Survey To CAD
COMMAND LICENSING AND DEFAULT MENU LOCATIONS
- The Survey To CAD 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
Creates AutoCAD-compatible 2D and 3D curvilinear lines from feature code processed linework. The command creates both a 2D curvilinear line with true arcs and a 3D chorded approximation line for each of the lines that are selected. Note that smooth curves are converted into a series of variable-radius arcs that approximate the smooth curve path in TBC.
Note:
- AutoCAD does not support arc elements with variable elevations, other than by drawing the arc on an inclined plane and creating a UCS on the arc object (User Coordinate System). TBC 3D curvilinear linestrings are therefore not compatible with AutoCAD 3D polylines. For this reason, TBC outputs 3D linestrings either as 2D curvilinear polylines, including arcs, or as chorded 3D lines that approximate the original lines in TBC.
- AutoCAD does not support vertical curves or vertical arcs. TBC 3D curvilinear linestrings are therefore not compatible with AutoCAD 3D polylines. For this reason, TBC outputs 3D linestrings either as 2D curvilinear polylines, including arcs, or as chorded 3D lines that approximate the original lines in TBC in 3D.
- AutoCAD does not support the arc types generated in 3D linestrings by TBC feature code processing, i.e., Tangent Arcs, Tangent Tangent Arcs, or Smooth Curves. The RPS Survey To CAD command converts these elements into true arcs so that they can be exported to a DWG file (as 2D lines) for full AutoCAD compatibility. The command generates a 3D chorded line and a 2D curvilinear line that are 100% compatible with AutoCAD.
COMMAND HISTORY
COMMAND NOTES
Notes:
- The process creates a 2D line that contains line and arc elements. The arcs are true CAD Arcs (not Tangent Arcs, Tangent Tangent Arcs, or Smooth Curves). The 2D lines are created in a Layer Group called
99E - 2D - AUTOCAD LINES.
The lines created are placed on a layer that has the same name as the source layer but is prefixed with 2DCAD -. The line names are the same as the source line names. The line properties are all ByLayer. The created layer is created with Color White, Lineweight 0.0, and Linestyle Solid. - The process also creates a 3D line that is a chorded approximation of the source line. The chording process utilizes a Breakline Approximation parameter of 0.005’ or 0.001 m, regardless of the TBC Project Settings, to ensure a close correlation between the source line and the derived line created by the command. The 3D lines are created in a Layer Group called
99E - 3D - AUTOCAD LINES.
The lines created are placed on a layer that is the same name as the source layer but prefixed with 3DCAD -. The lines created are placed on a layer that has the same name as the source layer but is prefixed with 3DCAD -. The line names are the same as the source line names. The line properties are all ByLayer. The created layer is created with Color White, Lineweight 0.0, and Linestyle Solid.
- If you create the layers and Layer Group in your Project Template for all of the lines that you are likely to process, the created lines will take on the properties defined by the Project Template where the layers pre-exist in the template.
Process Conversion rules
The following applies to each type of curve in the source lines:
- Tangent Arc - Becomes a normal arc.
- Tangent Tangent Arc - Becomes a normal arc.
- Arc - Is maintained as an arc.
- Smooth Curve - Becomes a series of arcs of different radii that approximate the path of the smooth curve.
Note:
When you export the 3D curvilinear lines from TBC to a DWG file, the 3D curve sections will be chorded using the current Breakline Approximation parameters defined in Project Settings - Computations - Surfaces, as shown below. If you tighten the horizontal tolerance to, e.g., 0.005, the 3D line will never be more than 0.005’ from the 2D line after chording.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Video Demonstration - Convert to CAD lines mode
The video below shows how to use the Survey To CAD command in the Convert to CAD lines mode:
Video Demonstration - Smooth lines mode
The video below shows how to use the Survey To CAD command in the Smooth lines mode:
SETUP AND CONFIGURATION
Command Interface Description
The Survey to CAD command dialog looks as follows:
Convert to CAD lines or Smooth lines radio buttons:
The command provides two modes of working.
Convert to CAD lines mode
This mode provides the ability to select processed survey feature lines (from Trimble Access or Trimble Siteworks) and convert the lines into 2D and 3D curvilinear lines that are 100% compatible with AutoCAD.
Smooth lines mode
This mode provides the ability to select, e.g., contour lines that contain “sawtooth” elements and smooth them out to improve the look of the contours. Note that “smoothing out” the contours does not make them better suited for building 3D models; it simply improves the cosmetic look of the contours. They can still be wrong.
