines or linestrings.
- Create a Site Improvement boundary (SIs). This will convert any 3D line found on a layer tagged as containing SIs into a linestring. It will also automatically change the Surface Sharpness property of the linestring to Sharp and Texture Boundary so that the line will act as a boundary for the application of Site Improvements or surface textures using the Apply Surface Site Improvement or Add Surface Texture commands. These commands leverage the MSI (Materials and Site Improvement) Manager command for the colors to be assigned and the Site Improvements that are to be applied. Areas that have these SI treatments can then be used to create subgrade surfaces using the Create Subgrade Surface command.
Add Group Button
Click this button to add the selected Layer Group to the surface, update the lines on the selected and tagged layers with their Sharp and Texture Boundary properties, and add the selected lines as surface boundaries.
Remove Group Button
Click this button to remove the selected Layer Group from the surface. This can be used, e.g., when you move from a Rev 1 surface to a Rev 2 surface model where the Rev 2 data is in a different Layer Group.
Layers Manager Button
Click this button to open the TBC Layer Manager window. This allows you to create, rename, delete, or change the properties of selected layers.
Members - Normal or Takeoff Surfaces
All surface models are made up of members. Takeoff surfaces get at least their initial members through the categorization of layers as, e.g., Original ground or Finished design. Normal surfaces get their initial members through either the graphical selection of members or the Layer Group method defined above. However, all surfaces can also have additional members that may not have been defined by categorization, Layer Groups, or initial graphical selections. Some object types, e.g., TIN models, PDF or Aerial Images/Ortho Photos, Point Clouds, and Corridor Surfaces, do not have layers and can only be added to a surface model as surface members.
The Members tab provides the ability to add/remove members to/from a surface model and the ability to add/remove PDF images/Ortho Photos from a surface model. This drapes the image over the surface model for visualization purposes.
Surface Members
Click in this field and then graphically select members, or use the Options button for advanced selection methods, to select members for addition to or removal from the selected surface model.
Add Members Button
Click the Add Members Button to add the selected objects to the surface model.
Remove Members Button
Click the Remove Members Button to remove the selected objects from the surface model.
Drape Images
The table shows all of the images/PDF pages that have been imported and georeferenced in the project. If you check the checkbox associated with an image, it will be added to the surface as a surface member and will be used to colorize the surface when it is displayed using the Surface Color display style in the Plan or 3D View.
Check the checkboxes and then click Build / Rebuild Surface to add the images to the surface model.
Uncheck the checkboxes and then click Build / Rebuild Surface to remove the images from the surface model.
Alignment Surface Check Box
Currently a placeholder in the dialog - Not fully implemented at this point. This will be fully implemented in the next update to the command. (Comment Dated Apr 2025)
Trim Edge
When you build a surface, the Maximum Edge Length parameter set in the Parameters tab controls the formation of the surface model in terms of the maximum edge length that a triangle can have.
Note that regardless of this setting, every 3D point or node of any line, etc., selected for a surface model has to be connected by at least one triangle, and that single triangle can exceed the Maximum Edge Length setting.
For nearly all surface models, you will need to set this value somewhat higher than absolutely necessary for each pair of points or nodes, but not so large that the surface creates unnecessarily large triangles.
Whatever value you set here will never be 100% correct, and you will always find some additional triangles around the edges of the surface that are incorrect and therefore create a surface that is most likely incorrect in that area because there is no data to justify the surface’s existence.
In these cases, the Trim Edge function allows you to draw a series of two-point temporary lines that sweep through the unwanted triangles to remove them from the surface model. If the triangles are bounded by a 3D line/breakline in the model, you can sweep up to or past the breakline, and only the triangles on the outside of the breakline will be removed.
Outside / Inside Points
To trim the surface edge, click a point outside the triangulation and then a point inside the triangulation. All of the triangles that cross the line that you draw will be removed from the surface, provided that the nodes to which those triangles are formed are still connected to at least one other triangle.
After cleaning
Edge Breakline
Once the surface edges have been cleaned, use the Edge Breakline function to place a 3D breakline around the edges of the surface triangulation to lock in the surface. This helps prevent unnecessary triangles from reappearing if the surface has to be rebuilt or updated. Note that the Edge Breakline acts like a surface boundary, provided that no surface data is found outside the breakline. As soon as a node of a 3D line or 3D point is found outside the Edge Breakline, the Edge Breakline becomes a breakline again, and the edge triangles will likely reappear.
For this reason, when you build an Edge Breakline, it is also good practice to:
- Add the Edge Breakline to the surface as a surface boundary. This will prevent triangles from being formed outside the boundary if data elements lie outside the boundary.
- You can also achieve this by drawing the Edge Breakline on a layer that is categorized for Takeoff and tagged as containing surface boundaries.
- You can also achieve this by placing the Edge Breakline on a layer that is in a Layer Group being used to create a Layer Group Surface and that is tagged as containing surface boundaries.
Name
Name the Edge Breakline, e.g., Surface Name - Edge BL, so that later, when you click the line, you can identify it from its name property.
Layer
Select the layer on which you wish to place the Edge Breakline. You can create a new layer for the line if needed using the (+) key at the end of the layer selector.
