On projects, you will sometimes be sent a surface model for the project in a TIN model format, and you want to reverse engineer the linework for e.g. Centerlines or Edge of Pavement from the TIN Model. To a large extend this can be done using any of the following methods
- Extract Surface Features Command
- Smart Edit - Join - Use Simple Mode and Use Straightest Join method
However sometimes the shapes that you are tracking around are fairly complex, and you may need to remove some of the triangle edges from an extracted / exploded surface - this is where the Smart Select Command can really help.
Smart Select working with normal CAD Objects can be used to either Relayer or Delete the selected objects. The command can be used in 2 point or multipoint mode to select and delete or relayer objects quickly.
Multipoint mode can be used to select objects along an irregular path - you define the width of the path for the selection and then draw a simple line through the data in a single direction to make your selection
Two Point mode can be used to trim out small groups of triangles, very much the same way that Trim Surface Edge command works to clean up a TIN Surface Model.
Video demonstration
The video below shows you how to apply Smart Select to this work process
Command User Interface
The Smart Select command dialog looks as follows
Inside / Outside Selection
The two point line or multipoint line that you draw in this command will create a polygon using the path of the line and a selection width (polygon width) (see below for more details). The polygon defines what can be selected and the Inside or outside setting controls whether you select all of the data inside the polygon or all of the data outside the polygon area that you define.
Crossing checkbox
When working with linework objects, lines can be 100% inside, 100% outside or partially Inside and partially outside the polygon you create.
When you make polygon selections in TBC using the polygon select mode. if you draw the polygon in a clockwise direction you will select objects that lie 100% inside the polygon only. When you draw the polygon in an anticlockwise you will select objects that lie inside and those that cross the polygon line.
The crossing checkbox here forces the polygon that you draw to be drawn in a counter clockwise direction, allowing the selection to include lines that cross the polygon line that you draw as well as the lines / objects inside the polygon.
Point clouds checkbox
In this example we are not working with Point Cloud data so we will leave the box unchecked.
Action
Select the action that you want to apply to the selected data. The options are Relayer or Delete objects.
Layer
If you selected Relayer in the prior setting, you can choose the layer onto which you want to move the selected objects. If you selected Delete this option is not available. If you wish to create a new layer or layer group, use the New Layer control at the right hand end of the selector control.
Selection Methods
There are 4 selection methods to choose from, select the one you wish to use
- Two points - click two points to draw freehand lines for the selection path
- Multipoint - click multiple points to draw freehand lines for the selection path
- By line(s) - select line objects to use for the selection paths
- By polygon(s) - select closed line objects to use for selection areas
Draw lines or Select objects
Depending on the Selection Method chosen, the dialog will change to request the inputs needed for that method.
Two point method
Selection width
The two points that you click define the path, the selection width defines the width of the polygon. Half the width is applied to the left and right of the line path that you draw to create a polygon. You can select one of the optional width settings or define your own width setting. The options include
- Narrow (0.02’)
- Medium (0.5’)
- Wide (1.0’)
- User - when selected you can enter your desired polygon width.
Note: Selecting a wide width setting will select more data, selecting a narrow width setting keeps the selection close to just lines that cross the selection path. Typically we would recommend using the Crossing function enabled when working with two point mode
Snap Modes
When clicking the points of the line, you can elect to use Free snap only mode which temporarily disables all snap functions (for this command and method only), or you can elect to use the currently selected snap modes (All selected snaps), as defined by the Snap Modes control accessed from the buttons at the base of your screen.
Draw selection path
Click a series of two points (from and to locations) for each two point line that you want to use for selection purposes. depending on your settings, the objects that get selected will be relayered or deleted automatically. The two point selection method loops continuously until terminated .
Multipoint method
Disable zoom extents checkbox
When working in this mode, it is possible to draw long paths that follow a very irregular path. To do that will likely involve zooming in so that you can easily draw the path you require. When you complete the path, TBC’s polygon select function which is being used here, will only select data that falls within the polygon +/- the crossing and inside / outside settings that you have chosen and that is visible currently on screen. By default Smart select zooms to the extents of the multipoint line that you have drawn to ensure that all f the data is correctly selected. If you do not want the automated zoom extents to happen (not recommended), disable it by unchecking the checkbox.
Selection width
The multiple points that you click define the path, the selection width defines the width of the polygon. Half the width is applied to the left and right of the line path that you draw to create a polygon. You can select one of the optional width settings or define your own width setting. The options include
- Narrow (0.02’)
- Medium (0.5’)
- Wide (1.0’)
- User - when selected you can enter your desired polygon width.
Note: Selecting a wide width setting will select more data, selecting a narrow width setting keeps the selection close to just lines that cross the selection path. Typically we would recommend using the Crossing function enabled when working with multipoint mode.
Snap Modes
When clicking the points of the line, you can elect to use Free snap only mode which temporarily disables all snap functions (for this command and method only), or you can elect to use the currently selected snap modes (All selected snaps), as defined by the Snap Modes control accessed from the buttons at the base of your screen.
Draw selection path
Click a series of multiple points for each of the multipoint lines that you want to use for selection purposes. depending on your settings, the objects that get selected will be relayered or deleted on clicking Apply or pressing the N key to start a new multipoint path. The multipoint selection method loops continuously until terminated .
By line(s) method
Selection width
The lines that you select below define the path(s), the selection width defines the width of the polygon. Half the width is applied to the left and right of the lines that you selected to create a polygon. You can select one of the optional width settings or define your own width setting. The options include
- Narrow (0.02’)
- Medium (0.5’)
- Wide (1.0’)
- User - when selected you can enter your desired polygon width.
Select lines
Select the lines that you wish to use for the selection process. The lines will be combined with the selection width defined above to create the polygon areas for the selection process.
Apply
Click Apply to execute the process and start a new selection process.
By polygon(s) method
Select polygon(s)
Select the polygons that you wish to use for the selection process. The polygons define the selection areas that will be used for the selection process.
Apply
Click Apply to execute the process and start a new selection process.