Smooth lines mode
The smooth lines mode dialog looks as follows:
Note:
This part of the command is still under development. While it can provide a solution in some scenarios, it is not completed yet.
Smooth weight
The Smooth weight is the degree of smoothing that you wish to apply to a line. A small number like 0.001 applies very little smoothing, while a number like 0.01 or 0.05 provides increasingly significant smoothing. Smoothing with a value like 0.1 or 1.0 is fairly extreme.
Optimize iterations
Currently, each additional iteration will deviate the result line further from the source line. A second iteration will give a similar result to 2x the Smooth weight, i.e., a Smooth weight of 0.04 with a single iteration will yield a similar result to a Smooth weight of 0.02 with two iterations. The iterations are applied to the result of the prior iteration so that the smoothing increases with each iteration.
EXECUTE
Select lines
Select the processed survey lines that you wish to create CAD-compatible lines from.
Select the lines that you wish to smooth.
Apply
Click Apply to process the selected lines. On completion, the command loops around to allow you to make a second selection and run another process.
INPUTS
Conversion Mode:
Select the method that you wish to use. Available options include Convert to CAD Lines and Smooth Lines.
Select Lines:
Select the processed survey feature lines or other supported linework that you wish to convert into AutoCAD-compatible lines or smooth.
Smooth Weight:
When using Smooth Lines mode, enter the amount of smoothing to apply to the selected lines. Higher values produce greater smoothing.
Optimize Iterations:
When using Smooth Lines mode, enter the number of smoothing iterations to perform. Each additional iteration applies further smoothing to the result of the previous iteration.
REPORTS
The Survey to CAD command does not generate a separate report.
When using Convert to CAD Lines mode, the command creates two AutoCAD-compatible versions of each selected line:
2D CAD Lines: Creates curvilinear lines containing true CAD arcs on layers prefixed with 2DCAD -, within the 99E - 2D - AUTOCAD LINES layer group.
3D CAD Lines: Creates chorded 3D approximations of the selected lines on layers prefixed with 3DCAD -, within the 99E - 3D - AUTOCAD LINES layer group.
When using Smooth Lines mode, the command processes the selected linework to produce smoother-looking lines.
RPS SETTINGS
The command uses a fixed breakline approximation tolerance of 0.005 feet or 0.001 meters when generating its 3D chorded lines, regardless of the TBC Project Settings.
The documentation also references TBC Project Settings > Computations > Surfaces, where the Breakline Approximation parameters control how 3D curved linework is chorded during DWG export.
Use the RPS Settings button in the Header Bar to access the general RPS Settings interface.
HOT KEYS
U = Unlock
Q = Rotate Screen 15 degrees clockwise
E = Rotate Screen 15 Degrees anti clockwise
SHIFT Q = Rotate Screen 30 Degrees clockwise
SHIFT E = Rotate Screen 30 Degrees Anti Clockwise
WASD = Pan Up, Pan Left, Pan Down, Pan Right
SHIFT M = Pop Up Menu
Shift X = Undo Last Click or Pop Up Elevation Entry
X = Start Over
Z = Decrement
C = Increment
Shift Z = Reverse Direction to Downwards / Decrease (and decrease 2x)
Shift C = Reverse Direction to Upwards / Increase (and Increase by 2x)
HEADER BAR COMMANDS
At the top of the Survey To CAD command dialog, you will find icons that provide quick access to commands that you may find useful while running this command. The commands available include:
- Help
- RPS Settings
- PDF Manager
- CAD Cleanup
- Smart Select
- Smart Draw
- Smart Edit
- Smart Elevate
- Smart Model
- Volumes Manager
- Station offset points
- Radial points
- Point creator
- Smart Stakeout
- Smart Map
COMMAND BUTTONS
Apply:
Click Apply when you are ready to process the selected lines.
Switch Command:
The Switch Cmd button provides the ability to close the current command, close all open commands, or switch between open RPS commands. You can also access the Switch Cmd function by pressing the ESC key on your keyboard. The currently running RPS command list will then be displayed next to your current cursor location. You can also press ESC twice to close the currently active RPS command.
HELP
In the Help area, you will find a shortcut link to this Help document and training video. You can also access this document by pressing F1 on your keyboard.
USE CASE VIDEOS
The following videos show the use of the Survey to CAD command in a workflow context:
FEEDBACK AND ENHANCEMENT REQUESTS
If you would like to provide feedback on the use of the Survey to CAD command or to request enhancements or improvements to the command, please click Reply below.