Note that when working with Takeoff Layer-based surfaces, the Edge Breakline should likely be placed on the layer that you have categorized for either the Original or Design surface that contains surface boundaries. That way, as soon as you rebuild the surface, the line will be automatically picked up and used to limit the surface model.
Note that when working with Layer Group-based surfaces, the Edge Breakline should likely be placed on the layer in the Layer Group that you tagged as containing surface boundary lines. That way, it will automatically be added to the surface as a surface boundary.
Add As Surface Boundary Checkbox
You can check this checkbox to automatically add the Edge Breakline to the selected surface as a surface boundary. It does not matter if you also place the line on a layer that is categorized as a surface boundary or on a layer in a Layer Group that is tagged as containing surface boundaries.
Surface boundaries are a sub-container of a surface model, along with the surface members as a second sub-container and the properties/display settings of the surface as a third sub-container. The surface always knows which lines are added as surface boundaries or breaklines to the surface model.
Create Surface Edge Button
Click the Create Surface Edge Button when you are ready to create the surface Edge Breakline. The Edge Breakline will precisely track around the edges of the triangles that are currently in the selected surface model.
Boundaries
As mentioned earlier in this help document, a surface can incorporate one or more surface boundary lines as either external or internal boundaries that guide the surface to form islands and holes. In this tab, you can add additional lines as boundaries to the selected surface.
Remember that closed lines drawn on layers that have been categorized for Takeoff and tagged as containing surface boundaries will be added to a surface model automatically as boundary lines.
Remember that lines drawn on a layer within a Layer Group that has been tagged as containing surface boundaries and has been used to create a Layer Group surface model will be added to the surface as surface boundaries automatically.
Surface boundary lines are closed lines that can be 2D or 3D.
A surface boundary line will force the triangulation to form along its path and will cut the surface model and remove all surface information outside the line (external boundary) or inside the line (internal boundary).
Surface Boundaries
Select the closed lines that you wish to add as surface boundaries.
Add Boundaries Button
Click the Add Boundaries Button to add the selected lines to the selected surface as surface boundaries.
Remove Boundaries Button
Click the Remove Boundaries Button to remove the selected lines from the selected surface as surface boundaries.
Build / Rebuild Surface Button
Click this button to build a surface for the first time or to rebuild the selected surface after you have made changes. This applies primarily to Takeoff Surfaces, as well as other surfaces that have their Rebuild Method set to “By User.”
Delete Surface Button
Click this button to delete the selected surface.
Rebuild All Button
Click this button to rebuild all surfaces that are currently flagged as needing a rebuild. If you look at the surfaces in the Project Explorer, any surface that needs a rebuild will have a red dot on the surface name in the surface list. At this point, there is no indicator in Smart Model that a surface needs to be rebuilt.
Results Pane
The results pane will display the properties of the surface models as follows:
- Surface Area
- Plan Area
- Number of triangles
- Number of vertices
- Number of independent vertices
- Number of materials
- Max elevation
- Min elevation
The results pane will display the properties of the cut / fill map models as follows:
- Area of Cut
- Area of Fill
- Area of Zero Volume
- Cut Volume
- Fill Volume
- Net Volume
- Approximate Balance Depth
- Approximate Volume Delta per 0.1’
COMMAND SETTINGS
The Smart Model command has a number of predefined/user-defined settings. These are created in the RPS Settings - Smart Model Settings function.
Settings include:
- The creation of Surface Groups
- The creation of Surface Styles
- The creation of Cut / Fill Map Styles
- The definition of text styles to use in the Cut Fill Map Legend (this is found in Table Settings within the RPS Settings command).
For full details of the Smart Model Settings, Click Here.
HOT KEYS
The standard RPS hotkeys listed below are available while running this command:
- W, A, S, and D = Pan the screen up, left, down, and right
- Q and E = Rotate the screen by 15 degrees left or right
- Shift + Q and Shift + E = Rotate the screen by 30 degrees left or right
- Right-click and drag down or up in the Surface Manager Tree window to resize the window.
HEADER BAR COMMANDS
In the Header Bar of the command, you will find icons that provide quick access to other RPS or TBC commands that you may find helpful while running the Smart Model command. Header Bar commands include the standard core RPS Tools, including:
- Command Help
- RPS Settings
- PDF Manager
- CAD Cleanup
- Smart Select
- Smart Draw
- Smart Edit
- Smart Elevate
- Volumes Manager
Plus the following additional tools:
- Shrink Wrap
- Track Region Outline
- Surface Slicer View
- Create Corridor Surface
- Create Subgrade Surface
- Overexcavation
- Create Trench Surface
- Create Planar Surface
- Merge Surfaces
- Create Composite Surface
- Combine Surfaces
COMMAND TIPS
The Command Tips area of the dialog provides access to this help documentation, as well as additional useful tips relating to the operation of this command.
##Switch cmd button
The Switch Command button provides the ability to switch to a different command that is already running in the background. It also provides the ability to close the current command or all running commands in the command stack.
You can also press the ESC key on your keyboard to display the command stack and access the Close and Close All functions near your current cursor position.
Press the ESC key twice to close the current command and expose the next command in the command stack that is already running.
USE CASE VIDEOS
The following videos show the use of the Smart Model command in a workflow context:
FEEDBACK AND ENHANCEMENT REQUESTS
If you would like to provide feedback on the use of the Smart Model command or to request enhancements or improvements to the command, please click Reply below.